PGCE Secondary Science with Physics - PGCE

More about this course

Successfully complete this PGCE Secondary Science with Physics course to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and become a teacher of science for students up to the age of 14-years-old and physics for 15 to 16-year-olds. On request, we may also be able to arrange experience teaching at post-16 level. 

At London Met you’ll develop your teaching strategies and pedagogical techniques as well as exploring the fundamentals of how children learn. These study sessions will include collaborative projects and school-based work with other trainees, as well as how to implement teaching and pupil assessment.

Our PGCE course uses its London location to widen your experience of teaching in multicultural urban environments. Through your placements at one of our partnership secondary schools you’ll help develop lesson plans and contribute to the development of pupils’ scientific skills and knowledge. London Met also provides you with the opportunity for post-16-year-old teaching experience where possible.

Our commitment to your development lead to positive reviews from Ofsted in our most recent inspection:

"Headteachers are particularly complimentary about the fact that the trainees and Newly Qualified Teachers are prepared well to meet the specific challenges of pupils in the context of London schools."
Ofsted 2015

Assessment

Your assessment will consist of four elements:

• School placement A
• School placement B, where your teaching ability will be assessed in relation to the standard for Qualified Teacher Status
• a Professional Practice Portfolio which is compiled across the year, detailing personal experiences and reflections on your development as a teacher, largely in relation to your practical teaching experience
• the Educational Research Assignment which allows you to explore an educational issue

There are no examinations.

We place great emphasis on feedback from your peers and colleagues on the placement. You’ll complete a weekly reflection and contribute to discussions online in order to further develop your understanding of the role of a secondary teacher.

Professional accreditation

This course is accredited by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

Entry requirements

You will be required to have:

• a UK degree, preferably grade 2.2 or equivalent, in physics or related subjects including geology, metallurgy, chemical engineering and forensic science
• literacy and numeracy tests — these are university-based tests, which you will be asked to undertake at your interview
• a valid Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate and Confirmation of Fitness to Teach (eg a London Metropolitan University Health Check) which you will be advised to apply for after an offer is made
• GCSE English and Mathematics grade C/4 or above (or equivalent)*

If you hold a third class degree, you may still be considered, particularly if this qualification is supported by a completed master's degree or relevant work experience.

We do make conditional offers (with strict deadlines) so it is important that you include all pending qualifications in your application.

The University will assess any overseas qualifications for equivalence using a number of resources including our own internal guidelines, the UK ENIC and the Overseas Degree Table.

We highly recommend the one-to-one tailored advice on eligibility and equivalency offered by the Department for Education Get Into Teaching service.

*If you need to take an equivalency test for any of the required GCSEs, please sign up for A Star Equivalency or Equivalency Testing. They offer all three GCSE equivalencies. Please be aware that you may need to undertake study towards the exam, either with the equivalency organisation or independently.
Alternatively, you might want to sign up for a college course in the relevant subject, though this is likely to take longer and you may not have the chance for a re-sit, if required, prior to the start of the PGCE course.

Professional requirements

Before you can be permitted to enrol to this course:

• you must not already hold QTS or be qualified to teach in another EU/EEA country

Prior to the interview for this course, London Met recommends:

• you have a minimum of 10 working days recent experience in a school
• you are prepared for your understanding of current teaching practice and issues in schools to be assessed
• you have an awareness of multiculturalism and other contexts unique to urban schools
• you're aware you may be invited to interview based on information given in your application

Some offers may recommend further school experience if required.

International students and English language requirements

Due to statutory requirements, we are not able to offer sponsorship under the Student visa route for this course. We will be happy to consider those falling into this category for an alternative suitable course on request. Overseas nationals may be considered for admission who already hold an alternative visa in a suitable category or have been granted permission to remain in the UK indefinitely, but please note that an additional international enhanced police check will be required.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Modular structure

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2023/24 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules include:

Curriculum Studies (core, 30 credits)

This module currently runs:

• all year (September start)

To support the trainee to:
● Develop a deep understanding of the curriculum they will be required to teach on school experience, and an ability to interpret this to plan engaging lessons which promote pupil progression.
● Develop their own subject knowledge to ensure they are confident to teach on school experience, through a combination of personal evaluation, target setting, personal study and engagement with university teaching and learning sessions.
● Develop a critical appreciation of the relevant traditions in pedagogy, assessment and children’s rights related to the areas they will be required to teach, and to use this knowledge to make decisions about planning, teaching and assessment which promote pupil progression.

Read full details

Professionalism and Inclusive Practice (core, 30 credits)

This module currently runs:

• all year (September start)
• all year (January start)
• autumn semester

To support the trainee to:
● Critically engage with the debate about teacher professionalism in the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the DfE Core Content Framework.
● Understand how teachers can use / undertake research to critically engage with complex educational issues.

Read full details

School Experience to Progress Point 2 (core, 15 credits)

This module currently runs:

• autumn semester

To support the trainee to:
● Make progress towards meeting the minimum requirements of the Core Content Framework for ITT.
● Become a critically reflective practitioner inside and outside the classroom.
● Acquire the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to plan, deliver and evaluate the appropriate areas of the curriculum (for their route) by the end of the module.

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School Experience to Progress Point 5 (core, 45 credits)

This module currently runs:

• spring semester
• autumn semester

To support the trainee to:
Achieve the professional Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Early Years Teachers Standards for Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) by the end of the course.
● To become a critically reflective practitioner inside and outside the classroom.
● To undertake the minimum requirements of the Core Content Framework for ITT.
● To acquire the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to plan, deliver and evaluate the appropriate areas of the national curriculum (for their route) by the end of the module.

Read full details

What our students say

"London Metropolitan University not only teaches you 'what teaching is' but it also demonstrates and facilitates a way for you to become a great teacher."
Former trainee from our PGCE Secondary Science with Physics

Where this course can take you

Upon successful completion of the course you will achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for teaching science at Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14) and Key Stage 4 (ages 14-16) and your physics specialism at Key Stage 4.

London Metropolitan University's trainees have an excellent rate of gaining Qualified Teacher Status and finding teaching positions within six months of graduating. Our trainees have gone on to become physics teachers at schools such as Brentside High School in the London Borough of Ealing.

Funding

Funding is available for many postgraduate courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Depending on your teaching subject and degree classification, you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship of up to £29,000 through the teacher training bursary.

Additional costs

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

Top tips for applications

• Ask somebody you trust to check your personal statement, both for accuracy of writing and for focused, relevant content.
• Ensure that your personal statement addresses your reasons for choosing the exact course, phase or subject specialism. Make sure that all potentially relevant experience is referred to in your statement – if you don’t tell us, we won’t know!
• Don’t wait until you have passed all relevant qualifications before applying (but make sure you tell us about them – otherwise, again, we won’t know).
• If your qualifications are from another country, you will have to get an ENIC statement of equivalence.
• Make sure you have read all the relevant course documentation and requirements before applying.
• If in doubt, ask!

When to apply

Please apply as early as possible to maximise your chances of securing a place. The application window opens in early October for courses starting the following September.

Do not wait until you’ve met all the criteria before applying.

If you’re not sure whether you meet the criteria, please do one of the following:

• Contact us to enquire about the eligibility of your qualifications and experience. We’ll be able to let you know whether the Level 2 Maths certificate that you have is accepted for teacher training, or whether your degree is considered relevant to the secondary course you’re applying for.
• Apply early and make it clear in your personal statement what steps you propose to take to get the relevant qualifications or experience.

Places are limited by the Teaching Regulation Agency and are offered on a first come, first served basis. We also operate waiting lists for these courses.