PGDE (Secondary)
Award
PGDE
Duration & study mode
9 months, full-time
School
Education & Social Sciences
Location
Ayr
Additional information
Course starting dates
-
Ayr: August
As a result of the UK leaving the European Union the automatic recognition of UK teaching qualifications in the EEA will no longer apply for qualifications obtained after 31 December 2020. This means that UK nationals wishing to teach in the EEA and EEA citizens with a UK teaching qualifications will require to have their qualification recognised in the EEA country in which they intend to work. The rules and process for this recognition of third country qualifications/third-country nationals will vary and any student interested in working in the EEA after qualifying should check the relevant requirements in each member state.
This programme provides the formal teaching qualification for provisional registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland), preparing you for a career in secondary school teaching.
University study focuses on curriculum, methods of teaching and learning and assessment, alongside theoretical and practical aspects of professional studies in education. You can study one module at master’s level, gaining 40 credits.
Teaching qualifications are offered in several areas and you’re able to select one or two of the following subjects depending on your existing qualifications:
Please note that the University reserves the right to withdraw certain subjects depending on the quotas set by the Scottish Funding Council.
Successful completion of all elements of the course means that you receive the formal teaching qualification necessary for provisional registration with the GTC Scotland, a requirement for entry into the guaranteed one-year Teacher Induction Scheme in Scotland.
Eighteen weeks are normally spent on school experience placements in at least two schools; a two week introductory placement followed by five weeks in the same school; then six weeks in a second school and a final five week placement in the second school.
The PGDE Secondary programme is due to start on Monday 19th of August 2024.
Most UWS graduates remain in mainstream teaching in the UK or abroad. Others work with children with additional learning support needs, in adult training, educational aspects of charities, science centres, the commercial sector and public sector, and social services.
We have compiled a set of answers to FAQs relating to PGDE Secondary which you can download now in pdf format.
Successful applicants who gain a place on this programme are required to register on the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme, managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland.
Our administration team will be in touch with regards to the process for this please do not contact Disclosure Scotland yourself.
The Times / The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020
UWS's Division of Education is recognised as one of the most innovative providers of education degrees in the UK. From early years to adult education, students gain rich experience from our innovative courses and graduate with unrivalled career prospects.
Our research informs our teaching courses, influences policy and contributes to wider research networks across the world. Our work into the nature and causes of youth violence, crime and gang culture has had an international impact.
*this ranking was achieved for our undergraduate course in initial teacher education which our PGDE Secondary staff also teach on.
Interested in a career in secondary teaching? UWS is the place for you! Together we can inspire the next generation to achieve their true potential. Don’t just take our word for it. Our students are always giving us great feedback.
Here's current student Meghan McGookin, studying PGDE Physics and Maths at our Ayr campus.
UWS is highly-regarded for its initial teacher education provision and we offer PGDE Secondary courses for August entry, including:
We welcome Scottish, UK and international students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
If you are applying with an EU or non-EU qualification, please check our Postgraduate Entry Requirements page which gives more information about country-specific entry requirements.
Entry Requirements to the PGDE Secondary programme are shaped by the GTC Scotland Memorandum on Entry Requirements for Programmes of ITE and the application procedures of the university. This section details the overarching entry requirements that apply to all secondary subjects, some subjects have additional entry requirements specific to the subject (e.g. Art & Design, English, Languages and PE). Details of these are included in the GTC Scotland Memorandum but are also detailed in our FAQ documentation which is hosted further up this page.
All applicants should hold a degree validated by a university in the UK or a degree of an equivalent standard from outside the UK. This is the minimum with which an applicant can apply. It may be that only applicants with a good Honours degree (Grade 2.2, or above) will be considered depending on how many places we have available in any specific year.
The degree qualification must contain a minimum of 80 credit points relevant to the teaching qualification that an applicant plans to qualify for in Secondary, with at least 40 of the credit points studied at SCQF Level 8 (RQF Level 5 or EQF Level 5) or above (i.e. around two years full-time study in Higher Education).
All applicants must also have achieved qualifications in both English and Mathematics prior to their application being considered*:
Applicants who are working towards these qualifications will also be considered on the condition that the applicant, if successful at interview, has attained these qualifications prior to the start of the course in August 2024.
Note: We will accept alternative International qualifications in English and Mathematics where evidence is provided via NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre).
Applicants are strongly advised to visit the Teaching in Scotland website for full information on what is required to become a teacher in Scotland.
An offer of a place on this programme is made on the basis of your application and successful interview.
An offer of a place on this course is made on the basis of your application and successful interview. Candidates who meet the academic requirements will be considered for interview. The interview is designed to enable applicants to demonstrate their interpersonal skills; ability to communicate; insight into the role of a teacher; knowledge about current Scottish Secondary education. Recent experience of a Scottish secondary school classroom is normally required and is certainly desirable.
Successful applicants who gain a place on this course will need to register on the PVG Scheme, managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland. An application form will be sent from the University once you have accepted your offer. The fee for joining the scheme is £59.
Visit the Disclosure Scotland website for more information on the PVG scheme.
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).
SOCIAL WORK DEGREES
For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.
For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:
* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
Teaching qualifications are offered in the following areas*. You will select one or two of the following subjects, depending on qualifications:
Our course currently consists of three compulsory modules, one of which is taught in conjunction with PGDE (Primary) and is offered at both SCQF levels 10 and 11, giving the option of 40 credits of internationally-recognised Master's level study. You will develop an understanding of the curriculum and a range of approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in your chosen subject discipline(s).
* The University reserves the right to withdraw certain subjects, depending on the quotas set by the Scottish Funding Council.
Our course currently consists of three compulsory modules, one of which is taught in conjunction with PGDE (Primary) and is offered at both SCQF levels 10 and 11, giving the option of 40 credits of internationally-recognised Master's level study. You will develop an understanding of the curriculum and a range of approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in your chosen subject discipline(s).
There are three 40-credit modules throughout the course focussing on developing the attributes, knowledge and skills encompassed by the following core areas as set out by the Standard for Provisional Registration (GTC Scotland, 2021):
For the Professional Graduate Diploma Education (PGDE) stage, you will study three of the following modules:
Either
or
Plus either:
or
and
LEARNING AND TEACHING
A variety of teaching methods will be used throughout the PGDE: Lectures, tutorials, workshops and use of Aula (the online, Virtual Learning Environment - VLE). These will employ a range of learning and teaching methodologies including group work, problem-based learning, concept visualisation (e.g. using drawing and collage), walking, student presentations, online tutor/student-led discussions, and resources such as subject-specific equipment, interactive whiteboards, laptops and the outdoors will be used to develop your learning.
In order to enable students from the PGDE (Primary) and PGDE (Secondary) programmes to benefit from working together, the PGDE School & Professional Studies module will be delivered through a blended approach using Aula and some face-to-face lectures, tutorials and workshops.
Within Aula, students will make use of e-learning methods such as remotely accessing set and extension readings and other course materials, and online and asynchronous communication with peers, and supported by tutors, to address problem-based learning tasks. The additional eight hours of contact time available for programmes calibrated at SCQF Level 10 will be used in the PGDE (S) School Experience module to introduce students to the concept of Personal Development Planning.
LEARNING AND TEACHING BREAKDOWN
ASSESSMENT
Our PGDE Secondary courses are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including:
ASSESSMENT BREAKDOWN
“The whole experience at UWS was excellent and incredibly supportive. To be honest, I don’t think I would have secured a permanent teaching post in my first year if it wasn’t for that support.”
Robert Duffin - PGDE Secondary graduate, and Secondary English teacher at Belmont Academy, Ayr
In the last few years The Scottish Government developed a new bursary scheme for students undertaking a one year Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme in Scotland.
The bursary scheme is an initiative to develop and strengthen the number of people that are aspiring to become secondary school teachers in areas such as chemistry, computing science, maths, physics and technical education by changing their current career path.
Applicants that satisfy the eligibility criteria may be eligible to receive a bursary of £20,000 payable over 10 equal monthly instalments. For more information visit Skills Development Scotland site: www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk
Applications for should be made direct to the STEM Bursary Scotland website
You can email info@stembursaryscotland.co.uk or telephone 0141 468 4115 if you have any questions.
PGDE programmes are funded in the same way as undergraduate programmes. You can apply to SAAS to have tuition fees paid. Eligibility conditions apply. Check SAAS for more information.
All students should apply directly to the University through our online application system. Before you apply, you should check that you meet our entry requirements and you should have all your supporting documents ready.
The first stage of the process is to complete the initial application form. You will then receive a follow-up email with further instructions relating to your application including documents that you will need to forward to support your application, e.g. degree transcripts and certificates etc.
Most courses don't have a formal closing date, but they will close when they are full; apply early to avoid disappointment. There may also be funding deadlines that apply to you.
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applies to all international students and researchers (apart from exempt nationalities) who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study or research at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects.
Students and researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an ATAS certificate.
An ATAS certificate may be required for certain taught postgraduate master's degrees for international students at UWS.
For the latest information on ATAS and details of eligibility and how to apply for a certificate check the UK Government's dedicated ATAS web pages.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Get in touch. We are here to help!
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.