Secondary Education (Modern Languages) PGCE
About the course
This is a professional training programme introduces you to the requirements for teaching a subject to the 11-19 age range (14-19 for business Education) and leads to Qualified Teacher Status. You will follow courses in subject studies and a professional Studies and learning course that introduces you to principles and theories of secondary teaching.
The programme has been designed to meet the government's requirements for the training of teachers for the 11-19 phases in secondary schools. Local schools and colleges have been involved in all aspects of the programme, from the initial development to day-to-day delivery. We work with over fifty partnership secondary schools and this provides the basis for all school-based elements of the programme.
A unique feature of the programme is the involvement of a team of teacher tutors. They spend part of each week at the University working with students on the subject studies elements. As practising teachers in local secondary schools they bring their knowledge and expertise direct to our trainees. Our students have confirmed that this innovative approach is a major contribution to the overall success of the programme.
What we are looking for
Building Exceptional Secondary Teachers (BEST)
We are looking to select trainees who:
- have the passion, commitment and enthusiasm to teach in secondary schools
- are resilient and able to work under pressure
- have good subject knowledge to train to teach in the area they are interested in
Why choose this course?
This Masters level programme offers Qualified Teacher Status for the 11-16 age range with enhancement to 19 in secondary schools. Out of the thirty-six weeks of the programme, you spend twenty-four weeks on practical experience in local secondary schools. You also benefit from the knowledge and expertise of a team of practicing teachers from our partner schools.
We offer training for Art and Design, English, Mathematics*, Modern Foreign Languages*( French, French with German, German with French, French with Spanish) and Biology*, Chemistry*, and Physics*.
Why train with us?
The University of Hertfordshire is a leading regional provider of Initial Teacher Training. Consistently high achieving in its Ofsted inspections and in the Guardian and Times League tables it is recognised as a very good quality training provider by local employers and graduate employability is amongst the highest in the country.
The PGCE team of tutors are highly qualified and all have had held senior positions and had successful careers in secondary schools. Key strengths of our PGCE programme are the high levels of pastoral care and support we offer trainees and the effectiveness of our partnership with schools to enhance trainees' subject knowledge and conceptual understanding of teaching to ensure our trainees achieve good levels of attainment.
We take pride in our ex trainees who are currently outstanding teachers working in secondary schools all over the country.
Entry requirements...
How we select our trainees
Stage 1 - Screening applications to identify the following:
- Honours degree with minimum of 2.2 classification
- Minimum of grade C in GCSE English and maths
- Two weeks work experience in one or more secondary schools to show commitment to teaching in secondary context
- Good academic reference in support of your application
- Good personal statement which demonstrates passion and enthusiasm to teaching your chosen subject in secondary schools
- Good general knowledge about current educational issues and how this might affect both career prospects and learning and teaching
- Good subject knowledge in the area you are interested in
Modern Foreign Languages
All the above with either a degree in the language you are interested in or if it is your native language
Stage 2 - Formal interview
If applications are successful then we invite candidates for interviews which consist of group and individual interviews to
- Assess your commitment, passion and enthusiasm to teach in secondary schools
- Assess your interpersonal skills and if they are able to work with others
- Assess your subject knowledge for teaching
Locations
- University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
Teaching methods
The award of the PGCE is based on your performance in school during placements, passing the formally assessed written assignments meeting the DCSF standards required to gain Qualified Teacher Status.
There are no written examinations except for the Teacher Training Agency skills tests, which all trainee teachers need to pass during their training.
Work Placement
School experience is at the heart of the programme and during the thirty-six week programme you spend twenty-four weeks in school, and the rest of the time on campus. The school experience is made up of a number of serial day placements, including visits to a primary school and a special school and two block placements in partner secondary schools.
Professional Accreditations
Qualified Teacher Status
Fees & funding
Fees 2013
UK/EU Students
Full time: £9,000 for the 2013 academic year
International Students
Discounts are available for International students if payment is made in full at registration
View detailed information about tuition fees
Other financial support
Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students
Living costs / accommodation
The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.
How to apply
To find out more about how to make an application, please visit the How to Apply pages.
Key course information
- Institution code: H36
- UCAS code: RX21PGCE Secondary German with French,RXD1PGCE Secondary French with Spanish,R1X1PGCE Secondary French,RX11PGCE Secondary French with German,
- Course code: HEPGCEML