Course overview The Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a one-year full-time qualification that will prepare you to be a subject-specialist science secondary-school teacher working with pupils aged 11 to 16 and beyond. This course will develop your theoretical and practical understanding of secondary education and its contemporary issues, and will enable you to meet current professional standards as a practising teacher for this course. 60 of the 120 credits will be at Masters degree level. Throughout your studies you will explore the different ways in which pupils and young people learn, and how you can support this process. You will examine the importance of professional values as well as classroom organisation and management. Key themes will include working with parents and other professionals, creativity, equality, inclusion and ICT. In particular, this course will focus on developing the pedagogical understanding and professional knowledge you need to teach your specialist subject (biology) to 11-16-year-olds, and will include practical tasks and activities that can be completed with pupils. We will provide you with opportunities to reflect on strategies for learning, and teaching, and to develop your subject knowledge, as well as consider national policies and initiatives. Primarily concerned with meeting the professional standards required by the appropriate bodies, this course is also about supporting you in developing the abilities and confidence to become an inspired, and inspiring teacher.

Professional recognition On completion of the course, we recommend you for Qualified Teacher Status. This is then confirmed by the General Teaching Council for England. Provided all elements of the course have been successfully achieved, you'll be awarded Qualified Teacher Status to teach Secondary students from the ages of 11 to 16. Work placements You'll undertake two school placements, where you'll be supported by a supervisor from Anglia Ruskin and a school-based mentor. Additionally, you'll complete an alternative placement in an appropriate educational setting. You'll also spend some time in a primary school in order to appreciate teaching and learning prior to secondary education. You'll be advised of your school experience placement as soon as possible after the start of the academic year. Our Partnership Office will contact you for details of your term-time address before the start of the course. Every endeavour will be made to find a school placement within a reasonable distance of where you live. You should, however, be prepared to travel up to 35 miles where necessary. Your journey may take up to 1½ hours. Associated careers After graduation, you will ideally be equipped to enter the teaching profession as a secondary school biology teacher.