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PGCE English (QTS)

With two placements in secondary schools in or near London, this specialist English teaching qualification will prepare you for a fulfilling career with excellent prospects
Code
Q3X1
Start
September 2024
Duration
1 year full-time
Attendance
Full-time
Fees
£9,250 (UK) *
£12,600 (INT) *
Course leader
Gareth Evers

Why choose PGCE English (QTS) at Middlesex?

Language is at the heart of everything we do. It sustains thought, it provides clarity of instruction and it develops community. This is your chance to strengthen young people’s English skills through writing, reading and spoken language.

On the English PGCE course, we will equip you with the experience to both educate and inspire secondary English pupils, fully embedding the Core Content Framework. This course will enable you to meet and exceed the Teachers’ Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

What you will gain

By joining us on this course, you'll have the opportunity to:

  • Learn from experienced tutors who are subject specialists in their field and can offer personalised support
  • Engage in subject sessions which are engaging and offer both theoretical and practical approaches to teaching English.

Other skills you'll gain include:

  • Teaching language and literature
  • Learning theory and cognitive science
  • Promoting effective reading strategies
  • Supporting and developing authentic writing
  • Teaching vocabulary, grammar and punctuation
  • Developing oracy in the classroom
  • Critical thinking about pedagogical approaches
  • Creating innovative approaches to English teaching.

3 great reasons to pick this course

  • Personalised support
    We're committed to support you on each step of your journey to achieve English PGCE with QTS
  • Postgraduate success
    93% of our postgraduate students go on to work or further study – Graduate Outcomes, 2022
  • Strong links with schools
    We're partnered with secondary schools that contribute to the development of our courses, provide placements and frequently employ our graduates

Find out more

Sign up now to receive more information about studying at Middlesex University London.

You will critically evaluate the effectiveness of a wide range of resources and your own pedagogy. You will analyse research data and critically evaluate how research has contributed to the knowledge and understanding of how to teach English effectively.

Modules

  • Modules

    • Secondary Professional Development 1 (30 Credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to introduce the professional secondary school environment. You will demonstrate your progress in developing your understanding and skills necessary to operate as an effective English teacher in a secondary school. As such, it supports you to progress towards the achievement of current requirements for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

    • Secondary Professional Development 2 (30 Credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to consolidate your professional practice in a second secondary school environment. It aims to ensure you can demonstrate the understanding and skills necessary to operate as an effective English teacher in a secondary school. As such, it supports you in the achievement of statutory requirements for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

    • Professional Knowledge and Pedagogy (30 Credits) - Compulsory

      This module aims to develop your understanding and skills necessary to operate as a critically reflective English teacher in a secondary school. You will be assessed by undertaking a small scale research assignment that compares theoretical perspectives in education with the reality found in school.

    • English Education (30 Credits) - Compulsory

      This module builds on the learning and skills developed in the Professional Knowledge and Pedagogy and the Secondary Professional Development 1 modules and aims to deepen your understanding and skills necessary to operate as a critically reflective English teacher in a secondary school setting. You are summatively assessed through a Monitoring and Assessment assignment. Here you design, resource, teach and evaluate a scheme of work that reflects best practice in English education and assessment.

To find out more about this course, please download the PGCE English (QTS) specification (PDF).

How we'll teach you

This course is designed to provide 120 days in schools with two school experiences (Secondary Professional Development 1 and Secondary Professional Development 2). Each placement provides a sustained teaching experience between Tuesday and Friday. After Easter, this will move to an 80% timetable, Monday to Friday.

The remaining 60 days of the course are university-based through lectures, seminars and practical workshops. The course will consist of a range of presentations, discussions and practical workshops where exemplar material can be discussed, scrutinised and applied in practice.

The course is delivered by our experienced academics and partners. Our learning activities include lectures, presentations, webinars, one-to-one tutorials and group projects.

Support

You'll have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to succeed on your course.

Our support services will be available on campus.

You'll have access to one-to-one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Where will you study?

You will be based at our north London campus in Hendon.

Timetable

Your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.

We aim to make timetables available to students at least two weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Teaching vs independent study

In a typical year, you’ll spend about 1200 hours on your course.

Outside of teaching hours, you’ll learn independently through reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework and presentations.

Typical weekly breakdown

A typical week looks like this:

Learning

Hours per week

On-campus

6

Independent study

4

For school placements, there will be additional hours.

Learning terms

On-campus: This includes tutor-led sessions such as seminars, lab sessions and demonstrations as well as student-led sessions for work in small groups.

Independent study: This is the work you do in your own time including reading and research.

Academic support

We have a strong support network online and on campus to help you develop your academic skills. We offer one-to-one and group sessions to develop your learning skills together with academic support from our library, IT teams and learning experts.

Coursework and assessments

There are no exams on this course but coursework will be assessed.

The two school placements assess your ability to demonstrate you are able to apply the knowledge, understanding and skills of the ITE curriculum to your teaching practice through curriculum priorities.

You'll be able to fully meet the Teacher Standards by the end of your training course:

  • Professional Knowledge and Pedagogy is assessed through coursework by undertaking a small-scale research assignment on promoting a positive classroom climate
  • English is assessed through coursework, by undertaking an assignment about Monitoring and Assessing students.

Feedback

Each term, you'll get regular feedback on your learning.

The Sheppard Library

Our library is open 24 hours a day during the term and includes:

  • Over 1,000 study areas with rooms for group study and over 600 computer spaces
  • 350,000 books and e-books and more than 24,000 online journals
  • Free laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Financial support

You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.

We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.

How can the PGCE English (QTS) support your career?

Our university's postgraduate courses have been recognised for their ability to support your career.

Employment rates are extremely high. Typically over 95% of our PGCE graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduation according to Graduate Outcomes in 2022.

Career paths

After completing this course, you'll be able to apply for a position as an early career teacher (ECT) in a secondary school setting.

As a newly qualified teacher, your salary will start at £30,000 (or more in London).

Teachers can find career progression in both the classroom and the school's management structure. You might aspire to become the head of a department, age group or curriculum. By developing your leadership skills and experience, you could progress to a senior management position, such as deputy head or head teacher.

For more information on salary and career progression, visit the Department for Education's website.

MDXworks

MDXworks, our employability service, will help you make the most of your experience and connections to achieve your career goals. You'll have unlimited access to one-to-one advice and support from specialists in your sector plus 24/7 online support. You can also make the most of events and networking opportunities, on and off campus.

Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has been recognised with the following awards:

  • The top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money, 2023
  • A top 10 university for producing CEOs – Novuana, 2023.

Global network

Our London location helps us connect with over 1,000 industry partners to develop our students’ future employment prospects.

And we have unique work and study opportunities at our campuses in Dubai and Mauritius.

At Middlesex, you’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network.  After you graduate, we'll support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

  1. UK Entry
  2. International Entry
  3. How to apply

The fees below refer to the 2024/25 academic year unless otherwise stated.

UK students*

Full-time students: £9,250

*Course fees are subject to annual inflation.

For more information and to answer your frequently asked questions, please visit our postgraduate funding page.

Loans and Bursaries

UK students can apply for a tuition fee loan which covers your fees and is only repayable after your graduate. In addition, UK students may be eligible for additional grants and loans including those from:

  • The Department for Education - on the Department for Education website you will find a full list of designated ITT subjects and funding offers

Additional costs

We cover your costs for the day-to-day things that you need to do well in your studies; however, you will have to pay for travel, stationery and clothing for placement.

You do get:

  • Free – laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing
  • Free specialist software for your course
  • Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.

Financial support

We offer lots of support to help you with fees and living costs. Check out our guide to student life on a budget and find out more about postgraduate funding.

Postgraduate scholarships

You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:

  • The Alumni Postgraduate Award – for all UK/EU Middlesex alumni a 20% fee reduction
  • The Commonwealth Scholarship – full course fees, airfares and a living allowance
  • The Chevening Scholarship – full course fees
  • The European Academic Awards – £1000 to £7000 for students showing academic excellence
  • Regional or International Merit Award –up to £2,000 towards course fees

For international students, we also have a limited number of other awards specific to certain regions, and work in partnership with funding providers in your country to help support you financially with your study.

Find out more about our postgraduate scholarships.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International students: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Gareth Evers
Programme Leader for English and Professional Studies

As a former Professional Coordinating mentor at a London school, Gareth is very familiar with training programmes and the needs of both schools and trainees.

Alexandra Suthern
Programme Leader for Drama with English.

Alexandra is a Senior Lecturer and her other responsibilities also include oversight of students registered with the dyslexia and disabilities unit at Middlesex University.


We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

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