Teaching PGCert

Overview

This programme aims to support your ability to operate as an effective teacher. All modules are underpinned by the  Early Career Framework and are designed to provide you with an appropriate means of reflecting critically on your own development as a teacher and engaging in school-based research to improve your own practice. The curriculum will enable you to demonstrate that you are meeting the Teachers’ Standards at a level appropriate for your stage of experience.

Why study PGCert Teaching at Middlesex University?

This course is suitable for practising teachers who wish to gain an academic postgraduate award to enhance their QTS qualification, e.g. when following an Assessment Only route or after gaining a 'QTS only' award through a School Direct programme. It has also been designed for initial training teachers following an employment-based route to QTS, either School Direct or a Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship at Middlesex University.  All the modules reflect engagement with the DfE Early Career Framework/Core Content Framework for ITT and have been designed so that you can gain recognition and award for your professional practice as a school teacher.

This PGCert and the associated assignments have been designed as an integral part of your professional development and will enable you to develop as a reflective learner and teacher, with the additional benefit of academic credits, which can be carried forwards towards an MA degree.

This course has been designed with input from our Initial Teacher Education Partnership schools and will provide relevant and useful academic enhancement as well as a useful entry point to further postgraduate study if you wish to continue to Masters or doctoral level.

Course highlights

• This course is flexible and suitable for teachers at all stages of development, from Initial Teacher Training (ITT) through to several years of experience
• Your work as a teacher will be recognised as you engage with the Early Career Framework and your own Professional Development as an emerging leader or advanced classroom practitioner.
• It has been designed to recognise and enhance the typical day-to-day activities of your professional practice so that you can realistically manage the academic requirements alongside your work as a teacher
• Two of the three modules provide an opportunity to study and gain credits at Level 7. They will complement and enhance your work in a school setting through relevant and useful assignments.

"The highly aspirational and rich training programme, together with expertly led input from university staff, leads to trainees being fully ready for and confident about embarking on their career in teaching.

Secondary trainees are fulsome in their praise for their tutors at the centre and while on placements.

Secondary trainees develop an in-depth knowledge of their subject and how to teach it effectively. This is because subject tutors are experts in their field and the programmes build trainees’ learning sequentially."

Ofsted report 2024

Course content

What will you study on PGCert Teaching?

Two of the three modules provide an opportunity to study and gain credits at Level 7. They have been designed to complement and enhance your work in a school setting through relevant and useful assignments.

The other module recognises ongoing professional development and engagement with the Teachers’ Standards. For training teachers on a Middlesex University School Direct or apprenticeship programme, this module forms the backbone of your development towards QTS. For candidates on an Assessment Only route, this module could be achieved through use of the Assessment Only professional practice portfolio. For practising teachers, this module could be achieved through APEL or through demonstration of your continuing professional development against the Teachers’ Standards.

To gain the award of PGCert Teaching you must pass all assignments.

To find out more about this course, please download the PGCert Teaching course specification (PDF).

Teaching

We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.

We aim to model a wide range of teaching strategies and approaches on the course which you can adapt to your own setting.

How is the PGCert Teaching taught?

Students will be taught through lectures, seminars and workshops. There will also be relevant online activities. A bespoke model will be available for practising teachers employed in Partnership schools.

Since the programme is designed for employment-based training and practising teachers, self-directed and independent study is essential.

Assessment

You will be assessed though assignments that combine portfolio evidence, research findings with 3000 - word theoretical narratives.

Teaching and learning

Your timetable will be built around on campus sessions using our professional facilities, with online sessions for some activities where we know being virtual will add value. We will use technology to enhance your learning and give you access to online resources for use in your own time.

You will receive final arrangements for your teaching and a full course timetable before you start. Delivery may differ in light of block teaching requirements, with theory sections covered online and practical sessions delivered in specialist spaces on campus.

This course is designed for teachers (training and ECTs) who are employed in a school setting and want to study for a postgraduate qualification. The assignments and workload are designed to complement professional practice and fit alongside employment responsibilities. However, you will need to commit to some additional hours for extended reading, research and independent study.

Definitions of terms

• Live in-person on campus learning – This will focus on active and experiential sessions that are both:
  • Led by your tutors including seminars and workshops. We’ll schedule all of this for you
  • Student-led by you and other students, like small group work and presentations
• Live online learning – This will include lectures, tutorials and supervision sessions led by your tutor. It also includes student-led group work that takes place in online sessions
• Tutor set learning activities – This covers activities which will be set for you by your tutor, but which you will undertake in your own time. Examples of this include watching online materials or reading specific texts. You may be doing this by yourself or with your peers depending on the task. Outside of these hours, you’ll also be expected to do further independent study where you’ll be expected to learn, prepare and reflect in your own time

Support

You have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic and practice based skills you need to do well on your course.

Our support services will be available on campus and online.

You 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.

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.

Careers

How can the PGCert Teaching support your career?

The postgraduate award could enhance career progression within teaching, for example, as middle and senior leaders.

Our Social Work graduates have gone onto work in local authorities, charities, voluntary sector organisations and private/ independent sector organisations, with many finding employment with our placement partners within neighbouring London boroughs and beyond.

Fees and funding

UK students¹

The fees below refer to the 2025/26 academic year unless otherwise stated, and are for students who are either following an Assessment Only Route or for practising teachers within the UK seeking a postgraduate award.

Full-time students: £2,400
Part-time taught credit: £40

International students²

The fees below refer to the 2025/26 academic year unless otherwise stated and are for students who are either following an Assessment Only Route or for practising teachers within the UK seeking a postgraduate award.

Full-time students: £3,600
Part-time taught credit: £60

Additional course costs:

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

• A free electronic textbook for every module
• All printing and copying required for your study
• Self-service laptops available for loan for a maximum of 24 hours
• Audio-visual equipment available for loan, including digital stills cameras, digital video recorders, digital audio recorders

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 fees: 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.

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.