Primary Education - PGCE

Gain an in-depth understanding of how young children aged 5–11 think, develop and learn. Offering three different placements during the programme, you will combine practical, real-world learning with the study of children’s communication, thinking and relationships. Supported by our inspirational staff, you will satisfy the standards for qualified teacher status and start your journey to becoming an outstanding primary school teacher.

Key features

• Choose a programme with a national reputation for its quality
• Learn to teach and assess all the required subjects of the national curriculum for children ages 5-11 with confidence and creativity 
• Benefit from the high-quality teaching of our experienced tutors, who provide inspirational learning opportunities for you, based on pedagogical research and innovative current practice
• Engage in your own research and gain up to 60 credits at masters level
• Become an outstanding teacher as you progress through 24 weeks in three different placements, supported by expert mentors. 
• Connect with a number of high-quality teaching schools across the South West with the University of Plymouth's School Direct Programme
• Benefit from close partnerships with a very diverse range of schools and educational settings across the whole of the South West of England, London and internationally
• Learn in a supportive environment and receive high-quality support from your lecturers, link tutors and school-based staff teams.  

How to apply

Applications for this programme are made via the UCAS Teacher Training site. 

Please ensure when submitting your application form through UCAS, that you are available for interview during the 40 day turnaround time following the submission of your application form. UCAS stipulate for all training providers to make a decision on applications within 40 working days. If you are not able to attend your interview during this period we will be unable to make a decision and therefore UCAS will reject your application by default. If you are unable to attend interview until after the 40 day period, and your application is rejected by default you will need to re-apply through Apply 2. If you have any concerns about this process you can visit the UCAS website or email us at [email protected].

Interview guidance

All short-listed applicants are invited to an interview. You'll be sent an article to read beforehand, as well as suggestions for further research on a current topic, such as phonics. On the day there will be a presentation to give you information about the PGCE programme and an opportunity for you to ask questions. You'll be involved in a group discussion about the article and have a paired interview with a tutor on the PGCE course. We are looking for people who can talk about educational issues and children's learning, drawing on their own personal experiences as a learner and on their observations of teachers in primary schools. There is also an audit of your English and maths skills with a short test. At the end of the process, we want you to be clear what the programme offers, what you can expect from us and what our expectations are of you. 

Visit the Primary Education - PGCE page on the University of Plymouth website for more details!