Manchester Metropolitan University has a national reputation for initial teacher education which has been established over 100 years. Our Department of Primary Teacher Education has a team of over 40 primary teaching staff who between them have expertise in all primary curriculum subjects, enabling us to offer a wide range of specialisms. The majority of teaching staff are actively involved in research, linked to our Education and Social Research Institute, one of the leading UK centres for educational research. We have an Initial Teacher Education Partnership with over 500 primary schools and strong community links across the North West region, ensuring we can offer our trainees a diverse range of placement experiences.
Our aim is to train confident teachers and reflective practitioners who will have strong prospects for employment and career progression. Trainees have access to Manchester Met's dedicated Careers and Employability Service and within the PGCE programme are supported in securing their first teaching appointment.
After graduation we continue to provide support and advice to our Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs), including online resources, conferences and peer networking.
Our full-time PGCE Primary Education provides intensive training leading to Qualified Teacher Status ('QTS') for early years establishments and primary schools in the 3-7, 7-11 or 5-11 age range.
School-based training is combined with taught sessions at university and independent study. Applicants can choose our University-led ('Core') PGCE training route, or one of our School-led ('School Direct') routes, both of which lead to QTS. We work in partnership with 18 school alliances in the North West of England to offer School Direct places (salaried and non-salaried).
University-led ('Core') route
Trainees typically spend around 12 weeks in university during the year, including a block at the start of the course, combined with at least 120 days of school-based training, in at least two different schools. Manchester Met organises placements.
School-led ('School Direct') route
Trainees are attached to a lead school within an alliance of schools - Manchester Met works in partnership with 18 school alliances across the North West region. Depending on the term times of the school(s) involved they will typically spend around 30 weeks in school and around four weeks in university for taught sessions. Placements are organised by the lead school.
On both routes trainees will experience school-based training in at least two different schools, and have the opportunity to undertake an inclusion placement with a focus on Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). The School-led also includes a visit to a Key Stage 3 setting. Throughout the PGCE trainees are supported by a personal tutor, experienced teaching staff and mentors in university and at school.
Candidates can apply for both School Direct and University PGCE routes; both have the same entry requirements. Successful completion of either route includes 60 Masters level credits.
Early Years route (Manchester only)
This route mirrors the PGCE Primary Education programme, with an Early Years focus. Completing this course will enable practitioners to teach in both the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.
Applications for PGCE routes starting in September 2017 should be made online via UCAS Teacher Training which is expected to open in late October this year. Early application is recommended as places are limited. Please check our entry requirements before applying.
Assessment Only Route to QTS in Primary sector
Experienced, but unqualified graduate teachers, wishing to complete a formal qualification to gain Qualified Teacher Status may be eligible for this route. It will suit those who have taught in at least two schools or colleges, and who have substantial experience in two consecutive age ranges. It is not sufficient for candidates only to have experience of two schools.
Manchester Metropolitan University has been undertaking a review of the long-term future of academic provision at its Cheshire campus. It has now been confirmed that the University will withdraw from the Cheshire campus. This means that we expect the campus to close in the summer of 2019.
As the withdrawal from the campus will be a phased process we are still pleased to receive applications for one year full time postgraduate taught courses starting in 2017 on the Cheshire campus. We also continue to welcome applications for part time postgraduate courses of two years in duration in the Exercise and Sport Science department starting in 2017. Applications for courses that are expected to take longer than two years to complete are currently on hold.
Features and benefits of the course
-Choice of location - Manchester or Cheshire* for PGCE Primary Education. Early Years route also available at Manchester
-Choice of University led or School Direct routes
-Strong mentor and tutor support for trainees' personal, academic and professional needs (identified as a key strength by Ofsted in their 2015 inspection)
-Varied placement opportunities, including opportunity to do an inclusion placement with SEND focus
-Research-led teaching
-NQT support and opportunities for continuing professional development at Manchester Met
-Assessment Only route to QTS available for experienced, but unqualified teachers
Placement options
Manchester Met organises placements for trainees on our University-led ('Core') PGCE route through our extensive Initial Teacher Education Partnership. Our Partnership vision is to train 'outstanding, critically-literate professional teachers who will challenge and inspire their learners'.
The schools we work with share our commitment to aspiration and excellence, with a focus on strong mentor training and support for trainees. There is also an emphasis on national priorities, including behaviour management, literacy and numeracy.
Our partner schools cover a wide geographical area and diversity of social, economic and cultural backgrounds, ranging across inner city, suburban and rural settings, enabling us to offer our trainees a broad range of placement opportunities.
We organise placements starting with the trainee's term-time postcode and matching this with placement offers from schools. Trainees are expected to travel up to 90 minutes each way from where they live and to arrive in school 45 minutes before the school day commences. We take into consideration special circumstances, such as disabilities, cultural requirements and medical conditions. In addition, we match carefully to ensure a breadth of experience across different key stages.
Trainees spend at least 120 days on contrasting placements in two schools related to the two age phases of their particular route through the course, with time spent in each key stage/phase. They are attached to each school for a substantial period of time and expected to engage in the full life of the school.
In their first placement trainees gain experience across the full age range of the school and teach in one class for an extended period, taking increased responsibility for that class.
They then begin to teach a range of curriculum areas, as well as gaining an understanding of cross-curricular themes.
The second placement focuses on the whole curriculum and extended management of the classroom in order to meet the requirements for the Teachers' Standards.
Trainees are required to pass both periods of school-based training.
School Direct trainees will undertake teaching practice at their lead school and other schools within the alliance. Placements are organised by the lead school.
All trainees are supported in various ways whilst on placement:
-Every trainee has a personal tutor - this is the tutor who knows the trainee best at university and will usually teach them for some aspects of their studies. Personal tutors write trainee references for employment. For School-led routes the school writes a reference.
-Every trainee is allocated a visiting tutor whilst on placement. This tutor supports the school when assessing the trainee's progress and do do this observes each trainee teaching.
-Every trainee has a school mentor, this may be their class teacher or someone in the school who oversees placements
-Often there are multiple trainees on placement in each school, providing an inbuilt support network
Visit the
Primary Education with QTS - PGCE
page on the Manchester Metropolitan University website for more details!
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