PGCE - Primary with Maths - University Of Worcester

What makes PGCE - Primary with Maths at Worcester special?

Age phase: Later Years pathway (Ages 5-11)

Study a Primary PGCE with Maths and inspire the future generation of students. At Worcester, you will gain insightful knowledge and specialist skills into teacher training and develop a critical understanding of the maths curriculum in the primary school setting.

Learn from research-active academics who offer support and extensive knowledge on training to become a teacher. Gain experience through multiple placements in a variety of contrasting school environments throughout the year, which will prepare you for a successful transition into teaching. The course provides you the opportunity to become a skilled primary teacher with particular expertise in mathematics teaching and learning, and to gain a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), beneficial for future employment.

Overview

Key features

The Primary PGCE with Maths is an initial teacher training and education programme, designed to empower you to become a confident and competent qualified teacher.
With 60 credits at Masters level a Primary PGCE can take you anywhere, from Masters study to a job on the other side of the world
You can either take the Early Years (Ages 3-7) route or the Later Years (Ages 5-11) route to becoming a qualified teacher.
The Primary PGCE with Maths explores pedagogy, practice and wider issues of education and society, enhancing your prospects as a practitioner and potentially a future leader in the profession.
We have a strong partnership with our schools and organise placements for you in supportive environments, with access to expert colleagues and mentors to support you in completing your initial teacher training and gaining qualified teacher status through experiential learning.
Take part in collaborative research with schools to develop practice and enhance children's learning of and love for mathematics.

Primary Mathematics Specialist pathway

As a specialist you will be supported to develop analytical and reflective skills to teach mathematics across the primary age-range to a high standard, and to develop you as a future leader to take on roles in school which will support colleagues in this core subject area. The specialist pathway will address mathematical subject knowledge, pedagogical understanding and leadership skills to develop confident teachers who are aware of the influences on learning and teaching. The course also supports you in being able to make a difference in the classroom for all the children you will work with, and skills to enhance the level of subject knowledge for all children. You will be equipped to meet the Professional Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) upon successful completion of the course.

Register your interest

Enter your details below and we will keep you up to date with useful information about studying at the University of Worcester.

Entry requirements

What qualifications will you need?

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

Honours degree normally (2:2) or higher from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification. Applicants with a 3rd class or non-Honours degree will be considered on an individual basis.
All entrants have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 (formerly grade C) in the GCSE examinations in English Language, mathematics and science (or equivalent) (for 2022 entry, applicants must have these qualifications by the start of the course).
A level Maths.

Alternatively, we offer an equivalency test if you don’t have the required GCSE grade to apply for our courses. Trainees who begin courses before providing evidence of the required GCSE standard (or equivalent) will not be eligible for financial incentives, such as bursaries or grants until they achieve the required standard.

Qualifications not listed? Contact the Admissions Office for advice by email: AdmissionsB@worc.ac.uk

Additional requirements

An Enhanced DBS check. You will be sent details of how to apply for your DBS in the summer term. You will need to pay for this. You may already be part of the DBS update service. Find out about the update service here. As part of the DBS process you will be checked against the Children’s Barred List.
A check against the Prohibition List.
If you have lived, studied or worked overseas for three months or more in the last five years a Certificate of Good Conduct from the country of residence will be required. Further information and guidance associated with additional costs are available from the Home Office.
An online occupational health check. All those on a teacher training programme must be certified as meeting national requirements for physical and mental fitness to teach, as set by the Department for Education.
International students: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent

Other information

School experience is desirable, but not essential.
Interviews will be conducted in person. Applicants will be contacted directly with more details.

All applications for PGCE should be made via the Government's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training website.

Additional useful information is available on the Government's Get Into Teaching website.

To help you prepare for your interview, you can expect questions covering the following:

the role of being a teacher - both the positives and the challenges
your ability to identify the skills and qualities a teacher requires
your understanding of current issues in education and the wider role of a teacher
your knowledge of professionalism and how teachers demonstrate this
how schools and teachers keep children safe

In addition, we are looking for enthusiasm, commitment and potential. Clear communication skills are integral to this which you will have an opportunity to demonstrate throughout the interview.

"I would recommend the maths specialism to anyone thinking about teaching as I feel the opportunity the course provides to teach across the age phases is a huge advantage."

Alison Preece

Course content

What will you study?

School experience is a substantial and integral part of the course and you will have school experience visit days and block placements in terms 1, 2 and 3.

In total, of the 38 weeks of the course, 24 will be spent in schools.

Indicative themes explored through the course content are outlined below, although regular updates mean that exact content may differ.

The Developing Teacher (30 credits at Masters level)	Indicative overview of content This module looks at your development as a teacher. It will focus on creating your teacher identity through critically reflective models, experiences and analysis of relevant theories and research. There are three distinct strands. These are: Developing professional behaviours including reflective practice and professionalism; Developing behaviour management including the learning environment and behaviour for learning; Developing inclusive practice. This is the first assessed module and will help develop your philosophy of teaching.
The Learning Child (30 credits at Masters Level)	Indicative overview of content This module looks at understanding how to support children to learn. It will focus on understanding how children develop and learn, subject specific pedagogies, adapting teaching to meet different needs of learners and the role of assessment. You will cover all of the core and foundation subjects from the National Curriculum in this module. There are three distinct strands. These are: Child Development and Learning Theories; Pedagogy and Curriculum (including all core and foundation subjects); Professional Development. This is the second assessed module and will help you research effective methods of teaching and learning to support all children.
Life in School: School Experience (Qualified Teacher Status)	Indicative overview of content This module is your School Experience (SE) module and will involve school placements. In order to pass this module, you need to demonstrate that you have met all of the Teachers’ Standards including Part 2 by the end of your initial teacher training. It will also provide you with experiences to aid your reflections and mentoring to support your progress. There are a series of professional development days within the module, designed to support your progress with meeting the Standards. This is the final module which will be assessed at the end of your placements.

The Developing Teacher (30 credits at Masters level)

Indicative overview of content

This module looks at your development as a teacher. It will focus on creating your teacher identity through critically reflective models, experiences and analysis of relevant theories and research. There are three distinct strands. These are:

Developing professional behaviours including reflective practice and professionalism;
Developing behaviour management including the learning environment and behaviour for learning;
Developing inclusive practice.

This is the first assessed module and will help develop your philosophy of teaching.

The Learning Child (30 credits at Masters Level)

Indicative overview of content

This module looks at understanding how to support children to learn. It will focus on understanding how children develop and learn, subject specific pedagogies, adapting teaching to meet different needs of learners and the role of assessment. You will cover all of the core and foundation subjects from the National Curriculum in this module. There are three distinct strands. These are:

Child Development and Learning Theories;
Pedagogy and Curriculum (including all core and foundation subjects);
Professional Development.

This is the second assessed module and will help you research effective methods of teaching and learning to support all children.

Life in School: School Experience (Qualified Teacher Status)

Indicative overview of content

This module is your School Experience (SE) module and will involve school placements. In order to pass this module, you need to demonstrate that you have met all of the Teachers’ Standards including Part 2 by the end of your initial teacher training. It will also provide you with experiences to aid your reflections and mentoring to support your progress. There are a series of professional development days within the module, designed to support your progress with meeting the Standards. This is the final module which will be assessed at the end of your placements.

PGCE Primary Mathematics

Teaching and assessment

How will you be taught?

You will learn how to:

Apply theoretical and practical knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop in classroom settings
Manage different patterns of organisation and styles of teaching to best support effective learning and provide equality of opportunity for all children
Develop an understanding of Special Educational Needs and Disability through the application of inclusive teaching practices
Develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and teaching competence which will enable you to observe, plan, teach, organise and assess children’s progress and learning across the full primary range
Develop a clear framework for your own professional values and demonstrate a critical and reflective attitude towards your practice
Build on your Undergraduate research skills to become a trainee-researcher by undertaking a small scale school based research project in Primary Mathematics

Teaching

School experience in a range of settings
Studying all areas of learning and teaching across all EYFS and Primary National Curriculum subjects
Tutor-led workshops, lectures, seminars, fieldwork and guest lectures , primarily to introduce underpinning knowledge, theoretical argument, practical skills, central issues, key texts and inter-professional fields of study
Study of key texts and supplementary reading to enable you to identify subject matter that will enhance their understanding and intellectual ability
Participation in high level professional discussion, peer presentations and debate, to encourage you to actively engage with and critically challenge the field
Directed studies and problem solving tasks provide opportunities to develop approaches that will deepen levels of understanding and professional judgement; development of practice-based competence and skills of critical reflection through guided individual mentoring during placements
One-to-one academic and personal tutorial support including access to our first class Firstpoint student services

Contact time

The Primary PGCE combines placement and University based learning. There are 4 days that are planned to be delivered online to support you on your placements and to benefit from national expertise within certain fields. On placement, you will be expected to attend school during term time and on training days, as agreed by the school, to ensure you are compliant with the requirements of the QTS qualification.

For the full-time course, in a typical week you will have around 28 contact hours of teaching. The precise contact hours will depend on the optional modules selected. Typically contact time will be structured around:

12 hours of interactive workshops
14 hours of seminars in groups of around 20 students
2 hours of lectures

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 9 hours of personal study time per week. Typically, this will involve researching areas of teaching and learning related to areas of the National Curriculum, SENDI, EAL and other key areas of interest relating to the primary setting as well as working on individual and group projects and preparing assignments. Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

28 hours of contact time
9 hours of independent self study
37 hours in total each week

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and all of the lecturers who teach on the course hold Qualified Teacher Status. The majority of lecturers have their Masters qualification or higher and the majority are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of subject audits, formative assessments, tasks completed during lectures and enhancement activities.

Assessment methods include an assignment for both Level 7 modules, the Developing Teacher and the Learning Child.

On school experience, you are formatively assessed against our University of Worcester Curriculum. You will work with school colleagues alongside University tutors to complete reflections and activities in school to support your formative assessment. This will build towards your assessment against the Teachers’ Standards at the end of your course.

Throughout your course, you will be supported to prepare for your transition into your early career teacher years through the Career Entry Profile, as part of your Continuing Professional Development.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Meet the team

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Catherine Clutterbuck

Catherine is the Primary PGCE Course Leader. She lectures in inclusive practice, Primary Computing and is the module leader for the school experience modules across the programmes. She also works as a school experience tutor and personal academic tutor as part of Primary ITTE.

Catherine’s background is in the development of teachers. She was the Head of Pupil and Staff Welfare and Development and mentor for trainee teachers and NQTs. She is passionate about the holistic development of teachers and the impact educationalists have on pupils.

When in school, Catherine primarily taught across Key Stages 2 and 3 and she was also Head of Computing. She was Head of Years 3 & 4 and has particular experience teaching through these years groups as well as dealing with pastoral concerns. In addition to this, Catherine was a Housemistress and Head of Boarding.

Julie Sutton

Julie is the Primary Lead for School Based Provision and the PGCE Primary School Direct Strategic Lead. She works in close partnership with schools across the West Midlands and in the South West, supporting course development.

Julie lectures in music education across the postgraduate and undergraduate programmes and teaches pedagogy and professional practice within the PGCE ‘Developing Teacher’ module. She is a School Experience tutor and moderator for the PGCE Primary School Direct programme.

Prior to joining the University, Julie taught in Primary schools across Worcestershire and has experience of Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Alongside leading music, she was a Senior teacher and Deputy Head teacher. Throughout her career, Julie has always followed her passion for developing high-quality music education for all, working as a Vocal Force facilitator for schools across the county and delivering music CPD to class teachers. She is currently the Chair of the Worcestershire Music Hub Steering committee.

Julie is a Senior Fellow of the HEA.

Nicola Summers

Niki joined the School of Education at the University of Worcester in 2017, having spent over 20 years teaching in primary schools in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. She is subject lead for primary Mathematics and teaches on the undergraduate and postgraduate mathematics modules, and supervises students who choose to focus on mathematics for their undergraduate dissertation.

Dr Rhys Pritchard

Rhys works in the School of Education and is the Subject lead for Primary Physical Education. He joined the University of Worcester in June 2018 from Cardiff Metropolitan University where he worked as a lecturer of Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy. Previously, he taught in a variety of schools in Worcestershire and abroad in Dubai and Australia, experiencing both Primary and Secondary PE, but also in the classroom.

Rhys is a First Team Coach at Stourbridge Rugby Club who play in National 2 North and is currently undertaking his Welsh Rugby Union High Performing Coach qualification, the highest coaching qualification in the sport.

Lorna Williams

Lorna is the PGCE Early Years (3-7) cohort lead and the Early Years subject lead, supporting the development of Early Years in Primary initial teacher education at the University of Worcester.

Lorna teaches Primary Design and Technology across undergraduate and postgraduate pathways. Lorna also teaches on the PGCE ‘Developing Teacher’ module, as well as the Undergraduate ‘Teachers as Researcher independent study’ module specialising in Early Years and the ‘Foundation subjects: Diversity and Inclusion’ module.

Lorna has worked in primary schools in Solihull and Worcestershire coordinating the Creative Arts including Design and Technology. She is passionate about developing a creative curriculum that inspires and supports all learners to achieve. Lorna has 17 years’ experience as an Early Years Foundation Stage teacher, alongside her role as Early Years coordinator and Phase Leader in a Pre-school and Reception setting. During her time as a practitioner, Lorna supported and mentored students from University of Worcester on ITE Graduate and Undergraduate pathways and Early Childhood Degrees. Her role within the School of Education, as a school experience tutor, enables Lorna to support trainees to develop as professionals throughout their placements and into their early career.

Sharon Lannie

Sharon is module leader for PGCE English at the University of Worcester and teaches on all the post-graduate, undergraduate and School Direct English modules. She also supports the development of English in primary schools across the Midlands through leading English CPD, including a termly network meeting for primary and middle school English Subject Leaders in the area. Sharon is also the PGCE Later Years Cohort Leader.

Genea Alexander

Genea Alexander has worked in education for many years. Currently, Genea teaches on the Primary Initial Teacher Education (with QTS) BA (Hons) and PGCE - Primary (QTS) courses within the Department for Primary Education. Genea’s roles include ‘The Learning Child: Pedagogy and Practice - Teaching and Learning for All’ Module Leader on the PGCE - Primary (QTS) course and Primary Languages Subject Lead.

Genea is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a committee member of the National Primary Teacher Education Council (NaPTEC) and co-author of several publications.

Andrew Taylor

Andy is a senior lecturer in primary education, teaching on both the PGCE and BA Primary Initial Teacher Education courses and he is currently the Operational Lead for the PGCE School Direct programme. Mainly teaching on Professional Practice modules he also leads the Developing Teacher module on the PGCE course which supports trainees in developing their knowledge and understanding of the skills needed to develop into an effective teacher. Alongside this Andy teaches PE to both Undergraduate and Postgraduate students as part of their teacher training. He also leads the behaviour management provision in the primary department and has enjoyed developing the provision for this since taking on the role.

Previous to starting at the University of Worcester Andrew had taught in schools in Gloucestershire for the past 16 years as a class teacher, assistant head and Deputy head teacher. Over his time in schools Andrew has honed his coaching and mentoring skills to support NQTs, ECTs and trainee teachers in building their strengths to be the best teachers they can be.

He joined the university in 2018 to pursue his passion for supporting trainee teachers, ECTs and NQTs and works as part of the staff team developing the support and provision for the Early Career Teacher Community.

Kate Morley

Kate is a senior lecturer, teaching across the postgraduate and undergraduate modules for English at the University of Worcester. She jointly leads English and safeguarding within the Primary Department. Kate also works as a School Experience and Dissertation tutor as part of Primary ITT and is a Personal Academic Tutor for postgraduates.

Careers

Where could it take you?

Graduates from the Primary Department at the University of Worcester are extremely employable; employability for the class of 2018/19 was 94%

Upon successful completion of the PGCE course, you take with you a Career Entry Profile to start the process of your continuing professional development as a teacher.

The quality and quantity of the maths teaching we received was a key strength of the course, and was a factor in gaining my first teaching job.

Sandra Johnson

Costs

How much will it cost?

Full-time tuition fees	UK students The standard tuition fee for full-time UK students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2023/24 will be £9,250 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page.	International students The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2023/24 will be £15,800 per year. For more details, please visit our course fees page.
Teacher training funding	You can get help with the costs of teacher training. A student finance package will include a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan. You may also be eligible for extra help if you have children or have a disability. Some courses are also eligible for a tax-free bursary or scholarship depending on your subject, degree classification or highest academic qualification.
Additional costs	Every course has day-to-day costs for essential books, stationery, printing and photocopying. Travel costs for placements vary depending on the location of schools and your mode of transport, sometimes these may be reclaimed depending on your individual circumstances. If you have lived overseas for three months or more in the last five years a Certificate of Good Conduct from the country of residence will be required. More information and guidance on costs are available from the Home Office. You will also be subject to the usual prohibition list and criminal record checks. The DfE requires all trainee teachers to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which you will need to pay for.
Accommodation	Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study. We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Hall' at £122 per week to 'En-suite Premium' at £207 per week (2023/24 prices). For full details visit our accommodation page.

Full-time tuition fees

UK students

The standard tuition fee for full-time UK students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2023/24 will be £9,250 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2023/24 will be £15,800 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Teacher training funding

You can get help with the costs of teacher training. A student finance package will include a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan. You may also be eligible for extra help if you have children or have a disability.

Some courses are also eligible for a tax-free bursary or scholarship depending on your subject, degree classification or highest academic qualification.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for essential books, stationery, printing and photocopying.

Travel costs for placements vary depending on the location of schools and your mode of transport, sometimes these may be reclaimed depending on your individual circumstances.

If you have lived overseas for three months or more in the last five years a Certificate of Good Conduct from the country of residence will be required. More information and guidance on costs are available from the Home Office. You will also be subject to the usual prohibition list and criminal record checks.

The DfE requires all trainee teachers to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which you will need to pay for.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Hall' at £122 per week to 'En-suite Premium' at £207 per week (2023/24 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

How to apply

How do you apply?

Apply now

Applications for PGCE courses should be made online through the government's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training website.

Visit the Get Into Teaching website for detailed information on how to apply for a PGCE.

Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.

Course code - X00G

Make an application

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

PGCE - Primary with Maths

What makes PGCE - Primary with Maths at Worcester special?

Age phase: Later Years pathway (Ages 5-11)

Overview

Key features

Primary Mathematics Specialist pathway

Register your interest

What qualifications will you need?

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

Additional requirements

Other information

What will you study?

The Developing Teacher (30 credits at Masters level)

The Learning Child (30 credits at Masters Level)

Life in School: School Experience (Qualified Teacher Status)

PGCE Primary Mathematics

How will you be taught?

You will learn how to:

Teaching

Contact time

Independent self-study

Teaching staff

Assessment

Programme specification

Meet the team

Where could it take you?

Careers and Employability

How much will it cost?

Full-time tuition fees

UK students

International students

Teacher training funding

Additional costs

Accommodation

How do you apply?

Apply now

Course code - X00G

Get in touch

Admissions Office B

Nicola Summers

PGCE Primary Office

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