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Age phase: 14-19

Whether your background is in business or economics, these courses build on your strengths while developing your employability and skills to teach your specialist subject. Teaching is informed by current research and you are encouraged to engage in the literature and debates about education to maximise your development. Your two contrasting placements are carefully thought out and tailored to meet your development needs and subject specialism. You will be supported and challenged by mentors working in business and economics departments in partnership schools and colleges.

The training prepares you to teach GCSE, A Level and vocational courses. Additional opportunities include planning and delivering an enterprise day to younger pupils and a financial awareness day at a special needs school. Visits to an independent school and a college enhance your experiences further.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • Explore a wide range of strategies for teaching business and economics concepts and develop your subject knowledge throughout the course
  • Access to a vast amount of resources on teaching and learning and also business and economics through university sessions and the Hive
  • Consider what effective learning and teaching looks like in a business and economics classroom through reflecting on your own learning and exploring research evidence
  • Discuss the place of business and economics in the curriculum and the current issues within business and economics education
  • Opportunities for personal development through taking a leading role in key subject days in schools, encouragement to participate in all aspects of school life whilst on placement. Many business and economics trainees also enjoy the Aspiring Leaders enhancement activity

NB Business offered through core and School Direct routes.

bearded man in blue and white check shirt

Alex McDonald

Alex McDonald completed his PGCE in Business with Economics and will shortly take on a role as Head of Department. His feat is all the more remarkable as he combined this with six months helping out as a medical secretary.

“I am certainly proud of myself,” said the 24-year-old, of Cheltenham. “I remember the Course Leader saying in the first week of the PGCE that teaching is like a rollercoaster, and I definitely found the PGCE full-on at times. The end goal is always in the back of your mind, and it therefore makes life much more relaxing when you know you are going to be stood in your own classroom and making a difference to your own students in the not too distant future.”

Alex added: “The PGCE course at the University of Worcester is very highly respected by schools across the country. I thoroughly enjoyed the level of support and guidance given; I would certainly classify it as a personal learning experience.  Moreover, the University and I are very much still in contact and I know that if I ever have any concerns that I can ask for support and guidance.” 

Chandra

"Since finishing my PGCE at the University of Worcester I have had many exciting different opportunities.  I started as an NQT economics teacher and that year became a deputy head of year. I was fortunate enough to move across to the child protection and coordinator role which was a whole new challenge.

 "Following this, I've worked as Careers coordinator and subject lead for Business as a new school. Teaching opens so many avenues, ones that you never knew would be accessible to you in such a short space of time!"

Chloe

"Completing my PGCE at Worcester prepared me well for my NQT year, from planning lessons and resources with other trainees to learning about the theory about teaching and learning. The most important thing I learnt was how to manage workload and there’s no such thing as being too organised!

"From the moment I started my first day as an NQT I knew I wanted to progress quite quickly. I started off by offering to do lunchtime duties and supporting the pupils with extra curricular activities. The opportunity arose for temporary assistant head of house and following on from this I became head of department.

"I am now in my second year of teaching and first year as head of department and this has allowed me to expand and develop my knowledge of teaching in a short space of time. As part of this role I am also working with trainees and I’m an NQT mentor."

Owen

"After thoroughly enjoying economics at sixth form and then going on to study economics at University I felt that I wanted to go into teaching Economics myself.

"My passion for solely teaching economics at a sixth form level was something I was concerned about going into a secondary PGCE Business and Economics course. That being said, my passion was immediately recognised and my tutor ensured I had placement schools that had this on offer. Early on I enjoyed the Business and Economics teaching as the variety on offer meant every day was different.

"With an extremely comprehensive teacher training course including group discussions, teaching support, interview support, and more; I could not have asked for a more dedicated course tutor. This enabled me to fulfil my passion as I am now a sixth form teacher of economics at Bromsgrove School, as well as being an A level examiner.

"The opportunities go beyond just teaching however as I have been employed by various practice paper and revision companies to author practice papers and exemplar exam material, which I would not have been able to do without the experience and support from Yvonne on this PGCE course."

Entry requirements

What qualifications will you need?

Entry requirements

  • Honours degree (normally 2:2 or higher) from a UK higher education institution or equivalent qualification, in Economics, Business or a related subject such as Accounting and Finance, Law or Management. Applicants with significant business experience and a non-related subject degree will be considered on an individual basis. Applicants with a 3rd class degree will be considered on an individual basis.            

  • Grade C/level 4 at GCSE in English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent) (or 2021 entry, applicants must have these qualifications by the start of the course). Alternatively, we offer equivalency tests 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.

  • School experience is desirable, but not essential prior to an interview. At interview, we will discuss relevant prior school experience or opportunities applicants have had to work with school aged children. It is at this point that we would discuss with a candidate whether additional school experience would support an individual in their decision that teaching is right for them. NB Interviews will continue throughout 2020 and be conducted online. Applicants will be contacted directly with more details.

For further information contact y.cashmore@worc.ac.uk

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

Other information

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.

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.

School Experience

  • 120 days of school experience in our partnership schools which are spread across the region. Experience in two schools.
  • Be supported and challenged by our blend of school-based Mentors and Personal Academic Tutors.
Course content

What will you study?

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative. 

Subject Knowledge with a Deep Understanding
  • Enrich your subject knowledge drawing on the expertise of tutors in partnership with school mentors with excellent current practice in business and economics.
  • An excellent teacher requires confident delivery of subject knowledge and an understanding about how pupils learn. The majority of your time in university is in subject workshops working in a group of specialist business and economics trainees.

Specialist Subject Opportunities
  • Design and deliver an Enterprise Day in school
  • Visit a college and see the FE and HE options available to your students 
  • Explore a range of qualifications with experts from Awarding Bodies
  • Develop reflective practitioners prepared for a career in teaching
  • Design and deliver a Financial Awareness Day in a special school

Pedagogy
  • Understand and apply theory and research on how children learn and develop.
  • Explore a range of teaching styles, and classroom organisation.
  • Discover how to promote progress through observing, planning, teaching and assessing learning.

Professional Studies
  • Develop adaptive teaching strategies to respond to the unique needs in a range of contexts, leveraging the diversity inherent in schools.
  • Be informed by the research and evidence about effective teaching at a general level before applying this knowledge to subject-specific approaches
  • Learn the expectations, standards and behaviours which are appropriate to the profession and the wider responsibilities of a teacher.

Enhancement Activities
  • Gain expertise through one of our unique Enhancement Activities: PSHE and Citizenship, Developing a Second Subject, English as an Additional Language, Education in Climate Emergency, Teenage Mental Health, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Research in Education or Technology Enhanced Learning.  In addition we also offer an Aspiring Leaders programme 

Your career
  • Become a reflective self-evaluating practitioner.
  • Enjoy great employment prospects; our support takes you from trainee to ECT (Early Career Teacher) and beyond
  • Prepare for leadership and your Masters with 60 credits and a strong research foundation.

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.


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Teaching and assessment

How will you be taught?

Group of Business PGCE students wearing suits

Teaching approach

  • School experience in a range of settings.
  • Professional Studies sessions in school and at University.
  • University-led workshops, lectures, seminars, fieldwork and guest lectures.
  • Study of key texts and supplementary reading.
  • Participation in high level professional discussion, peer presentations and debate.
  • Directed studies, case studies and problem solving tasks; 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 service
Business PGCE teaching session

Assessment

  • Assignments are carefully designed to develop your skills as a teacher.
  • Assessments that move from highly structured to more open briefs as you develop your professional skills.
  • The opportunity to develop skills as a research informed practitioner.

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.

Yvonne Cashmore

Yvonne Cashmore Business with Economics SL & Partnership Yvonne is the PGCE secondary subject lead for the Business with Economics course. Yvonne joined the University of Worcester in 2013; training Business and Economics teachers, teaching professional studies, working with mentors in school and delivering new mentor training.

She has been instrumental in embedding online portfolios for the PGCE secondary course, enabling monitoring of trainee development and quality assurance. She is the Link Tutor for the Diploma in Education and Training delivered at a partner college and is part of the placement team.

Careers

Where could it take you?

Business PGCE large teaching session

 

  • Prepare for leadership and your Masters with 60 credits and a strong research foundation
  • Many University of Worcester trainees gain promotion within the first few years of teaching
Two students are walkng next to each other and smiling

Careers and Employability

Our Graduates pursue exciting and diverse careers in a wide variety of employment sectors.

Find out how we can support you to achieve your potential.
Costs

How much will it cost?

Full-time tuition fees

UK students

The standard tuition fee for full-time UK students registering in the academic year 2021/22 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 registering in the academic year 2021/22 will be £14,100 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Teacher training funding

You may be able to 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 are disabled.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for essential books, trips, 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.

We organise occasional visits to increase subject knowledge. Travel costs are at your own expense but we do encourage car sharing. In addition there is sometimes a fee but this is not normally more than £20 in total.

In addition, we encourage you to join subject specific associations. The cost is typically between £25 to £50 for which you benefit from their support, guidance and resources.

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 £108 per week to 'En-suite Extra' at £184 per week (2021/22 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 codes 

PGCE Secondary Business - 39F6 - make an application PGCE Secondary Business with Economics - 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.

Admissions office

admissions@worc.ac.uk
01905 855111

Secondary PGCE Office

secondary@worc.ac.uk

Yvonne Cashmore

Personal Academic Tutor
y.cashmore@worc.ac.uk
01905 855058

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