Postgraduate courses in Education
Can You Make A Difference?
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There are a number of routes available in Higher Education Institutions which give you the opportunity to become a teacher and gain a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). If you enjoy working with young people, have effective communication skills and a desire to share your subject knowledge then teaching could be for you.
Where can I do a
PGCE?
PGCE courses are
available at universities
around the UK. All
courses have a strong
emphasis on practical
school-based training
supported by Universitybased
seminars and
lectures. Part-time,
distance learning
Flexible PGCE courses
are also available so that
the course can be taken
over a longer period of
time. This route often
suits mature students
who have additional
responsibilities. 
You may also want to consider a School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme which is based largely in school.
The Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) is an employment based route, also it offers trainee teachers the opportunity to be employed in a participating school. Some SCITT and GTP programmes offer trainees the opportunity to complete a PGCE. All PGCE courses offer the chance to gain Qualified Teacher Status. A lot of PGCE courses offer student teachers the opportunity to gain Masters level credits which may be used infurther study. There are many exciting Masters courses available that will support your learning, and practice, as a newly qualified teacher.
Is there any financial
support available?
On PGCE courses
student teachers from
the UK and EU are
entitled to receive
bursaries to support
them in training. These
are between £6000 and
£9000 depending on
your subject. Fee loans
are available to UK and
EU applicants and in
addition UK students
receive a £1200, nonmeans
assessed,
Maintenance Grant.
On the GTP route you
can expect to be paid a
salary of approximately
£14500.
How do I apply?
The majority of PGCE
applications are made
through the Graduate
Teacher Training Registry
(GTTR) www.gttr.
ac.uk. However, some
Initial Teacher Training
providers require that
you approach them
directly. You are able
to apply to up to four
different providers for
secondary courses
and two for primary. If
you are unsuccessful
with your first choice,
your application will
be passed on to your
second, and so on.
Generally speaking,
the GTTR accepts
applications from mid-
September to June for
courses starting the
following September or
October.
Remember that courses in primary teaching, PE and history are very popular and there is considerable competition for places. In these cases, to guarantee that your first choice of ITT provider will consider you, you need to apply before the end of November in the year before you wish to train.
Where can I find further
information?
The Training and
Development Agency’s
(TDA) website www.tda.gov.uk gives detailed
information on routes into
teaching and first hand
accounts from trainee
teachers. The GTTR
web site www.gttr.ac.uk directs you to courses and
institutions and gives you
the opportunity to read
in more detail about the
courses on offer.
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Terry Whysall
ITE Programmes
Administrative Manager
School of Education
University of Nottingham
T: 0115 951 4543
E: education-enquiries@nottingham.ac.uk
W: www.nottingham.ac.uk/education
