PGCE Primary (5-11)

Why study this course?

By choosing to train as a teacher of five to 11-year-olds at London Met, you’ll be joining a powerful partnership of diverse teachers and schools. We place emphasis on learning to teach in an urban multicultural environment that's ideal for working in a city setting. You’ll undertake school placements of at least 24 weeks, giving you very strong hands-on practical experience, combined with the benefit of university teaching and support.

Our trainees attain high results with almost 100% passing the course, and very high rates of employment. Many of our trainees gain employment in their placement schools.

This highly-regarded course lead to both Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and to the master's level Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). It prepares you to teach children from five to eleven years old (Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2). You will also be able to work in an Early Years setting. Our course is made up of 4 modules:

Two 'School Experience' modules give you a minimum of 24 weeks (120 days) in school. This time is made up of two school placements, during which you will develop your skills and confidence - from observing lessons and leading small learning episodes, through to being a fully fledged teacher.

There are also two academic modules:
Curriculum Studies introduces you to the key knowledge you need to teach classes of primary school age, including the ability to plan and teach lessons for classes of all levels of attainment. You will learn to teach and assess progress in the core subjects of Maths, Science and English (reading and writing) and in all of the foundation subjects.

The Professional Inclusive Practice (PIP) module is underpinned by the university's Education for Social Justice agenda, and based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), giving you a clear framework for meeting the needs of all the children you'll be teaching.

This module, which draws upon our wider team of industry-leading experts, introduces you to everything you need to know to fulfil the wider professional requirements of being a teacher; including the crucial topics of Safeguarding and Child Protection.

You will develop the skills and knowledge you need to work with pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and English as an Additional Language (EAL), which you will practice during your school placements. It also allows you to develop the habits of a 'critically reflective practitioner', which will sustain you through a career of often rapid change.

Throughout your school placements, our school-based mentors and university link-tutors will support you in in the classroom, ensuring that you are able to learn every aspect of the Core Content Framework for teacher training.

Your personal university link-tutor will support you in all aspects of your training programme; as part of the Primary Tutor Team they will teach your university sessions, ensuring there is continuity of support throughout your training. By working in both environments, you have the chance to reflect on the links between your own teaching theory and practice.

Course modules

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2024/25 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules

Curriculum Studies

NB: Teaching Period is a statutory period of currently 36 weeks, set by the Department of Education. Term dates are set separately to the standard university dates, with an earlier start and later finish than other postgraduate courses.

The Curriculum Studies module aims to ensure that all students have appropriate knowledge, skills and understanding to teach their chosen specialism as an effective practitioner, in fulfilment of all relevant aspects of the Core Content Framework.

To support the student:

• to develop an understanding of the curriculum knowledge and pedagogical knowledge that they will require as a teacher, including the ability to interpret this to plan, teach and assess engaging lessons which promote pupil progression.

• to develop their own subject knowledge to ensure they are confident to teach their chosen specialist subject and/or phase, through a combination of assessment, self-assessment, target setting, personal study and engagement with university teaching and learning sessions.

• to develop a critical appreciation of the relevant traditions in pedagogy, assessment and children’s rights related to the areas they will be required to teach, and to use this knowledge to make decisions about planning, teaching and assessment which promote pupil progression.

Professionalism and Inclusive Practice

NB: Teaching Period is a statutory period of currently 36 weeks, set by the Department of Education. Term dates are set separately to the standard university dates, with an earlier start and later finish than other postgraduate courses.

The Professional Inclusive Practice (PIP) module aims to ensure that student teachers are prepared for all aspects of professionalism and professional thinking as a teacher.

It aims to ensure that they are fully equipped to meet the broader knowledge, skills and behaviours beyond individual subject or phase specialist topics, in fulfilment of all aspects of the Core Content Framework.
To support the trainee:

• to develop a critical understanding of the key philosophies that underpin our curriculum, based on the principles of Education for Social Justice, Critical Pedagogy and the UNCRC.

• to teach in a range of contexts, with a focus on teaching in multilingual, multicultural schools, working closely with families, communities and other professionals and to develop a sense of professional identity which reflects this.

• to develop the full range of skills, competencies and attitudes needed to enhance their employability, by enabling them to attain the professional Teachers’ Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by the end of the course.

• to enable students to reflect upon, critically assess and research their own practice. 

School Experience

NB: Teaching Period (whole course) is a statutory period of currently 36 weeks, set by the Department of Education. Placement Module dates are set at 24 weeks minimum. Term dates are set separately to the standard university dates, with an earlier start and later finish than other postgraduate courses.
The module will be comprised of two school experiences placements in contrasting schools or other appropriate settings to support the trainee to:

• Develop their professional practice as a teacher.

• Gain the skills and understanding outlined in the Core Content Framework for ITT.

• Become a critically reflective practitioner inside and outside the classroom.

• Acquire the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to plan, deliver and evaluate the appropriate areas of the curriculum (for their route) by the end of the module