PGCE Primary (5-11) (PGCE)

Liverpool Hope University is one of the country's leading providers of Initial Teacher Education. In the most recent National Student Survey 97% of our undergraduate QTS students expressed overall satisfaction with provision, placing us top among the fifty largest providers of teacher training in the UK and 16% above the national average.

The PGCE Primary (5-11) course is a postgraduate qualification aimed at high-quality graduates wishing to pursue a career in primary teaching. It is an intensive, demanding yet very rewarding programme running from late August to July Tutors are dedicated to individual student support and to working closely with our partners in local schools.

Our teaching staff come from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, with a rich diversity of experience in many types of schools. We are committed to the idea that teachers are formed not trained and need both theoretical and practical preparation to be truly outstanding teachers.

Our lectures and workshops are engaging and interactive, supporting you in becoming well-informed and reflective professionals who can take independent judgements and are ready to be full members of a school community.

All Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses at Liverpool Hope offer students the opportunity to combine a programme of theory with real world experience.

The initial professional development focuses on what underpins the work of an effective and successful teacher, while school placements offer you the opportunity to put theory into practice.

Curriculum Overview

The full-time course is particularly intensive. Students are timetabled for study across a number of areas including initial professional development covering principles of education and curriculum areas such as English, Mathematics, Science, ICT, History, Geography, Art, Music, P.E and R.E.

Approximately half of the course is spent in school where the training continues and students are given opportunities to develop and extend their skills. Both within university and in school, time is built in for students to meet with their tutors on a one-to-one basis to discuss their professional development.

As part of the course, students are expected to engage, on a variety of levels, with the course content and materials. Many of the sessions require active participation through, for example, dance and games in P.E. sessions, songs, games and practical activities in English, maths and science, and exploration of the local environment in R.E, history and geography.

In contrast to this, you will be expected to have some familiarity with accessing library and online resources to support your research into different aspects of primary education in preparation for the completion of the assignments.

Formal assessment of the course takes place through observations of students' teaching, and their successful completion of assignments based on Assessment, and a data analysis and action planning. Linking theory and practice is a key feature of the course. Students also undertake a number of curriculum and wider professional-based tasks.

Initial Professional Development

Initial Professional Development (IPD): This part of the programme covers general aspects of becoming a teacher. It is largely lecture-based supported by discussion-based seminars with an assigned professional tutor. IPD develops the student teacher's knowledge and understanding of a range of key issues in education.