Primary PGCE

Skills
This course will give you everything you need to face the classroom, both the pedagogical theory and the practical skills to be an inspiring teacher.

Support
Our gradual immersion approach will introduce you to the classroom progressively, from one pupil to the whole class.

Experience
Placement in very diverse, carefully chosen schools will allow you to learn from different contexts and be prepared to teach in any school.

Start teaching
With a PGCE you can start teaching as soon as you complete the course and are recommended for Qualified Teacher Status.

Our Primary PGCE develops effective, confident teachers whose classroom practice is informed by an advanced knowledge of educational theory, and who will continue to learn and reflect throughout their careers.

We will help students to acquire the skills and expertise to support children's learning, prepare them to teach in an inclusive urban environment, provide professional development in all national curriculum subjects and ensure that students show a concern for professional values and demonstrate the positive attitudes and behaviour expected from pupils.

A unique feature of the Primary PGCE is our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Pathway, for which students can apply once they firmly accept their offer.

The SEND Pathway is a specifically tailored programme, based on the principle of inclusive pedagogy, which allows student teachers to gain deeper insights in how to work effectively with children with a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities.

Students on the SEND Pathway are able to access placements in special education schools and specialist resource bases, where possible, due to our strong and long-standing partnerships across Greater London.

Who this course is for

The Primary PGCE full-time programme is suited to those wishing to gain Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) for teaching in a UK maintained (state-funded) school and who have fulfilled the appropriate entry requirements.

What this course will give you

Students on the Primary PGCE programme benefit enormously from the complementary skills and expertise of staff in partnership schools and at IOE. The schools offer placements for teaching experience, and their teachers serve as tutors, mentors and joint assessors for our student teachers. IOE tutors have extensive experience of teaching, school management, inspection, research and consultancy.

Primary PGCE students can gain experience of teaching across one or more key stages: the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1; Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2; lower Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 9) and upper Key Stage 2 (ages 9 to 11).

Students will learn to teach all the primary curriculum subjects. They will also select one subject for specialist study from the range that we offer. For example, in 2023-24, Specialism choices were as follows: Children's Literature, MFL, Geography & Sustainability, Mathematics, PSHE, Music, Computing, Science, Art & Design and PE.