98%
of our students that completed a QTS course were in employment or further study 15 months after finishing their course.
Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024
Overview
Embark on a career in education and become a secondary teacher with a PGCE Secondary Education with QTS from Canterbury Christ Church University. With a rewarding career in secondary teaching, you will learn how to confidently educate and change children’s lives.
Combining cutting-edge theory and practice, you will gain both an academic and practice-based understanding of secondary teaching. Through our progressive curriculum, you can choose to engage with a range of topics, including subject pedagogy and professional enquiry, as well as completing two contrasting placements*.
Engage and reflect on your teaching practice as you continue through this PGCE teaching course. During your placements, you will learn from practising teachers, as well as having two school-based mentors to ensure that you are fully supported throughout.
What’s more, by the end of the course you will become proficient in following the teachers’ standards that all teachers must adhere to throughout their profession.
Upon successful completion of the PGCE Secondary, you will be recommended for QTS with the Teaching Regulation Agency, which is essential for you to continue onto your early career teacher (ECT) year. We appreciate that your ECT years may come with its own set of challenges, so we will continue to support you throughout this transition.
Why study PGCE Secondary at CCCU?
- Be supported throughout your PGCE course and ECT years from experienced mentors, both within your placement schools and the University.
- Engage with a progressive curriculum that will prepare you for teaching using innovative and research-informed techniques.
- Gain experience through two contrasting placements, which will enhance your practice-based experience before your ECT year.
- Become a valuable member of the Graduate College as a CCCU postgraduate student.
*subject to availability
Subjects you can train to teach in are:
- Secondary Art & Design
- Secondary English
- Secondary Geography
- Secondary History
- Secondary Mathematics
- Secondary Modern Foreign Languages
- Secondary Music
- Secondary Physical Education
- Secondary Religious Education
- Secondary Sciences.
Overall, the combination of university and school-based experiences was instrumental in my development as a teacher. I appreciate the support and resources provided throughout the course, and I look forward to applying what I have learned to support my future students' progress.
Bejoy, PGCE Secondary alumni
All about the course
Note when applying
When you press apply, you will be taken to the government 'Apply for teacher training' website where you can select and apply for the subject area of your choice at Canterbury Christ Church University.
It's very straightforward, but it's also worth noting the course codes for each of the options we offer to ensure you are applying for the correct one:
- Art and Design (Course code: W1X1)
- English (Course code: 2243)
- Geography (Course code: F8X1)
- History (Course code: V1X1)
- Mathematics (Course code: G1X1)
- French with Spanish (Course code: RXD1)
- French (Course code: R1X1)
- Spanish with French (Course code: RX41)
- Spanish (Course code: R4X1)
- Music (Course code: W3X1)
- Physical Education (Course code: C6XC)
- Physical Education with EBacc subject (Course code: 38XC)
- Religious Education (Course code: 2CQ9)
- Sciences (Biology) (Course code: CX11)
- Sciences (Chemistry) (Course code: F2X1)
- Sciences (Physics) (Course code: F3X2)
Entry requirements
All entrants must hold a first degree from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification.
A good honours degree (2:2 or above) in the specialist subject (or a subject closely related).
English (Language or Literature) and maths at GCSE (Grade C or Grade 4 above, or equivalent).
Successful completion of the Occupational Health Clearance and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
All applicants will be asked to attend an interview. These will be held remotely.
We're interested in your potential as a teacher and so each application is considered on a case-by-case basis. We are looking for applicants who demonstrate enthusiasm and commitment to becoming an outstanding secondary teacher. Your application will need to be supported by one professional reference. (References from personal email accounts cannot be accepted).
Entry requirements for international students
For more information on English language requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated IELTS web page.
International application deadline – 31 May 2025
2:2
Hons degree
Module information
Core/optional modules
How you’ll learn
Your learning and development will be facilitated by a range of university-based and school-based colleagues. As well as having extensive experiences in the classroom as qualified teachers, our university-based lecturers are all subject specialists. Our school-based colleagues are also expert education professionals with a strong track-record of providing trainees with highly effective mentoring.
Through your studies, you will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, school placements and self-study. All of these are supported through Blackboard, the university's virtual learning environment.
The use of a range of learning and teaching strategies is central to the design and planning of this course. This is because the learning you experience in the University and in schools needs to model explicitly and implicitly key aspects of subject and phase-specific pedagogy. Therefore, there is an emphasis on:
- Individual and collaborative learning
- Critical debate and discussion
- Micro-teaching; multi-sensory learning
- Active learning
- Use of inclusive and diverse resources and content
- Use of information and communication technologies
- Technology-enhanced learning and blended learning
- Independent learning and personal reflection
- Critical reviews
- Connections between research, theory and practical application.
You will learn in a variety of ways in school, including from experienced mentors, through observing others and through experience. There is also a degree of individual learning support offered on this course, provided by mentors in school and University tutors.
This is a full-time course and you should expect to be engaged in the course activity five days a week. It is important to note that during school placements you will be expected to be in school Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm.
The University lead tutors and school-based mentors are all experienced qualified teachers.
Trainees benefit from an ambitious curriculum. Carefully selected curriculum content means that trainees gain strong foundations in how to teach their specialism. Right from the start, they learn about how to promote pupils’ progression in a subject.
Ofsted, 2023
How you’ll be assessed
You will be assessed in two main ways: via academic assessments and the assessment of your teaching practice during School Experience 1 and 2.
You will submit assignments for each academic module, gaining Level 7 credits as you progress through the course. A range of assessment methods that to help you to evidence your knowledge, understanding and skills.
Student teachers are required by the Department for Education to demonstrate competence against a set of fundamental maths and English skills by the end of their training. These will be assessed across the course, with additional support provided as required to enable all student teachers to meet the expectations.
You’ll be summatively assessed at the end of each placement, and recommended for the award of QTS after successfully completing School Experience 1 and 2. Successful assessment against the Teachers' Standards will mean that you can be recommended for the award of QTS.
Your future career
The successful completion of this course equips you for employment as an early career teacher (ECT) and to complete ECT induction into the teaching profession. From there, your teaching career can take you on to a very rewarding and exciting professional journey involving learning and teaching, leadership and management, research and advisory roles. There is also potential for you to engage in further study in the form of a Master’s degree and a doctorate.
I now work as Director of Studies managing teams of teachers on short courses across Europe, and teach in the UK for various institutions. I also mentor undergraduate and postgraduate university students.
FreddiePGCE Secondary graduate
Related courses
Fees
2025/26 tuition fees for this course
| UK | Overseas | |
| Full-time | £9535 | £15,500 |
Important information on tuition fees
Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated. Please read the Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding year on year fee increases.
Students studying FULL PGCE courses may be eligible to apply to Student Finance for a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan.
Students may self-fund their course or a sponsor may fund or part-fund. Bursaries, scholarships and fee discounts may also be available.
20% PGCE alumni discount: CCCU Alumni are being offered a 20% Alumni Discount on a range of PGCEs – terms and conditions apply.
You can find out more on our fees and funding web pages.
Further information
- If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
- For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk
Can I get a loan to study a PGCE?
Bursaries and scholarships
Generous tax-free funding is on offer to graduates training in a range of subjects, from a £31,000 scholarship for chemistry to a £26,000 bursary for geography. Visit the Department for Education’s Get into Teaching pages for details about the bursaries and scholarships available, including eligibility.
Loans and other funding
With or without a bursary or scholarship, you could receive a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan to help fund your teacher training year. Alternatively, you could earn a salary whilst you train.
Visit GOV.UK and use the student finance calculator to estimate student loans and extra funding that may be available, e.g. if you’re disabled or have children.
Industry Links
We work with a wide range of schools across our partnership. Mentors in schools work closely with University tutors to develop our courses and support you as a student teacher.
Professional accreditation
Successful completion of this course means you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
The PGCE Secondary Education course enables you to exceed the minimum requirements of teacher training as detailed through the Department for Education (DfE) Teachers’ Standards and the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework.
Apply now
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