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Secondary Science with Biology PGCE with QTS

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    Overview

    If you’ve got an undergraduate degree and are striving to become a secondary school Biology teacher, then studying our Secondary Science with Biology PGCE with QTS will help you on your way. You’ll develop your subject specialist knowledge alongside hands-on classroom experience.

    Why Secondary Science with Biology PGCE with QTS?

    • The course is designed to emphasise practical engagement with the curriculum whilst developing your understanding of the theories which underpin the best models of practice. This means you'll be equipped with the knowledge and practical skills you'll need in the constantly changing world of secondary education.
    • A significant amount of your learning will take place whilst on placement within one of our partnership schools. You’ll benefit from being able to observe experienced teachers, gain practical hands-on experience and mentoring to help you develop into an outstanding and successful teacher.
    • Biology is an exciting subject to teach and there are opportunities for well qualified biology teachers. It is a National Curriculum core subject and is taught throughout schools. The course will enable you to explore what it means to teach biology and develop ways in which you teach it. You will examine the best practice of biology teaching and use a range of teaching strategies to challenge and inform your students.
    • Upon successful completion of the course we’ll recommend Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), enabling you to start your first teaching post within a secondary school.

    Key Information

    Entry requirements

    • An Honours degree in Science (2:2 or above).
    • A Level Biology at a minimum grade C or above.
    • Applicants with relevant industry experience may be considered without A Level requirement on an individual basis.
    • GCSE English and Maths at grade 4 or above (or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme) or equivalent.
    • If your first language is not English, you will need IELTS 7.0 overall, with no element less than 6.5.
    • If all or part of your qualifications are from outside the UK, we’ll need a UK ENIC statement of comparability.

    Application to the PGCE via Subject Knowledge Enhancement Programme:

    • If your degree qualification does not meet our normal entrance requirements, a place may be offered conditionally on the successful completion of a Subject Knowledge Enhancement programme (SKE).

    Other requirements:

    • Offers subject to interview
    • You must demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively, and that you have the intellectual and academic potential to meet the required Teachers’ Standards by the end of the programme.
    • You should provide two references. Where applicants have current or recent experience working with children or young people, one of the referees should be a member of staff who can comment on their potential to train to teach.
    • Offers are subject to satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure checks and applicants must not previously have been barred from teaching or working with children. We also ask you to complete a health declaration to ensure that you have the health and physical capacity to teach.

    All conditions must be met by 31 August for entry in September in the year of application.

    The University of Huddersfield seeks and encourages applications from under-represented groups in order to widen participation, improve access and apply the principles of equal opportunities. Applicants with disabilities are under no obligation to declare their disabilities, but the University is committed to making the adjustments necessary to promote positively equality and access for disabled applicants. Applicants are encouraged to identify any special arrangements they may require. General advice and information regarding disability and the support the University can give can be found by visiting the University's Disability Support webpages.

    Start dates

    8 September 2025

    Duration

    1 year full-time

    Course Detail

    Developing Specialist Subject Knowledge

    In this module you will develop the subject content and pedagogical knowledge to support effective teaching in your specialist subject area. You will develop a systematic understanding of the statutory and non-statutory curriculum frameworks and public examination specifications for your subject and critically analyse and evaluate current research policy and practice. You will be encouraged to further develop your personal subject knowledge, skills and understanding, and to develop specific teaching strategies to support pupils’ progress in the subject. For the assessment, you will submit a critical account of the place of your specialist subject in the curriculum, and evidence that demonstrates successful teaching in the specialist subject.

    Pedagogies for Support Learning and Progress in the Secondary School

    This module develops your understanding of pedagogy, focusing on the key areas of how pupils learn and how to support their progress; planning and teaching well-structured lessons; and adapting teaching to support the needs of all learners. The assessment provides a structured opportunity for you to plan and teach a sequence of lessons with an acute focus on meeting the needs of all learners, and you will critically evaluate the impact of the sequence on pupils’ learning and outcomes.

    Professional Values and Practice in Secondary Education 1

    This module supports your professional learning in the first assessed phase of your school-based training. The module begins to develop the theoretical knowledge, understanding, attributes, values and skills that underpin the Teachers’ Standards. You will gain a clear understanding of teachers’ statutory duties, professional expectations and responsibilities. You will develop your classroom and behaviour management skills and build your confidence as a teacher, focusing on creating a positive climate for learning and setting high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour.

    Professional Values and Practice in Secondary Education 2

    This module supports your professional learning in the second assessed phase of your school based training. The module continues to support your progress in meeting the Teachers’ Standards focusing on the development of inclusive pedagogy and practice. For assessment, you will critically evaluate how your developing skills enabled you to impact on pupils’ learning and progress.

    Professional Values and Practice in Secondary Education 3

    This module supports your professional learning in the final assessed phase of your school based training. The module extends and consolidates your understanding of teachers’ professional accountability for pupils’ progress and outcomes, and the full extent of the role that teachers play within the wider school community and in society. You will refine and consolidate your teaching practice and demonstrate that you meet the Teachers’ Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status. For assessment, you will critically evaluate how your skills in relation to each standard have enabled you to impact on pupils’ progress over time.

    The course is a one year postgraduate certificate in secondary education. The programme is divided into two main themes:

    • Initial Professional Development:

    You’ll have the opportunity to explore creative ways to interpret your knowledge into a language a child can understand. We help prepare you for the classroom, allowing you to develop your own thinking, teaching and subject knowledge base to a level which you can trial in your placements. Themes include educational psychology, how young people learn, behaviour management, assessment, inclusion, creative and innovative teaching methods and designing learning. You research theories of child development, gain a greater understanding of current professional issues in secondary schools and develop your own educational philosophy.

    • Biology Specialist Subject Pedagogy:

    Subject sessions provide you with an understanding of subject pedagogy in biology and generic science sessions offer you the opportunity to explore a wide range of issues such as 'practical aspects of science', assessment of science and literacy in science as well as the more practical considerations whilst teaching this subject. We help you to prepare for teaching all the sciences at Key Stage 3. We have a fully equipped science laboratory at the University to help develop your practice.

    You’ll learn in small, friendly and supportive groups, designed to give you the confidence to succeed.

    Course tutors are very experienced and supportive and you’ll have a personal tutor to support you through your studies. Teaching is through workshops, tutorials and lectures, some with guest speakers, and through group work with other teacher trainees from a variety of subject specialisms as well as specialist subject groups.

    Two of the PGCE modules are at Masters level and afterwards you will have the opportunity to continue your studies further to complete a Masters in Education, supporting your NQT year and your early professional development.

    Assessment is typically through the completion of a range of classroom activities, written assignments, reports, personal subject audits and the development of portfolios of evidence. There are no formal examinations and the assignments are carefully designed to help you to develop your teaching practice further.

    Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

    Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.

    On average 20%* of the study time on this course is spent with your tutors (either face to face or online) in lectures, seminars, workshops etc. Study and assessments will be based on your choice of modules. Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

    *based on 22/23 programme specifications

    1. Triple proof of teaching excellence: our staff rank in the top three in England for the proportion who hold doctorates, who have higher degrees, and hold teaching qualifications (HESA 2024). So, you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

    2. We are first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 22 since 2008 (2023 data).

    3. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

    Placements

    During your time on the course, you will be required to complete 120 days of compulsory placements across at least two of our partner schools.

    Our network of partner schools spans Kirklees, Calderdale, Oldham, Manchester, Rochdale, Wakefield, Barnsley, and Bradford, offering a diverse range of educational settings. We will endeavour to place you in a location convenient to your postcode.

    You’ll gain valuable insight into the role of a secondary school teacher, supported by both a mentor within the school. They will help you refine your teaching practice through observations, planning meetings, weekly tutorials, detailed reports, and in-depth lesson evaluations.

    Additionally, your dedicated Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) will visit you in school to provide guidance, and support, and evaluate your ongoing progress.

    What's surprised me is how quickly you get to teach - I did my school induction in week two, my placement started in week three and by week five I was preparing and teaching a lesson.

    None

    Shondelle Quarshie, graduated from the Secondary Education PGCE with QTS Suite and now works at Kirklees College as a Programme Quality Lead for English, Maths and ESOL.

    Teaching placement
    Teaching placement
    Teaching session
    Lockside building
    Open Access computer room

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    Important information

    We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

    Changes to a course you have applied for

    If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

    Cancellation of a course you have applied for

    Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

    Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

    We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

    Changes to option modules

    Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

    Major changes

    We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

    For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

    Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    Termination of course

    In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

    When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

    The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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