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Secondary Science with Biology PGCE with QTS

2025-26 (also available for 2026-27)

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Start date

8 September 2025

Duration

1 year full-time

Places available (subject to change)

12

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About the course

Reasons to study

  1. 91.3% of our postgraduates are in work and/or further study fifteen months after graduating*
  2. Whilst you will focus on your nominated scientific discipline, you will also be prepared to teach all science to GCSE level, giving you a rounded view of the whole science curriculum and thus access to more science teaching opportunities. 
  3. Upon successful completion, we’ll notify the Teaching Regulation Agency to confirm you meet the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), so you’ll be ready to launch your teaching career. 

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 21/22, UK domiciled graduates from the School of Business, Education and Law.

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.

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 1

This module supports your professional learning in the first assessed phase of your school-based training. The module begins to develop your theoretical knowledge, understanding, attributes, values and skills. 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. For assessment, you will critically evaluate how your developing skills enabled you to impact on pupils’ learning and progress.

Professional Values and Practice 2

This module supports your professional learning in the second assessed phase of your school-based training. The module continues to support your progress, 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 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 requirements 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.

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.

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.

Your career

Previous graduates from courses in this subject area have gone on to work in a variety of roles such as a Secondary School Teacher, Community Education Officer, Learning Mentor, Education Consultant, Family Support Worker and Education Mental Health Practitioner.*

*Source: Prospects
**Percentage of graduates from the School of Business, Education and Law who are in work and/or further study fifteen months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes 21/22, UK domiciled graduates).

91.3%** Graduates employed

Student support

​At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

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. 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. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If 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

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 an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. 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 non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes 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), 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 or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. 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, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. 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.

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 in accordance with the student protection plan.

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

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