PGCE Primary / Course details

PGCE Primary will train you to teach children aged 5 to 11. It provides training in all primary stage National Curriculum subjects, with a particular focus on Mathematics, English and Science.

Completion leads to a postgraduate qualification and recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

University-based sessions cover education theories, ideas and concepts, and will enhance your awareness of current educational issues.

You will spend a significant amount of time studying the core subjects outlined above, while also studying Religious Education, History, Geography, Art, Music, Design and Technology and PE.

• Our PGCEs are rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted (Ofsted Report, 2019) and we have been highlighted as the best university provider of initial teacher training in the North of England (Good Teacher Training Guide 2017).
• We have links with more than 200 schools, academies and colleges, and you will benefit from significant school-based teaching experience.
• Our leading experts in education have trained more than 5,000 teachers in the last 15 years.
• Our students are from a variety of backgrounds - from recent graduates to mature learners.
• Our research improves the quality of education across the world, with 78% of our activity defined as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' (Research Excellence Framework 2014).

The structure of our PGCEs includes both school-based and university-based learning. 

The course is run in partnership with more than 200 local primary schools located across Greater Manchester, including Bolton, Trafford, Tameside, Manchester, Bury, Stockport, Rochdale, Salford and Oldham, and north Cheshire and south Lancashire. 

You will spend 120 days of the programme learning and practising teaching on placement. The professional placements are:

• School experience block 1 (10 weeks, autumn term)
• Inclusion placement (1 week, spring term)
• Early Years Foundation Stage placement (2 weeks, spring term)
• School experience block 2 (11 weeks, spring/summer terms)

When on placement, you will observe and teach classes under the guidance of an experienced primary teacher. You will also have a mentor to help you to plan lessons, deal with marking and assessment, and improve your teaching skills.

Your remaining time will be spent at the University, for example in lectures and seminars.

We will support your training to become a primary school teacher by providing: 

• an understanding of teacher professionalism;
• evidence to inform your practical actions, principles and values in educational settings;
• teaching that values diversity and respect for all backgrounds;
• the required knowledge, understanding and practical skills. 

As a guide, you should anticipate that time in university-based learning combined with school-based placements will roughly equate to the time commitment of a full-time job, with additional time required in evenings and weekends for background reading, lesson planning and completing written assignments.

You will be assessed during your school placements, and you will receive high-quality feedback to enhance your development. 

Your subject knowledge in English, Mathematics and Science will be audited regularly through taught course sessions, and you will also complete 3 x 20 credit master's-level assignments during the year. 

The written assignments will allow you to gain a maximum of 60 master's-level credits, and guidance and support to complete these assignments will be available from your University tutors.

The course is taught by the Manchester Institute of Education (MIE), which has its own Undergraduate Hub, here you will find all your teaching staff and support staff. It is also a place to relax with fellow students. 

MIE is in the University's Ellen Wilkinson building, which is on the University's Oxford Road campus, close to the Main Library, Alan Gilbert Learning Commons and the Students Union.