PGCE information session

Sign up to our upcoming online PGCE Secondary information session. Get an introduction to the PGCE teacher training courses for Secondary level, an overview of the different subjects available and ask your questions.

Sign up now for our PGCE Secondary information session

PGCE Secondary School Direct (Geography) / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

Compared with Core PGCE teacher trainees, you will benefit from additional time in school before the PGCE starts and follow a modified version of the course. Throughout, you will focus on the 11 to 16, 11 to 18, or 14 to 19 age ranges to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), learning to teach the National Curriculum and related national strategies surrounding GCSE, AS and A2-level study.

The majority of the course focuses upon practical training in teaching and learning-related skills. You will enjoy extended periods of school experience, which will provide opportunities to work in a primary setting and to teach in at least two different secondary schools. In total, 25 weeks of your PGCE will be spent experiencing and working in different types of school.

This practical training is underpinned by the development of your knowledge and understanding of educational theories, ideas and concepts, including current issues and developments.

We work with numerous schools in Greater Manchester to offer the School Direct route into teaching.

School Direct allows schools to recruit and select their own trainees, with the expectation that they will go on to work within the school, or group of schools, in which they were trained (although there is no guarantee of employment).

School Direct closely follows the PGCE course structure but on a modified timetable including increased contact with the School Direct school.

Trainees who complete their course will be recommended for the qualification of PGCE School Direct and recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS).

Aims

The PGCE Geography course is designed to provide trainees with a balanced approach to learning how to teach Geography in the secondary school, drawing on a range of expertise from The University of Manchester tutor team, teachers within partnership schools and experts within the field of Geography education.

Trainees will gain experience teaching KS3, KS4 and KS5 Geography and are awarded the 11 to 18 PGCE with QTS at the end of the course. The PGCE Geography course focuses on many diverse aspects of Geography teaching, such as:

  • Developing subject and curriculum knowledge in Geography;
  • Developing planning and pedagogy in the classroom;
  • Teaching inclusive and representative Geography; 
  • Understanding how to address barriers to learning in Geography;
  • Understanding how students learn in Geography;
  • Assessing progress in Geography and understanding how to check what students know, think and understand;
  • Engaging and creative Geography teaching; 
  • Securing your first job as a Geography teacher;

You will spend around 130 days in your School Direct placement schools, guided by trained mentors who will support your progress and give advice on all aspects of the role.

All our PGCE courses aim to provide contrasting placements to give trainees a rich and diverse experience.

Special features

  • Our PGCEs are rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted (2019), and we have been judged 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 come from all over the globe and 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).

Teaching and learning

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

On our secondary PGCEs, around two-thirds of your time will be spent in secondary schools, academies and colleges on placements.

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

Peer observations of lessons will enable you to participate actively in your own and your fellow students' development as teachers. You will be provided with a significant amount of responsibility to develop your own teaching style, set targets, take your own initiatives and evaluate your own work in planning, teaching and assessing.

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

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

  • a quality teaching experience in our partner schools and colleges; 
  • a study of current, challenging educational issues; 
  • careers planning and early professional development; 
  • guidance and support from experienced tutors and mentors; 
  • opportunities for reflective practice and research.

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.

Coursework and assessment

Your school and University experiences are formally assessed. Both your mentors and tutors will help you to record your achievements and set targets from week to week and from placement to placement.

During each placement, a University tutor will observe you teach and discuss your progress with you and your mentor.

At the end of each school experience, you will receive a progress report from your mentor. The report will provide clear feedback and targets in the following areas:

  • subject and curriculum knowledge;
  • planning and teaching;
  • assessment;
  • wider professional responsibilities.

These reports, together with your record of achievement and development (RoAD), facilitate your progression as a teacher.

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.

Course collaborators

View our  current School Direct training partners

At the end of the course, your lead school may offer you a permanent role.

Facilities

The course is taught by the Manchester Institute of Education (MIE), with most PGCE University days based there in University's Ellen Wilkinson building, centrally located on the University's Oxford Road campus, close to the Main Library, Alan Gilbert Learning Commons and the Students Union.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service.

For more information, email   dass@manchester.ac.uk