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PGCE Secondary School Direct Science: Biology (11-16 or 11-18) / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

PGCE Secondary School Direct Science: Biology (11-16 or 11-18) provides you with the practical training and theoretical knowledge required to become an outstanding Biology teacher.

Compared with non-School Direct 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 11-16 age range in order 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 follows a PGCE course structure but on a modified timetable including increased contact with the School Direct school.

Aims

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

Special features

  • 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 are from a variety of backgrounds - from recent graduates to mature learners.

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.

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 in the 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