PGCE Secondary English

The PGCE Secondary English course at Reading:

• has consistently achieved excellent grades in Ofsted inspections
• was described by Her Majesty's Inspectors as 'outstanding' in the most recent inspection (November 2006)
• is taught by staff with national, and indeed international, reputations as being experts in the field of English in education.
  

The programme is conducted through a series of interactive seminars and workshops. Assignments are designed to help you to plan your teaching effectively and imaginatively and to evaluate your skills, particularly in terms of the quality of learning achieved by pupils. Full attention is paid to the requirements of the National Curriculum and of the various examination syllabuses. In every case we look to the potential for creative and critical experience revealed by such formal requirements, rather than seeing these as constraints. PGCE English students are encouraged to become highly proficient in all aspects of secondary English but also to develop specialist expertise in areas such as Drama, Media, Language and ICT.

The course comprises:

• 36 weeks
• 24 weeks in school
• 2 school placements
• 1 'further development' placement
• Theatre visits and other enrichment opportunities.

PGCE English Trainees at Reading

• are placed in carefully selected partnership schools where English is a highly successful subject
• work with experienced English teachers who are all specially trained as mentors
• are highly sought after by schools nationally and enjoy an employment rate second to none
• can also develop expertise in specialist Drama or Media Studies.

A small number of English trainees are not graduates in English subjects. They are expected to meet the requirements of the 'exceptional candidates' policy in relation to the development of their subject knowledge.

PGCE trainees at Reading come from a variety of backgrounds, and are of varying ages, so they bring to the course different strengths and experiences.

Evaluation

'My overall judgment is that the student teachers who undertake the PGCE in Secondary English at Reading are well taught and well supported. They are given a more than ample preparation for entry into the teaching profession and staff are to be congratulated on the thoroughly professional way in which they go about their job.'

PGCE Secondary English External Examiner, July 2008

"The overwhelming majority of students valued extremely highly the support provided by their course tutors. . . . . The students I spoke to (the majority) were unanimous in their view that they liked the assignments set, they very much appreciated the nature and quality of the feedback they received and the ongoing support they received from their tutors regarding assignments . . . . They considered their tutors modelled pedagogical approaches very ably and this has helped them in their own classroom practice."

PGCE Secondary English External Examiner, July 2009

How we teach you

During the course you will:

• Observe English and other teachers at work
• Teach part-lessons/small groups
• Teach whole lessons and sequences of lessons
• Receive regular feedback on your teaching
• Reflect on and evaluate your teaching
• Have the opportunity to contribute widely to the life of the placement school
• Work with a variety of professionals
• Attend presentations by subject experts
• Lead seminar groups
• Participate actively in English, drama and media workshops
• Work with peers in pairs and small groups
• Have individual tutorials with your subject method tutor
• Meet weekly with subject mentor in school
• Visit theatres and other venues
• Write assignments on aspects of English teaching and Professional Studies
• Have opportunities to write assignments at Masters level
• Compile a professional portfolio of evidence to meet QTS Standards
• Evaluate course content and provision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PGCE English trainees attending a Shakespeare workshop at the Globe Theatre