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PGCE Secondary English

Study our PGCE Secondary English at the Institute of Education and benefit from award-winning tutors and consistently high employment rates.

This Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Secondary English course leads to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), qualifying you to teach the 11-18 age group in secondary schools in England and Wales.

We recognise the importance of being able to teach children to think, create and explore the world through language and literature.

Training to teach English at the University of Reading is a dynamic, cutting edge and a practical experience, which will enable you to share your passion for English with pupils, and develop professional skills so that you can become an excellent English teacher. 

The course is linked with National Association for the Teaching of English (NATE) and provides great networking and professional learning within a community of English teachers. This is at the heart of what we do. 

We pride ourselves on the high quality of our teaching support, and your studies will include a blended mix of pedagogy sessions, professional studies, and school experience. This consists of around 45 three hour taught subject sessions and 14 Professional Studies sessions over the course of the year. 

Subject pedagogy sessions include:

  • teaching reading and literature 
  • teaching writing
  • teaching talk and oracy
  • teaching grammar, vocabulary and spelling
  • teaching poetry
  • teaching media in English
  • teaching Shakespeare (including a trip to The Globe theatre)
  • planning, progress and assessment
  • teaching and using drama in English
  • differentiation in English
  • creativity in English.

These sessions are taught by highly experienced University tutors, with additional guest presenters drawn from the Institute of Education and a number of our partnership schools. 

Sessions are based on recent research and seek to give trainees the opportunity to explore the connections between research and practice in a collaborative and stimulating environment.

Trainees are fully supported in school by University-trained subject mentors, and their progress is monitored closely by University tutors.

Climate and sustainability education

At the University of Reading we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone’s responsibility. This is why we have set out our vision that all initial teacher trainees should be able to access training that empowers them to effectively incorporate climate education within their teaching across all levels and subjects as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan. Across all of our ITT programmes at the Institute of Education, you will learn about:
  • what is happening to our climate, how to help children learn about climate and sustainability in an age-appropriate and accessible way, and how to develop your own positioning as a teacher
  • climate justice, the impact of current and future changes to our environment and climate on ourselves and others and implications for teachers
  • how to translate knowledge and theory into change and personal action through building climate and sustainability education into your planning, teaching, and children’s learning.

Visit Partnering for the Planet to find out more about the University of Reading’s world-leading work in climate science.

Placements

Placements enable you to develop the skills and knowledge valued and desired by employers - you will build your confidence in the classroom and gain practical teaching experience. Placements also provide you with the opportunity to connect with potential employers and build your professional network.

At Secondary level we have strong relationships with around 90 schools in the local and surrounding area. It is a testament to the strength of these partnerships and the regard with which our graduates are held, that most schools in Berkshire employ at least one graduate of the Institute of Education.

On your Secondary PGCE course, you are required to carry out three placements in two different age groups — ensuring you receive a broad range of experiences. Two placements must be undertaken in a school setting, but the third can be taken in a different setting, allowing you to sample teaching in an alternative environment.

We offer our students an unusually flexible and broad range of contexts and educational environments - you will have the opportunity to gain experience in special needs schools, Pupil Referral Units, independent schools, museums and charities.

You will have plenty of opportunities throughout your course to apply your developing skills in real settings. In schools, you will be involved in:

  • observation of other teachers
  • planning and teaching small groups and whole classes
  • planning and teaching elements of lessons and whole lessons
  • reflecting on and evaluating your teaching
  • receiving feedback on your teaching
  • gaining experience of the range of responsibilities of classroom teachers.

Research

The quality of our research was recognised in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, placing the Institute of Education in the top quartile of education departments in the UK.

REF also rated more than 80% of our research publications as world leading or internationally excellent. The impact of our research on educational policy and practice in first and second language education was judged to be world leading.

School Direct

This subject is also available via School Direct as well as the University-based route. Those students following a School Direct route may be studying for a PGCE or QTS only. However, all students come together as a subject group in University sessions.

Those taking the PGCE will spend more time in the University than those taking the QTS-only course. The PGCE will involve writing assignments that are designed to help trainees to plan their teaching effectively and imaginatively, and to evaluate their developing knowledge and skills, particularly in terms of the quality of learning achieved by pupils. Successful completion will result in 60 master's-level credits.

For more information, please visit the Institute of Education website. 

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250

New international students: £21,350

Tuition fee information

The fees listed are for full-time study, unless otherwise stated. Fee information will be confirmed in offer letters sent out to successful applicants. You can find further information, including information for part-time study, through our dedicated fees and funding page.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

The majority of our graduates go into schools and inspire children to develop into happy, confident and well-informed individuals. Other alumni take their educational skills to the worlds of business, culture, art, healthcare, human resources, adult learning and further varied fields.

The support and training we give our students enables them to develop into resilient and creative teachers with the ability to adapt. The transferable skills and strengths they gain are also recognised outside of education, and are therefore desirable in many different areas of employment.

The placement opportunities and careers support we give our students ensures they are attractive to employers. This is qualified by the consistently high employment rates our students enjoy in local and regional schools.