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2023/24
2024/25

PGCE Secondary Mathematics

Study PGCE Secondary Maths at the Institute of Education and benefit from our highly experienced academics and our consistently high employment rates.

Our Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Secondary Maths 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.

You will be taught at the University by experienced mathematics teachers, well versed in both theory and practice.  Your placement in a local school will be supervised by expert mathematics teachers who are all specially trained as mentors. Many of them have been through the PGCE with us themselves and are well placed to guide you.  You will build up your classroom practice as you work closely with them in the early days, developing your skills and confidence until you can stand alone. 

In schools, you will be involved in:

  • observation of other teachers 
  • planning and teaching parts of lessons/small groups 
  • planning and teaching lessons and sequences of lessons to classes 
  • reflecting on and evaluating your teaching 
  • receiving feedback on your teaching 
  • gaining experience of the range of responsibilities of classroom teachers and form tutors 

Your university teaching is through a series of lectures, practical seminars and workshops, where interactive and discussion-based techniques will encourage you to engage, reflect and challenge. 

Sessions will include:

  • participating in workshop style sessions with your peers 
  • attending presentations by subject experts 
  • working on tasks in groups 
  • having individual tutorials 
  • visiting schools or other education settings 
  • collaborative lesson planning, delivery and evaluation 

You’ll participate in active discussions around the key issues in teaching particularly focusing on how children learn, why they behave as they do and how you can motivate and support them.  We have a strong social justice and climate curriculum where all views are welcomed. These learning activities will help you to develop a toolkit of knowledge and skills, ensuring you are well prepared to tackle challenges and opportunities throughout your training and your career.

Your assignments actively connect the research and work of others in the field to what you’re doing in the classroom and are thoroughly supported by staff and resources.

At the end of the course we offer our students an opportunity to get experience in a broad range of settings and educational environments such as special needs schools, Pupil Referral Units, independent schools, museums, and charities.

The PGCE Secondary Mathematics programme is all about helping you find your style of teaching and being the kind of teacher you want to be.

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.

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

New international students: £22,350

Fees 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 Department for Education (DfE) also offer a range of scholarships and bursaries. To find out if you may be eligible, visit their bursaries and scholarships webpage.

In addition to our many master's and PhD graduates, each year, we have over 500 students become newly qualified teachers (NQTs). Our excellent links with local schools ensure that our employment rates are consistently high, with well over 90% of our NQTs finding a teaching job last year.

Our courses have allowed many teachers to gain promotion within their institutions. A number of students also continue their studies onto EdD/PhD courses to pursue a career in educational research.

Past graduates have:

  • been placed in carefully selected partnership schools
  • worked with experienced mathematics teachers who are all specially trained as mentors
  • been highly sought after by schools locally and nationally, and enjoy an employment rate second to none