If you look at the CVs of teachers working at international schools today, it is easy to see that many of them have a PGCE, and many international schools in China explicitly require a PGCE in their recruitment process. PGCE stands for Postgraduate Certificate in Education. As a UK qualification, PGCE is the gateway to working in UK-based schools and many international schools outside the UK and is one of the most popular academic qualifications for teaching.
Today we have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about the University of Buckingham's PGCE programme so that educators can get all the important information about the programme at one stop. If you are interested, don't forget to visit our webpage to apply for the programme!
Q:What is PGCE?
A: PGCE stands for Post Graduate Certificate in Education. PGCE is not a teaching license. It is a year-long teacher training course. PGCE certificate is typically taken by aspiring teachers as the main entry route into teaching. In the UK, on PGCE completion, the trainee teachers will be required to spend a year working at a school under Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) before they qualify for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Q: What is the difference between International PGCE and PGCE?
A: PGCE is usually provided by the British universities for students taking the course in person in Britain and can be completed within 37-weeks. International PGCE is the international version of the PGCE qualification, typically entirely delivered online. The University of Buckingham PGCE is a practice-based course supplemented with online learning and tutorials.
Q: Is the PGCE qualification recognised in the UK and internationally?
A: You will be awarded an internationally recognised PGCE certificate provided by The University of Buckingham after successful course completion. The University of Buckingham is one of the leading PGCE training providers in the UK.
Q: What is the difference between PGCE-China and PGCE - Online in terms of the qualification?
A: The University of Buckingham PGCE programme will be offered in three streams: PGCE-Online, PGCE-China, PGCE-China (bilingual support). Regardless of the course taken – PGCE China or PGCE Online – all trainee teachers will be awarded a ‘Postgraduate Certificate of Education’ upon successful completion. PGCE – China is designed with China-based teachers in mind. In addition to the core study content delivered by the University of Buckingham, which is the same for both courses, the PGCE – China trainee teachers will receive additional language support, school visits and academic writing workshops.
Q: I am an expat working in China, can I apply for PGCE - China?
A: PGCE – China has no nationality restrictions. As long as you are based in China and meet the course entry requirements, including working at a UK/IB curriculum school whilst studying toward PGCE, you can apply to take this course.
Q: Why you should consider applying to the University of Buckingham's PGCE programme?
A: As a prestigious higher education institution in the UK, the University of Buckingham is ranked 1st in several UK rankings for Teaching Excellence, and Student Satisfaction. Its School of Education has become one of Britain’s leading providers of teacher training and professional development with over 1,300 teachers and school leaders studying there in any one year. It is also one of the few universities that provide PGCE programmes specifically designed for teachers working in China at international/ bilingual schools. It is led by Professor Barnaby Lenon CBE, also the Chairman of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) who was the headmaster of Harrow School and started two schools in China.
Applying to PGCE Programme at the University of Buckingham
Q: What subjects can I do PGCE in?
A: We offer PGCE in most subjects. We have subject specialists in Music, Design Technology, Food Technology, Business Studies and Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Computer Science, English, Drama, Classics, Modern Languages, Geography, History, Psychology, and Physical Education, amongst others.
Q: Is PGCE available for arts subjects, such as Dance, Art, Drama?
A: Yes, the university has a number of specialists to support trainee teachers in these fields.
Q: Is PGCE available for modern languages like French or Spanish?
A: Yes, the university currently offers PGCE in French, Spanish, Italian and a few other languages. If you are looking to study PGCE in another language that is not one of the three listed, we would need to first confirm the subject tutor will be available for you.
Q: Is PGCE available for kindergarten teachers?
A: Unfortunately, we do not offer PGCE for Kindergarten teachers at the moment. The youngest age level we can offer PGCE for is Reception.
Q: What subjects is PGCE not available in?
A: PGCE is designed to support teaching subjects within the national curriculum in the UK. We will not be able to provide training for teachers who are teaching subjects not commonly found in the UK curriculum, such as English Second Language. ESL teachers will need to demonstrate a significant amount of classroom hours teaching English Language and Literature to qualify for PGCE English.
Q: What qualifications do I need to apply?
A: All candidates will need to hold a bachelor’s degree, proof of English, if not from an English-speaking country, and be employed as a teacher at an international or bilingual school in China teaching either UK or IB curriculum (in addition to the Chinese National Curriculum where applicable). You will also need to be in sole charge of a full-size class for a minimum of 10 hours a week.
Q: I work at a training centre; can I apply for PGCE?
A: Unfortunately, due to the course specifications, we are only able to accept applications from candidates working at K-12 schools. You may wish to consider our one-year MA in Education course as an alternative.
Q: I have previously obtained a university degree from the UK or another English-speaking country. Do I still require proof of English, such as IELTS or TOEFL?
A: The university might be able to waive the proof of English requirement if you have previously completed a degree where the instruction language was English. Each case will be assessed individually and the waiver is not guaranteed.
Q: I have taught in English at an international school for many years. Can I be exempted from providing TOEFL or IELTS?
A: Unfortunately, no. The university requires all applicants to show formal proof they can meet the English standard required to take a university-level course in English. This is typically achieved by providing an internationally recognized English-level certificate, such as IELTS. You may be considered for an exemption if you have previously completed a degree-level study through the medium of English language, subject to university approval.
Q: Do I need my school to formally support me to apply for the PGCE?
A: Yes, your school’s support is essential. Your employing school will need to sign a partnership agreement with the University of Buckingham agreeing to facilitate your PGCE study. Your employer will be formally asked to agree for one of their staff members to become your mentor for the duration of the course, as well as, to release you to take part in the six mandatory training days. We highly recommend you speak to your school before applying for PGCE.
Q: Can I pick anyone to be my mentor?
A: Typically, your mentor would be a senior teacher with experience in your subject area. Mentors do not need to hold any set qualifications like IPGCE/PGCE; however, they would ideally be experienced teaching UK/IB curriculum to be able to support you with meeting Teaching Standards. You are also advised to check your mentor will be able to make the time commitment to observe your lessons, meet with you weekly and provide written lesson observation feedback.
Q: Can my colleague and I act as each other’s mentors?
A: The course is demanding and it would be very challenging for anyone to take study towards PGCE and to act as a mentor at the same time. The time commitment involved has the potential to become overwhelming, so the university will not be able to accept applicants wishing to undertake both commitments at the same time. We strongly recommend focusing on PGCE training first and then delving into mentorship after you graduate.
Q: What is the PGCE course structure like?
A: The course consists of three main parts: 1) 30 academic readings and three required academic essay assignments. 2) E-Portfolio, which records your progress as you go through the course and have weekly meetings with your mentor. E-portfolio includes evidence forms, mentor observation forms and personal development plans (PDPs). 3) Professional Training, including mandatory training days, monthly meetings with the university tutor, typically your subject specialist, school visits, workshops, etc.
Q: What is E-portfolio?
A: E-portfolio is a collection of evidence to show you have met the standard required to pass the course. You are required to upload the following documentation during the course: 1) 30 Personal development plans (PDPs); 2) Evidence forms detailing your reflections on how you meet each of the Teacher Standards with evidence from your lessons; 3) 30 mentor observation feedback forms.
Q: What is a Personal Development Plan (PDP)?
A: The PDPs are records of the weekly meetings between trainee and mentor with a specific focus linked to the curriculum. These will also need to be added to your E-portfolio.
Q: What needs to be included on the Evidence Forms?
A: As you progress through the course, you are required to provide evidence you have met the required Teacher Standards. The evidence forms will include your personal reflections on how you achieved the standards with ‘evidence’, such as extracts from documents or photographs.
Q: How comprehensive are the mentor observation feedback forms? Will this add a lot of workload for my mentor?
A: The PGCE course is rigorous and requires a time commitment from both – the student and their mentor. The mentor would be expected to provide written feedback for each of the observations and to check your e-portfolio occasionally to track your progress. The feedback forms will be provided for each week and the feedback provided can be very concise. This should not exceed one page.
Q: How do mentor observations work?
A: All PGCE trainees are required to have their lessons observed by their mentor to achieve a pass. Trainees are expected to provide a detailed lesson plan for every formal observation. The trainee should ideally be observed on a weekly basis; a minimum of 30 completed Lesson Observation Forms should be completed and uploaded to the E-portfolio by the end of the course. There should be an appropriate focus for the observation that has been agreed in advance that links to the Teachers’ Standards.
Q: What is the estimated time commitment from my mentor?
A: The mentor should observe one lesson, have a meeting with you and fill out the lesson observations feedback form weekly. From our experience, this would take around 2 hours each week. Mentors are also expected to check and verify the evidence you have uploaded on the E-portfolio once or twice per term. If the mentor checks your evidence twice a term throughout the course, this should not take more than an hour per session.
Q: How long are the readings? Are they books or single articles?
A: The readings are articles not books, usually manageable length of around 15-30 pages per excerpt.
Q: I would like to apply for QTS immediately after completing PGCE. Will I qualify automatically?
A: The short answer is ‘No’. To be eligible for QTS, you will need to meet any additional criteria set out by DfE, such as 1) For the duration of the PGCE course, you must have taught your specialism for a minimum of 12 hours per week to full-size classes. 2) You must have experience teaching across two consecutive key stages(the equivalent of) with experience of teaching 4 different year groups. 3) You must have completed a three-week placement in a different school from your current employer or have prior experience as a sole teacher in a different school. If not, you would be required to complete a placement before you could commence the programme. 4) As part of the AO program, you will be required to complete the University of Buckingham professional skills assessments in Literacy and Numeracy. 5) You will need to provide evidence that you hold the equivalent of GCSE passes at grade C/level 4 or above in English (as a First Language) and Maths (plus Science if teaching Primary or Prep). The full list of requirements can be found here
