PGCE Secondary English with MediaPGCE

You'll be required to have:

• A UK degree, preferably grade 2.2 or equivalent, in a relevant subject or with a considerable proportion of the content in the subject
• GCSE English grade B/6 and GCSE Mathematics grade C/4 or above (or equivalent)*
• Literacy and numeracy tests — these are university-based tests, which you will be asked to undertake at your interview
• A valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate which you will be advised to apply for after an offer is made
• Confirmation of Fitness to Teach through a London Metropolitan University Health Check
• Acceptable academic and/or professional references

If you hold a third class degree, you may still be considered, particularly if this qualification is supported by a completed master's degree or relevant work experience.

If you feel your qualifications are slightly lower than our requirements, contact the Admissions Office for further advice before applying.

We are looking for dynamic, energetic, enthusiastic and caring trainees. As a teacher you will need to be passionate and enthusiastic about your work, as well as the desire to make a real difference to young people's lives and futures.

The University will assess any overseas qualifications for equivalence using a number of resources including our own internal guidelines, the UK ENIC and the Overseas Degree Table.

We highly recommend the one-to-one tailored advice on eligibility and equivalency offered by the Department for Education Get Into Teaching service.

*If you need to take an equivalency test for any of the required GCSEs, please sign up for A Star Equivalency or Equivalency Testing. Please be aware that you may need to undertake study towards the exam, either with the equivalency organisation or independently. Alternatively, you might want to sign up for a college GCSE course in the relevant subject, which will give a more thorough grounding in the subject.

Selection requirements

In addition to the entry requirements above, London Metropolitan University will undertake a rigorous selection process to ensure that you are suitable and ready to train to teach with us. This process will include:

• Face to face interview in the university (online interviews may be available in certain circumstances)
• Presentation of a text and related possible teaching activities
• Group work assessment task
• Maths and English skills (assessed as part of the interview)

Professional requirements

Before you can be permitted to enrol to this course:

• you must not already hold QTS or be qualified to teach in another EU/EEA country

Prior to the interview for this course, London Met recommends:

• you have a minimum of 10 working days recent experience in a school
• you are prepared for your understanding of current teaching practice and issues in schools to be assessed
• you have an awareness of multiculturalism and other contexts unique to urban schools
• you're aware you may be invited to interview based on information given in your application, which you may need to discuss with the interviewer.

Some offers may recommend further school experience if required.

International students and English language requirements

Overseas nationals who already hold an alternative visa in a suitable category or have been granted permission to remain in the UK indefinitely may be considered for admission, but please note that an additional international enhanced police check will be required.

English language requirements

This course has English language requirements over and above those normally required (see Entry Requirements and Selection Process above). 

To study a postgraduate degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements. 

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require. 

Your development will being assessed formatively throughout the course, with regular feedback and feed-forward on next steps for progress. Towards the end of the course your teaching will be assessed in relation to the Teaching Standards for QTS.

In addition, you will complete two major assignments:

• a Professional Practice Portfolio which is compiled across the year, detailing personal experiences and reflections on your development as a teacher, largely in relation to your practical teaching experience
• an Educational Research Assignment, which allows you to explore a key educational issue of your choice.

There are no written examinations.

This PGCE with QTS course is authorised by the Department of Education (DfE) and accredited by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA).

This intensive PGCE School Direct course leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which enables you to teach 11 to 16-year-olds.

London Metropolitan University’s students have an excellent rate of finding teaching positions within six months of graduating, with some having gone on to work at schools including Ark Academy, East Barnet School and Kingsford Community School.

If you've already studied your undergraduate degree with us, as a graduate of London Met, you'll be entitled to a 20% discount on any further study with us.
* exclusions apply

Funding is available for many postgraduate courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Depending on your teaching subject and degree classification, you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship of up to £15,000 through the teacher training bursary.

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

• Ask somebody you trust to check your personal statement, both for accuracy of writing and for focused, relevant content.
• Ensure that your personal statement addresses your reasons for choosing the exact course, phase or subject specialism. Make sure that all potentially relevant experience is referred to in your statement – if you don’t tell us, we won’t know!
• Don’t wait until you have passed all relevant qualifications before applying (but make sure you tell us about them – otherwise, again, we won’t know).
• If your qualifications are from another country, you will have to get an ENIC statement of equivalence.
• Make sure you have read all the relevant course documentation and requirements before applying.
• If in doubt, ask!