Secondary PGCE with QTS: Biology, PGCert

The SUSP ITE programme comprises two modules:

Research-informed Reflective Practice (EDPM30) is largely university-based and will comprise the following:

• Core Studies: focusing on the overarching issues that drive policies within the Welsh cultural context
• Subject Studies: focusing on the specifics of pedagogy in your subject area, lesson planning, understanding your subject's place in the Areas of Learning and Experience (AoLE)
• Subject Knowledge Enhancement: Focusing on reviewing the curriculum requirements in your subject area and preparing you for the topics you may be teaching
• Professional and Pedagogical Studies: focusing on the implications for your subject area on whole school issues such as provision for children with additional learning needs, differentiation and assessment. 
• Research Methods in Education: focusing on research methodologies suitable for educational purposes and preparing you for your close-to-practice research project.
• EDPM30 carries 60 level 7 credits. Student teachers who complete 60 Level 7 credits can carry over the credits to our MA Education

Professional Practice (EDP300) is designed to ensure that all student teachers develop a deep understanding of the how the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership link to the Four Purposes of the new Curriculum for Wales. This module leads to the recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Student teachers will spend a minimum of 120 days on Professional Practice in two schools in the network within which they are placed, with additional opportunities in a range of complimentary settings. EDP300 integrates research with classroom practice through a Practice and Theory course delivered jointly by Subject Tutors and expert teachers in network schools. Subject Mentors and Subject Tutors will provide strong individualised support for student teachers working towards meeting the Professional Standard for Teaching and Leadership.

Applicants for the Secondary PGCE are required to have achieved the following prior to admission to the programme:

• An honours degree at a minimum of 2:2 in a relevant subject, or a related subject with at least 50% relevant subject content;
• Grade C GCSE in English/Welsh (students applying for the Welsh medium programme will be required to have a GCSE in Welsh);
• Grade C GCSE in Maths

The GCSE Grade C in English/Welsh and Mathematics are a requirement set by the Welsh Government. 

All interviews will be held virtually (using Microsoft Teams) with a PGCE subject specialist through the medium of English or Welsh as desired. The format will consist of a short interview and professional discussion.

All PGCE students will complete a Digital Competence audit on enrolment and have digital competence training embedded into their PGCE programme of study.

All applicants will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS check. Applicants must not have been excluded from teaching or working with children nor be registered with the DBS as unfit for working with children or young persons (please see additional costs section).

All applicants must meet the requirements of the Education Health Standards (Wales) confirming their health and physical capacity to teach (please see additional costs section).

International applicants

Completing the PGCE programme in the UK does not provide ‘Leave to Remain’ status to work as a teacher within the UK. Applicants should familiarise themselves with the UK Visa and Immigration Service regulations and requirements that apply to study and post-study in the UK.

Successful completion of the Swansea University Schools Partnership Initial Teacher Education programme leads to (i) the award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and (ii) a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status and registration with the Education Workforce Council for Wales. Applicants should consult with the relevant education service or government department to enquire if completion of a PGCE in a UK University will allow them to teach in their home country or any other country outside the UK.

Applicants typically require an overall IELTS (or equivalent) test score of 7.0 with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component (writing, reading, speaking and listening).

Your study will include university-based taught sessions, school placements, alternative experience days and a one week extended observation placement in one of the alternative settings experienced. Alternative settings will include: Specialist Teaching Facilities, Pupil Referral Units, other age phases and other cultural/linguistic settings.

The proportion of teaching you undertake will increase incrementally during the year allowing you to increase your workload from 30% of a full teaching timetable in your first placement to 75% of a full teaching timetable at the end of your course.

At least 80 credits

You can study 80 credits or more of this postgraduate course through the medium of Welsh. You can study a combination of modules through the medium of Welsh where there is the opportunity and / or submit your dissertation in Welsh with guidance from a subject specialist through the medium of Welsh.

Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

• Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
• Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
• Access to the Arwain app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
• An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
• Personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
• The option to create and submit your coursework or sit exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be assessed in Welsh.
• A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
• One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
• Membership of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

Visit the Welsh Language Rights webpage for further information about Students' Welsh Language Rights.

Continuing to study through the medium of Welsh will be:

• a natural step for you if you have studied through the medium of Welsh at undergraduate level.
• a way of maximizing your chances of getting the best education.
• a way of receiving a high level of support as the study groups are smaller.
• a valuable addition to your CV and career development.

Our degrees are taught by experts, who have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to our students.

You can find out more about our academic expertise on our staff pages.

Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

If you're a UK or EU student starting a master’s degree at Swansea University, you may be eligible to apply for Government funding to help towards the cost of your studies. To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Incentives 22/23

A new priority subject incentive scheme will be launched for the 2022 to 2023 academic year. This scheme will continue to incentivise those teachers that are most needed in Wales’ schools. All PGCE Secondary students studying PGCE Biology, Chemistry, Design & Technology, Information Technology, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), Physics and Welsh, with a previous degree classification of 2.2 or higher, will be entitled to receive an incentive of £15,000. The incentive payments totalling £15,000 will be made in three instalments at the following points during a student’s ITE programme and early career: 

More information on Welsh Government teacher training incentives can be found here. 

The Welsh Government Iaith Athrawon Yfory Incentive Scheme is available to eligible students studying through the medium of Welsh. Find out more information here. 

Welsh-domiciled teacher training PGCE students may also be eligible for the standard student support package, made up of a loan for tuition fees and a package of support for living costs (‘maintenance’). The total maintenance package will be the equivalent to the National Living Wage whilst studying, made up of a mix of grants and loans, depending on household income - Student Finance Wales  

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

• Travel to and from placement schools

• If you are offered a place you will also need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, or approved equivalent. Please see our DBS Application Guidance page for more details.

• If you are offered a place, you will also need to complete a health questionnaire which forms part of the fitness to practice as a teacher test process. The questionnaire requires input from your general practitioner and they might charge for this service. 

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

We care about our students and our aim is to ensure that you achieve the best degree classification. We have a personal mentoring system where you will be allocated a personal tutor. We also have an “open door” policy where our academic teachers are available to talk to you at any time about any queries or academic concerns you may have.

All PGCE Secondary applications must be made via UCAS - please click the Apply button at the top of this page to begin your application. 

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.

Make a postgraduate enquiry 

International students contact our International Team 

Visit our partnership schools section for more information

EDPM30 Research-informed reflective practice

Assessment for EDPM30 will allow student teachers to demonstrate that they have developed the high level critical thinking skills that will enable them to integrate academic and experiential learning.

Assessment 1: Critical reflection on lesson plans

Student teachers will submit 4 subject specific lesson plans with a particular focus on a school-wide issue (e.g behaviour management in a Biology lesson), together with a 750-word critical reflection on the effectiveness of the learning activities delivered. Each critical reflection should demonstrate that they have a clear understanding of how the literature informs planning for specific outcomes in their subject and how the chosen lesson applies theory to practice. Student teachers will outline (i) the research literature that justified their choice of learning activities and (ii) how the lesson plan takes account of statutory Frameworks, (iii) other factors that contributed to enhancing the learning experience for pupils (e.g. seating plans, support from other adults).

Assessment 2: Close-to-practice research project report

In assessment 2, student teachers will be required to identify a research question linked to one of the school-wide issue studied. Student teachers will develop a proposal for, and carry out, a small scale, close-to-practice research project designed to improve pupil engagement. The findings will be presented as a written report incorporating a literature review, methodology, analysis of data and discussion of findings. The report will critically reflect on interventions and strategies that were implemented in the project. The final close-to-practice report will be a 6000-word submission.

Assessment 3: Critical reflection on classroom management

Student teachers will identify an area of classroom management they wish to improve or refine. They will video themselves whilst teaching over a period of lessons in order to observe their own teaching practice and to monitor progression with specific regard to the area of classroom management identified. Student teachers will research classroom management techniques and apply them in the classroom environment. The video recording will be supported by a critical reflection of the strategies they employed. The final report will be a 3000-word submission.

EDP300 Professional Practice

The assessment for EDP300 will allow student teachers to demonstrate that they have achieved the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership and can be recommended for the award of QTS conferred by the Education Workforce Council. Student teachers will be required to provide evidence against each of the 32 QTS level descriptors set out in the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership. During their teaching practice, student teachers will be presented with a range of experiences in different educational settings which are designed to ensure that they have more than one opportunity to gather evidence against each of the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership in Wales.

Student teachers will use the EWC Professional Learning Passport (PLP) to record evidence of achieving the Professional Standards. They will be able to upload evidence through the medium of English or Welsh in a variety of formats including sound files and video (with appropriate permissions) in addition to more traditional written submissions (e.g. lesson plans, schemes of work, teaching and learning resources, reflective diaries, research reports).

Students will also be required to write 5 short reflective essays (of 400 words each) which link to the 5 Professional Standard section headings, namely: Pedagogy, Collaboration, Professional learning, Innovation and Leadership, and a longer reflective essay of 1000 words which discusses the relationship of the 5 strands to the values and dispositions identified in the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership.

All student teachers requiring Welsh language skills development will undertake a level-differentiated ‘Welsh for Adults in Education’ programme, intended to enable all student teachers to develop at least a basic competence in Welsh at the point of graduation.

All student teachers will spend at least one day in a Welsh-medium school as part of the ‘experience days’ programme.

Student teachers who are already fluent Welsh users will follow a programme of activities to build the pedagogic skills of student teachers to teach bilingually and work through the medium of Welsh, which will prepare them to apply for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Language Competency Certificate for Teachers.