PGCE Primary | Teacher training

Our well established Primary PGCE programme will support you in developing the skills, knowledge, and understanding that youll need to become a reflective, inclusive, creative, and engaged classroom practitioner.

This full-time Primary PGCE (QTS) programme is available in the following age phases:

• Lower Primary: 3 to 7-year-olds (Lower Primary)
• Upper Primary: 5 to 11-year-olds (Upper Primary) or 7 to 11-year-olds (Upper Primary)

You will be asked to chooseone of theseat interview.Please note that if you apply to the 3-7 pathway your placements will take place in the Early Years Foundation Stage with children aged 3-5 and Key Stage 1 with children aged 5-7.

Our Vision and Mission

We supportthe development of exceptional teachers for world-class schools. Our Teacher Education Partnership believes that to achieve this vision and to make a difference to young peoples' lives, it needs to be committed to:

• Promoting reflection to help you develop a strong sense of identity that is built upon a close connection between research and experience
• Recognising inclusivity to be rights-respecting, and recognise and challenge the political, social, economic, and cultural dimensions of practice
• Celebrating creativity,taking informed risks, and using innovative strategies to support learning
• Developing confidence and engagement enabling you to participate fully in steering the course of the teaching profession locally, nationally, and globally

Why Train with Goldsmiths?

You will be given a balanced and challenging introduction to teaching that is well matched to urban primary schoolandearly years settings and is responsive to the needs of the wide range of schools we partner with. We currentlyhave partnerships withmore than300 schools across London and beyond. During your time on the PGCE (QTS) programme, you will have the opportunity to work in contrasting schools and settings, which will provide breadth to your understanding of your role as a teacher.

Drawing on a range of expert colleagues from school settings and the university, we provide awealthof experience and opportunities carefully designed to support you in developingexcellentsubject, pedagogical, and curriculum knowledge to provide a firm foundation for your future career.

Much of our university-based teaching takes place in seminar groups, providing opportunities for purposeful discussion and debate. When in school, you will learnfromexpert colleagues and mentors who will provide opportunities for you to consolidate your learning, as well as targeted and supportive feedback to help shape your teaching practice.

You will also besupportedto make meaningful connections between theory and practice. This programme is taught and assessed atMA level which means that in addition to the award of QTS, you will graduate with 60MA-level credits if you pass all academic elements of the programme at an appropriate level this is equivalent to one-third of a master'sdegree. Full academic support is provided to ensure you are fully prepared for assessment, regardless of your prior experiences.

We provide opportunities for you to reflect on your own mental health and wellbeing from the outset of the programme and throughout the year. This is supported by a strong pastoral care system within the department.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Alison Griffiths or Una Coyne.

The Primary PGCE (QTS) programme is made up of the following three modules:

• Studies and Professional Issues in Research in Education (SPIRE)
• Curriculum Studies
• School Experience

SPIRE

The SPIRE module focuses specifically on issues with the highest impact on young peoples' experience of education in the 21st Century. You will be asked to consider a range of issues relating to diversity and inclusion, and engage with research and policy while linking all of this to your own experience in the classroom.

Curriculum Studies

The Curriculum Studies module for those following a 5-11 or 7-11 pathway has a choice of specialisms. Currently, these choices include:

• Children's Literature
• Maths in Action and Profound
• Complex Special Educational Needs

Those applying for the Early Years pathway will focus on this aspect specifically for their curriculum studies module which will give you the opportunity to understand in greater depth the principles that inform effective early years practice. You will also be introduced to key principles, theorists, and practice that is so important when considering how best to support young children. You will have the opportunity to practice and apply your learning during your school placements in the EYFS and Key Stage 1.

You may also apply to the Primary PGCE (QTS) Programme through the following course codes. These programmes all have a different Curriculum Studies specialism.

• Primary with Mathematics with Goldsmiths (2M3G)
• Primary with Modern Languages at Goldsmiths (2M3K)

Regardless of your choice of specialism, this module asks you to draw together theory and practice to develop a deep and focused understanding of contemporary classroom practice.

School Experience

You will spend a minimum of 120 days in a school which will be divided into two-block school experiences. During your placement, you will have the opportunity to practise and apply the knowledge and skills learned in university sessions in the age phase(s) you have chosen to focus on.

The Primary PGCE Programme at Goldsmiths offers you the opportunity to specialise in one of three age phases.

• 3-7 (with Placement in EYFS and Key Stage 1)
• 5-11 (with placement in Key Stages 1 and 2)
• 7-11 (with placements in Upper and Lower Key Stage 2).

You will be asked at interview to select the age phase you are most interested in working with.

You will have two extended placements during your programme during the Autumn and Summer terms. Placements are allocated for you once you have enrolled. We consider any care responsibilities or personal circumstances, and we will locate a school for you that is within a reasonable travelling distance from your home where required.

Download the programme specification. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.

For 2021-22 and 2020"“21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the programme changes page.

You'll need:

• to meet ourfitness to train requirements
• a GCSE Grade C/4 or above in English, Mathematics, and a Science subject (either Biology, Chemistry, Physics or combined Science). Please note, we can only accept some UK and international GCSE equivalent qualifications. A complete list of accepted UK GCSE equivalencies can be found here. If you have a non-UK qualification that you believe is GCSE equivalent, you must check this with the Admissions team.
• an undergraduate honours degree, at 2:2 or above from a university in the United Kingdom or an international equivalent.

To study at Goldsmiths, you will need to demonstrate that you have a good level of written and spoken English. IELTS requirements for each programme can be found on the relevant programme page.