PGCE Primary with SEN (Special Schools)

Applicants applying for postgraduate initial teacher training courses will now need to apply through the DfE for entry in September 2022.

The primary teacher education course is designed for graduates who are committed to becoming primary school teachers. It trains you to teach children in the five -to-11 age range.

As a trainee, you will learn how to teach the entire primary curriculum as well as choosing a particular route.  The SEN: Special Schools route is designed to give you the skills and confidence to meet the needs of pupils in special schools.

East London offers multicultural, multilingual and vibrant schools in which to learn, but your training at UEL will qualify you to teach anywhere in England or Wales.

Our PGCE team is made up of experienced practitioners who have worked in a range of primary and Early Years settings across London as classroom teachers, curriculum coordinators, advisory teachers and school leaders.

At UEL you will be part of a diverse community of students. We want to bring to east London a teacher workforce that reflects the local community and, in 2013-14, 24 per cent of our Primary PGCE trainees were men.

You will learn how to be a primary class teacher. By the end of the year, you will understand how to teach the entire primary curriculum to a class of 30 pupils and be confident and competent in doing so.

You will leave the course with outstanding subject knowledge across the curriculum. You will have an understanding of how to plan and deliver engaging and motivating lessons and how to support your pupils' progress.

You will learn how to identify the strength and needs of your pupils and make sure that everyone in your class is included and challenged.

You will understand how to assess pupils' learning, how to spot the gaps in their learning and how to plan to fill those gaps.

Everyone on the Primary PGCE learns how to teach the whole curriculum. We will give you the confidence and skills you need to teach every subject. 

You will also have extra sessions that will enhance your skills in meeting the needs of pupils in special schools and develop your understanding of particular Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

You will learn to think critically about what is meant by 'special needs'. You will discuss strategies for teaching and assessing children with various needs and try to find solutions for the challenges you might encounter. 

You will also spend some of your training placement in a Special Needs school.

• Bachelor's degree: GPA of 2.5 / 4 or overall classification of "Good" or higher
• UK Bachelor's degree with Honours: Second Class, Second Division or higher
• US Bachelor's degree: GPA 2.5 / 4

Extended Diploma or Diploma

FROM

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

Diploma with 24 points including a minimum of 15 points at Higher Level

By working alongside schools and local authorities in our region, we are helping to meet the need for teachers in our local area and many of our students are offered posts by our partner schools. Some trainees have been offered jobs at schools where they have spent their placement.

Schools and local authorities have told us that they think our trainees are of a high standard. OFSTED's 2012 inspection report quotes one school as saying, "They arrive in schools ready to start teaching and are well prepared for the rigours of the classroom."

Backed by UEL's excellent reputation, you will have a head start when it comes to securing a teaching post.

And when you are in a post and decide that you wish to take your academic qualifications further, we can help you to continue your academic and professional development.

Your PGCE will earn you 60 master's level credits, which can count towards further qualifications on master's courses at UEL.

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.