PGCE Secondary Religious Education

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

This course leads to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for the 11-to-16 age range, which qualifies you to be a teacher in secondary schools in England and Wales. Where possible, we also give you the chance to gain experience in the 11-to-18 age range.

Religious Education (RE) helps to develop young people's religious literacy so that they will develop an understanding and appreciation of the diverse beliefs and practices found in religions and world views today.

Training to teach RE in London offers you the chance to tackle challenging, thought-provoking topics with young people.

You can use your creativity and passion for the subject to develop lessons that help your pupils discuss and answer the most fundamental questions - from belief in God to the meaning and purpose of life.

By training as a religious education teacher, you can help your pupils become compassionate young adults, respectful of religious and cultural differences.

We are proud of our longstanding practice of supporting non-traditional students. Although many of our students will have a degree in religious studies, we welcome applications from those with a degree in other disciplines, provided applicants can demonstrate a genuine passion for understanding the religious world, and sound subject knowledge of religious and secular traditions.

As well as learning about children and child development, you will learn how to be a specialist teacher of religious education. 

Subject sessions will support your understanding of the current key issues in religious education. This will include debating the aims of RE pedagogy and current issues. 

The subject studies element of your training provides an introduction to RE as a basic curriculum subject - what the aims of RE are and how RE is important for young people.

Sessions will offer theoretical perspectives on how to teach RE in both community and faith schools - in particular looking at differing and competing pedagogies as well as the aims of religious education, the principles of syllabus design and evaluation, and the assessment and recording of children's progress.

Time will be given to exploring RE teaching in practice, including how to create a respectful classroom ethos with the sensitivity that RE, in particular, demands.

• 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

The Secondary PGCE course at the University of East London was designed in 2001 in conjunction with the local authorities to address the secondary education teacher shortage in east London.

The partnership works with input and support from the London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Redbridge.

It means that our graduates are represented in virtually every secondary school in east London. Some are now deputy heads or in senior management roles in schools that are taking our current trainees for their placements.

Across all subjects, from maths to modern languages, our teacher training graduates are acting as mentors to those following in their footsteps.

The partnership means that you have a head start when it comes to securing a teaching post in east London at the end of your training.

Both local authorities and individual schools visit our campus regularly to meet our trainees and advertise available vacancies.

You may also decide to undertake further study at the University of East London, either at the end of your course or after gaining teaching experience, perhaps specialising in Special Educational Needs or taking our MA Leadership in Education.

We also offer the opportunity for doctoral study to further develop your teaching knowledge and expertise.

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