Postgraduate Certificate in Education Post 14 (Education and Training) (PGCE) – 2 years

Do you want to become a fully qualified teacher in the FE and Skills sector?  Are you pursuing a teaching career in a college, a prison, or with a training provider?  Are you working in the sixth form provision of a secondary school?  This course will give you a solid foundation in all aspects of teaching to prepare you for a highly successful career.  It is an in-service part-time route to a full teacher qualification, offered in partnership with the University of Derby – an ideal ‘earn as you learn’ route to qualification.

The programme has been designed to develop your skills, knowledge and professional behaviours to enable you to become a highly effective teacher. You will improve your knowledge of how people learn, how to plan effective and engaging teaching sessions and how to assess – both during the session and through summative assessment.  You will be using theoretical underpinning knowledge to continuously improve your professional practice.

You will explore the context and the design of your curriculum, gaining a solid understanding of the external pressures influencing it. 

There are also pathway modules in Supporting Learners with Disabilities, Teaching English up to Level 2 in the Post-14 Sector, Training to Teach Maths up to Level 2 in the Post-14 Sector, Teaching Sport in the Post-14 Sector, and Teaching STEM Engineering. Further information on pathways will be available at the DCG information session.

The course is delivered using innovative learning methods, technology enhanced resources and one-to-one observations of you in your own practice.   Upon successful completion of this Level 5 programme, you will be equipped to become an effective teacher in post-14 education. 

This course is delivered at the Roundhouse Campus of Derby College Group by our highly qualified and experienced Teacher Training team who were judged ‘outstanding’ for Initial Teacher Education (FE and Skills) in the last Ofsted inspection (2024). The course is regulated by OfS and the qualification is awarded by the University of Derby.  All students will have access to the Derby College Learning Resources Centre, the University of Derby library, and the College’s Moodle (online learning platform) pages. 

All applicants must attend a 1-1 video interview for further details and to obtain an application pack.  This will be informal, and we will discuss your qualifications, experience, motivation and aspirations.

You need evidence of:

• An Honours Degree (class 2:2 or above) in a subject relevant to what you teach (if your degree is a lower classification you may be eligible for the Certificate in Education programme)
• An ETF recognised Level 2 qualification in English
• An ETF recognised Level 2 qualification in Maths
• Access to a minimum of 75 hours teaching per year (in a full teaching role)

All applicants are subject to approval from the University of Derby.  The course will only run with a minimum of 15 candidates.

• Exploring the FE Teaching Role (20 credits)
• Professional Practice 1 (20 credits)
• Applied Learning Theories (20 credits)
• Professional Practice 2 (20 credits)
• The Curriculum Examined (20 credits)
• Core/Specialist Pathway: Examining Subject Pedagogy (20 credits)

Pathway modules include Teaching English (Literacy), Teaching Maths, Teaching STEM Engineering, Supporting Learners with Disabilities, Teaching Science, and Teaching Sport in the Post-14 Sector.

Throughout the course you will experience a wide range of teaching techniques and will be both supported and encouraged to experiment with these techniques within your own classroom so that you exit the programme as a creative and innovative practitioner.

You will attend weekly classroom (on-site) sessions.

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Assessment is through coursework and an exciting range of assessment methods is used. These include observations of your teaching practice, self-evaluation, reflective tasks, written assignments, individual and group presentations, and poster presentations.  All assessment methods have been designed to focus on skills specific to the professional teacher, while incorporating key transferable skills.

You are required to undertake research and write in an appropriate academic style, using Harvard Referencing systems.  All assessments require you to apply theory to your own practice and you are expected to engage with academic research and learning theory in a manner commensurate with Masters level study.

Once you have achieved a full teaching qualification you can secure a teaching role in the post-14 sector as a qualified teacher.  This is only the beginning of a rich and rewarding career in education – with further experience you can progress your role into educational management and leadership.

Some of you will want to achieve an assessor qualification, especially if you are teaching apprentices or undertaking workshop/workplace training. 

This course offers a foundation for professional development and enables you to apply for professional formation (QTLS) which is now equated with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

It also provides you with an ideal platform to progress straight to an MA ED.  If you progress to the University of Derby, you will already have achieved 60 credits towards your Masters qualification.

For more information, contact Derby College Group on 0800 0280289 or enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk