Postgraduate Certificate in Education - Primary PGCE
School of Education,
Faculty of Social Sciences
-
Start date
September 2027 -
Duration
43 weeks in total (including 6 weeks of school holidays) -
Attendance
Full-time
Explore this course:
Apply now for 2027 entry or register your interest to find out about postgraduate study and events at the University of Sheffield.
Course description
Join a Primary PGCE that combines expert training, outstanding school experience and a genuine passion for inspiring the next generation. In this one-year course you benefit from mentoring from both experienced academic staff and school-based practitioners. Teacher training at the University of Sheffield dates back over fifty years and our existing Secondary PGCE is Ofsted 'Outstanding'-rated.
You will teach across the whole primary curriculum, understand how children develop and learn at each stage, and build the confidence to plan, teach and assess with the individual child in mind. You will learn an approach to teaching that will stay with you throughout your career.
You will be taught by a course team who all have primary teaching backgrounds and have stood where you are about to stand. The School of Education also has well-established school partnerships. For at least 24 weeks you will experience two contrasting placements from a large range of inner-city, suburban and rural contexts providing rich opportunities for diverse and balanced training. You will be supported by university tutors and school-based mentors. Employability and early career planning are embedded throughout the programme.
Learn more about PGCE courses on our School of Education webpages. You'll find more detailed information on how to apply and fees and funding. You can also meet some of our students/alumni and discover how we can support you as an early career teacher (ECT).
Age range
Primary (4-11 years)
Masters credits
As well as a PGCE qualification and Qualified Teacher Status, you will qualify with 60 masters credits, which you may wish to put towards study for an MA Applied Professional Studies in Education.
Modules
Core modules:
- Foundations of Primary Teaching
-
Foundations of Primary Teaching introduces you to the knowledge, skills, and professional values underpinning effective primary teaching. You will explore professional identity, values, and legal obligations, including safeguarding, alongside the statutory frameworks shaping primary education. The module develops your subject knowledge and pedagogy in English (including language, literacy, and phonics), mathematics, and science, and introduces key concepts in planning, assessment, and classroom management. You will also examine the social contexts of primary education and how these influence children's learning and development. The module prepares you for your first school placement through a focus on reflective practice, working with others, and communicating with parents and carers.
30 credits - Pedagogy, Curriculum and Inclusive Practice
-
This module extends students' knowledge, skills, and professional thinking across the full breadth of the primary curriculum. You will develop subject knowledge and pedagogy across the foundation subjects, including art and design, history, geography, music, design technology, computing, languages, RE and PE. A significant focus of the module is inclusive practice, with a focus on SEND, multilingualism, diverse childhoods, and the social and cultural factors that shape children's learning and development. You will also engage critically with approaches to curriculum design and pedagogy, including dialogic teaching and oracy, and begin to develop your identity as curriculum leaders. The module introduces you to practitioner research, equipping you with the skills to design and conduct a small-scale research project, collect and analyse data ethically, and communicate findings in a structured research report. You conclude the module by considering current issues in primary education and planning for your early career, forging a professional identity grounded in critical reflection, sustained values, and engagement with educational research and practice.
30 credits - Primary Professional Practice A - School Placements
-
This module is focused on enabling you to apply your learning from the taught modules on this programme to become a confident primary teacher. Successful completion of the module will mean that you have met the Teachers' Standards and you will be awarded Qualified Teacher Status on completion of the programme.
This will normally be achieved through four key placement opportunities:
Two main school placements, where you will have the opportunity to teach across Key Stages 1 and 2 in two contrasting schools.A 2-week enrichment placement in which you will learn about teaching in adjacent key stages/ alternative provision (i.e., EYFS, KS3, SEND provision)Four 'Intensive Training and Practice' weeks designed to support your development in key areas of teaching.
Throughout, you will be assigned a university-based tutor, who will support you as you develop. During the two main placements you will work alongside a range of expert colleagues in school, one of whom will be assigned as your mentor, in line with DfE requirements for Initial Teacher Education. - Primary Professional Practice B - Becoming a Reflective Primary Practitioner
-
In this module you will develop skills of reflection and reflexivity that will support your continued development as a teacher throughout your career. You will also develop and demonstrate an understanding of your role as a professional. You will complete a portfolio of your development through the PGCE, reflecting on a range of university- and school-based activities designed to help you to become a critically informed and creatively confident teacher.
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we will inform students and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Open days
Interested in postgraduate taught study? Register your interest in studying at Sheffield or attend an online event throughout the year to find out what makes studying here special.
Teaching
You’ll learn through lectures, seminars, workshops, group work, small group tutorials, individual consultations and practical activities. You will develop subject knowledge and pedagogical skills across the entire primary curriculum. A significant focus of the course is inclusive practice, with a focus on SEND, multilingualism, diverse childhoods, and the social and cultural factors that shape children's learning and development.
University-based sessions are delivered by a combination of experienced academic staff and school-based practitioners, creating a learning community that integrates theoretical rigour with current classroom expertise.
You’ll spend at least 24 weeks of the programme in schools across Sheffield and surrounding areas. This range of inner-city, suburban and rural contexts provides rich opportunities for diverse and balanced placements in schools, and we work hard to secure you two contrasting experiences.
Assessment
Assessment on this programme is designed to serve a dual purpose: to support students' professional and academic development throughout the year, and to provide rigorous evidence that programme learning outcomes and Teacher Standards have been achieved.
Your career
Employability and early career planning are embedded throughout the course. Our PGCE programmes maintain active relationships with partner schools and local authorities, and work to connect students with job opportunities, recruitment events, and professional networks as they approach the end of the programme.
Our aim is to support every student to secure a teaching post in an environment that works best for them. We offer support in navigating the jobs market for teaching, making successful applications and preparing for selection days in schools. One-to-one support is offered to all students to ensure that we meet each individual's needs.
School
School of Education
We're proud to welcome a vibrant and diverse community, with students based locally, nationally and internationally. Our research has a direct impact on educational theory, policy and practice; we're supporting the development of children, families, schools and learning communities.
We use a variety of teaching methods to give you the opportunity to engage with your tutors and peers.
Our team of tutors at the School of Education comprises of experts in early childhood education, secondary education, policy and practice, psychological theory of education, and languages and education. Many of our academic staff are internationally recognised in their specialist areas.
Student profiles
Meet our PGCE students
Learn from the experiences of our students past and present.
Entry requirements
Minimum 2:2 undergraduate honours degree.
GCSE grade 4/C in English Language, Mathematics and a Science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Combined Science), or an equivalent qualification. Candidates without these qualifications may either take the necessary examinations in the year before the course starts or take approved equivalency tests (see below).
Equivalency tests
If you do not already have the appropriate GCSEs (or equivalent qualification), we accept GCSE equivalency tests taken with A Star Equivalency and Equivalency Testing. Please contact education@sheffield.ac.uk for further information.
https://astarequivalency.co.uk/
https://www.equivalencytesting.com/
Disclosure and Barring Service, Fitness to Train to Teach Check and Safeguarding Training
As this course leads to a professional qualification, student teachers are required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure and Fitness to Train to Teach Check. You'll also need to complete Safeguarding Training.
Details about these and other relevant costs
Entry requirements for international students
IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalent
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school.
Fees and funding
Additional costs
The annual fee for your postgraduate taught course may not include the costs for all compulsory elements. There are also other costs which you may need to consider. These costs may increase due to price increases outside of the University’s control and if you defer entry or change course.
Examples of what's included and excluded in postgraduate taught fees
More information
You can also explore more about this course via the DfE teacher training courses portal.
Contact
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.