If you’ve got an undergraduate degree and are are striving to become a secondary school Chemistry teacher, then studying our Secondary Science with Chemistry PGCE with QTS will help you on your way. You’ll develop your subject specialist knowledge alongside hands-on classroom experience.

Why Secondary Science with Chemistry PGCE with QTS?

• The course is designed to emphasise practical engagement with the curriculum whilst developing your understanding of the theories which underpin the best models of practice. This means you'll be equipped with the knowledge and practical skills you'll need in the constantly changing world of secondary education.
• A significant amount of your learning will take place whilst on placement within one of our partnership schools. You’ll benefit from being able to observe experienced teachers, gain practical hands-on experience and mentoring to help you develop into an outstanding and successful teacher.
• Chemistry is an exciting subject to teach and there are opportunities for well qualified chemistry teachers. It is a National Curriculum core subject and is taught throughout schools. The course will enable you to explore what it means to teach chemistry and develop ways in which you teach it. You will examine the best practice of chemistry teaching and use a range of teaching strategies to challenge and inform your students.
• Upon successful completion of the course we’ll recommend Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), enabling you to start your first year of teaching (NQT year) within a secondary school setting. Our course is designed to prepare you to teach pupils in the 11-16 age range.

The course is a one year postgraduate certificate in secondary education. The programme is divided into two main themes:

• Initial Professional Development: You’ll have the opportunity to explore creative ways to interpret your knowledge into a language a child can understand. We help prepare you for the classroom, allowing you to develop your own thinking, teaching and subject knowledge base to a level which you can trial in your placements. Themes include educational psychology, how young people learn, behaviour management, assessment, inclusion, creative and innovative teaching methods and designing learning. You research theories of child development, gain a greater understanding of current professional issues in secondary schools and develop your own educational philosophy.
• Chemistry Specialist Subject Pedagogy: Subject sessions provide you with an understanding of subject pedagogy in chemistry and generic science sessions offer you the opportunity to explore a wide range of issues such as 'practical aspects of science', assessment of science and literacy in science as well as the more practical considerations whilst teaching this subject. We help you to prepare for teaching all the sciences at Key Stage 3. We have a fully equipped science laboratory at the University to help develop your practice.

Placements

A key element of your studies and learning takes place whilst you’re on placement. You’ll undertake a number of compulsory placements as part of your programme, in fact you’ll spend around 120 days in at least two partner schools.

You’ll experience the wider role of a teacher in secondary education. You’ll have the support of both subject and professional mentors in schools who will help you to develop your practice through observations, planning meetings, weekly tutorials, reports and in-depth lesson evaluations. Your university tutor will visit you in school to guide, support and evaluate your progress. Our partnership schools are situated across the local area including Kirklees, Calderdale, Wakefield, Leeds, Bradford, and we’ll endeavour to place you in a convenient location.