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PGCE Secondary – Geography

PGCE with QTS

Train to become a qualified Geography teacher in a secondary school. You’ll learn to motivate, challenge and inspire pupils to be passionate about the planet.

Postgraduate Certificate in Education

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We have an excellent reputation with schools in the region and have been training highly skilled, inspirational secondary teachers for over 75 years.

1st

in the UK for Quality Education

THE University Impact rankings 2024
£25,000

Training bursary available for this subject

Department for Education 2024
Ofsted Outstanding logo
Rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for primary and secondary teacher training

We’ve been rated as ‘Outstanding’ in training primary and secondary teachers, the highest possible grade a provider can receive.


Overview

Our postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) will prepare you to become an inspirational Geography teacher with varied school placements, interactive lesson simulations and tailored tutor support.

At Worcester, you’ll gain experience through placement in two different secondary school environments, teaching a range of secondary year groups, whilst receiving support from a subject mentor and University tutors.

When not on placement, you’ll be taught through a mixture of lectures, workshops and interactive subject sessions. In these interactive sessions, our tutors will model effective teaching for the classroom and field trips. You’ll also get the opportunity to select one of our enhancement activities, these allow you to pursue a subject that's important to you – from Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to climate change.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is embedded throughout, from an introduction to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and nature connectedness activities, to planning and delivering ESD in placement schools. There is also a strong focus on the pedagogies of learning outside the classroom, with a variety of opportunities from human to physical, rural and urban.

Beyond the classroom, we’ll enrich your subject knowledge for the Geography curriculum. You can get involved in our award-winning Green Impact projects, go on field trips to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty - like our local River Severn and Malvern Hills - and attend conferences to inspire your teaching.

When you successfully complete the course, you’ll be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), this means you will be recognised by the Teaching Regulation Agency as a fully qualified teacher.

Virtual taster sessions

We have three virtual taster events available to learn what it is like to study teaching at Worcester.

Making your teaching application on Wednesday 23 October 2024, 5:15-6:15pm

Teaching Q+A panel on Wednesday 20 November 2024, 5.15-6.15pm

Placements

You’ll complete a minimum of 120 days of placement, teaching Geography in two different schools, so you can experience a wide range of age groups and learning environments. There will also be additional school visit days where you can explore practical strategies for the classroom, with opportunities to practice, rehearse and then implement in school.

We have a strong relationship with over 100 partnership schools, where you will be supported by subject specialist mentors. School mentors are experienced teachers who we work with to make sure you get the highest quality, placement experience.

Regional Hubs

You can apply to study a PGCE directly with the University or with one of our partner Regional Hubs.

These Regional Hubs are networks of schools working together to train teachers. When you apply through a hub you will do a mix of training at their sites and at the University, and the hub will organise your placements within their network of schools.


"Trainees benefit from an exceptional learning experience at the University of Worcester. This experience instils in them a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference to the lives of the children and young adults in the communities they serve."

Ofsted 2023

Course details

School experience is a substantial and integral part of the course, and you will have visit days and block placements in terms 1, 2 and 3.

The full-time course has 36 contact weeks in total. 24 weeks will be spent in partnership schools. In addition, up to 8 days will be spent in schools focusing on specific teaching skills.

Indicative themes explored through the course content are outlined below, although regular updates mean that exact modules may differ.

Mandatory modules


Careers

This course will qualify you to teach in secondary schools across the UK. Most of our students quickly find jobs after graduation, thanks to the confidence they’ve gained on the course, the connections they make on placement and our excellent reputation with schools in the Midlands region.

Many of our graduates go on to work in schools as an Geography teacher – but our graduates also pursue leadership roles within schools, as curriculum leaders, special educational needs coordinators, key stage leaders, deputies, or head teachers.

The PGCE is an internationally recognised teaching qualification and can widen your opportunities for a career overseas. You’ll be able to seek work in countries such as America, Australia, and Canada.


Course highlights

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Outstanding by Ofsted
Our education of future primary and secondary teachers has been given the highest possible grade by Ofsted, with inspectors stating that, along with its partners, the University creates “a learning community that places children at the heart of everyone’s endeavours”.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching is a mix of interactive seminars, classroom simulations, and one-to-one tutorials. Alongside this, you’ll be supported by university staff and school mentors when out on placement. Your assessments will prepare you for a career as a teacher, and include creating a learning resource, delivering a presentation, and writing reflective essays.

Teaching and assessment contents

The PGCE Secondary programme enables all trainees to become autonomous learners. The course is designed to support trainees of varying experience, needs, and backgrounds, to develop key transferable skills, and to disseminate good practice in learning and teaching. To achieve this, we closely monitor the quality of your experience in university and on placement.

The course includes:

  • School experience in a range of settings
  • Professional Studies sessions in school and at university
  • University-led workshops, lectures, seminars, fieldwork and guest lectures
  • Study of key texts and supplementary reading
  • Participation in high-level professional discussions, peer presentations and debate
  • Directed studies, case studies and problem-solving tasks, which develop practice-based competence and skills of critical reflection through guided individual mentoring during placements
  • One-to-one academic and personal tutorial support, including access to our excellent Library services and first-class Firstpoint services

Training enables you to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to teach within the subject specialism and age phase for which you are training. All successful trainees will meet the Department for Education Teachers' Standards (2013). These postgraduate programmes with QTS are designed to meet specific requirements laid down by the DfE and against which judgements by OFSTED inspections are made. It is also informed by and reflects the most recent legislation concerning the well-being of children and young people expressed in government legislation regarding Special Educational Needs and Disability and equality and diversity.

All trainees must spend 120 days in at least two different schools or colleges. We find these placements for you and your subject tutor will visit you whilst on placement and deliver taught sessions in university.

Meet the team

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

University of Worcester logo on a light blue background

Elena Lengthorn

Elena is the PGCE Geography subject Lead. She has taught both geography and science education across the primary and secondary centres on undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She leads the Education for Sustainable Futures Special Interest Group (ESF SIG) and contributes sustainability sessions to courses across the School of Education.

University of Worcester logo on a light blue background

Elena Lengthorn

Elena is the PGCE Geography subject Lead. She has taught both geography and science education across the primary and secondary centres on undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She leads the Education for Sustainable Futures Special Interest Group (ESF SIG) and contributes sustainability sessions to courses across the School of Education.

University of Worcester logo on a light blue background

Elena Lengthorn

Elena is the PGCE Geography subject Lead. She has taught both geography and science education across the primary and secondary centres on undergraduate and postgraduate courses. She leads the Education for Sustainable Futures Special Interest Group (ESF SIG) and contributes sustainability sessions to courses across the School of Education.


Entry requirements

Honours degree normally 2:2 or higher from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification. Applicants with a 3rd class degree will be considered on an individual basis.

GCSE grade C/4 in English Language or English Literature and Mathematics, or equivalent qualifications. We do offer an equivalency test if you don’t have the required GCSE grade to apply for our courses.

Trainees who begin courses before providing evidence of the required GCSE standard (or equivalent) will not be eligible for financial incentives, such as bursaries or grants until they achieve the required standard.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please call our Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk.


More to explore

Open Days

Visiting us is the best way to get a feel for student life at the University of Worcester.

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The City of Worcester

Worcester is a welcoming university city with great transport links and plenty of student parking.

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Accommodation

Benefit from our accommodation guarantee. We have rooms on campus to suit every budget including en-suite options.

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Fees

Fees contents

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fee for full-time UK and EU students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2025/26 will be £9,250 per year* (subject to changes in the government tuition fee cap).

* Please note that for EU students training as Physics or Languages teachers and in receipt of a UK government bursary/scholarship package the fee is £17,900 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2025/26 will be £17,900 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.


How to apply

How to apply contents

Applications for PGCE courses, both Primary and Secondary, should be made online through the government's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training website. The course code for Geography is 3CPW.

Visit the Get Into Teaching website for detailed information on how to apply for a PGCE.

Start your application

Apply PGCE Secondary Geography

You can also apply to study a University of Worcester PGCE with one of our partner Regional Hubs.


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Katie Amey

"My journey through teacher training and into the classroom has allowed me to achieve more than I ever thought I could. Teacher training sets you up with a great toolkit for professional development, as well as pedagogies and examples you can take into the classroom. The PGCE gives you a great place to start and to teat out your ideas, before you are faced with you first live lesson. The support of the lecturers is incredible at the University of Worcester, and their passion for the subject has inspired me to continue to develop my skills and has taught me that the sky is the limit, for both myself and the pupils."

University of Worcester logo on a light blue background

Chloe Hackett

"On the PGCE Secondary Geography course, highly passionate and enthusiastic course leaders helped to shape my teaching practice. The enthusiasm displayed by the course leaders was infectious and played a huge role in how I foster a love of learning within my Geography classroom."

"Since graduating, I have taken on the role of Head of Department. The PGCE enabled me to think about curriculum design and provided a wealth of insightful conversations about what we should be prioritising for our students. I am looking forward to seeing where my career takes me and am extremely thankful for the University of Worcester’s part within this journey."

University of Worcester logo on a light blue background

Daniel Webb

The course provided a nurturing environment where I was encouraged to reflect on my experiences and challenged to improve as a practitioner.

Professional and Subject Tutors are infectiously enthusiastic, valuable support and expose trainees to a range of pedagogical theories.In my third year of teaching, I took responsibility in the form of a Faculty Coordinator. The course provided many opportunities for further development, of which one was the Aspiring Leader enhancement activity.

We are pleased that Daniel is now a mentor supporting Geography trainee teachers from the University of Worcester.

University of Worcester logo on a light blue background

Katie Amey

"My journey through teacher training and into the classroom has allowed me to achieve more than I ever thought I could. Teacher training sets you up with a great toolkit for professional development, as well as pedagogies and examples you can take into the classroom. The PGCE gives you a great place to start and to teat out your ideas, before you are faced with you first live lesson. The support of the lecturers is incredible at the University of Worcester, and their passion for the subject has inspired me to continue to develop my skills and has taught me that the sky is the limit, for both myself and the pupils."

University of Worcester logo on a light blue background

Chloe Hackett

"On the PGCE Secondary Geography course, highly passionate and enthusiastic course leaders helped to shape my teaching practice. The enthusiasm displayed by the course leaders was infectious and played a huge role in how I foster a love of learning within my Geography classroom."

"Since graduating, I have taken on the role of Head of Department. The PGCE enabled me to think about curriculum design and provided a wealth of insightful conversations about what we should be prioritising for our students. I am looking forward to seeing where my career takes me and am extremely thankful for the University of Worcester’s part within this journey."


Contact

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

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Elena Lengthorn

Senior Lecturer Teacher Education

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Secondary PGCE Office

Admissions Office

01905 855111