PGCE via School Direct (tuition-fee)

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COURSE OVERVIEW

School Direct (tuition fee), or sometimes referred to as School Direct (non-salaried), is a form of graduate entry training based in a school. You will learn on the job as you work towards your Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) recommendation, primarily based in a school, but also taught by the University of Winchester.

Although your training is based in a school, they’re not your employers, and in many ways your training will be similar to a typical PGCE course at the University.

We work with a number of schools across Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey and Wiltshire and are able to offer Primary and most Secondary curriculum subject areas.

Applications are submitted via DfE Apply and you will apply directly to the school you are interested in studying with. You can apply to up to three training programmes when you submit your application and this can include both University PGCE and School Direct choices.

We work closely with the school partnerships below:

To find out more about what subjects each of our schools offer, please see the ‘Find Postgraduate Teacher Training’ search service offered by the Department for Education (DfE).

If you have any questions about the course content, please contact the individual school directly. If you have any questions about entry requirements and whether your qualifications will be accepted, please send us a message.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) for the purpose of delivering initial teacher training programmes to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Careers

Graduate prospects for students studying via the school direct route are high. Many schools use the route as an opportunity to recruit trainees to work in their own school or a school within their partnership of schools.

ABOUT THIS COURSE

If you chose to study with one of our school partners, you will be located at the school for the majority of your training.

The course consists of five modules:

three Master’s level modules, which are assessed through written assignments and a presentation
two school-based modules, which are assessed by observation of practical teaching in placement schools and submission of a portfolio

Your school will arrange the two school placements that form part of the course and the location may depend on how many schools form part of the school partnership.

Successful completion of the course will lead to a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with qualified teacher status (QTS).

All students are allocated a personal tutor to support their progress through the programme. Progress is tracked both academically and in terms of the Teachers' Standards (Department for Education 2012), which are a required part of professional training.

Further information

For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

A first or second-class Honours degree (or equivalent qualification). This can be in any subject.

GCSE English language, mathematics and a science at grade C or 4 or above, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the University. If you have taken a combined Science GCSE, a minimum grade of CC or 4-4 is required.

You will need to provide original certificates to the University. If you only hold a ‘statement of provisional results’ and do not hold original certificates, please contact the relevant awarding body to obtain a ‘certified statement of results’ as soon as possible. Further information about obtaining a replacement exam certificate is available on the gov.uk website.
Functional Skills, Key Skills, Adult Numeracy and Adult Literacy qualifications are not accepted by the University as GCSE equivalents.
If you do not hold GCSE qualifications, please contact us to confirm that we are able to accept the qualification you hold.

If English is not your first language: IELTS 7.0 overall (including 7.0 in academic writing) or equivalent is required.

If you have completed your qualifications outside the UK, the Department for Education (DfE) are able to help you obtain a UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) statement of comparability for free. For further information, please visit the get into teaching website.

We will look for evidence of a commitment to the teaching profession, an understanding of professional requirements, and an awareness of current educational issues in an application. Prior experience in a school is not required, however prospective students may find experience in a school useful for obtaining insights into the primary education classroom. Experience in a school or similar setting may also provide reassurance to prospective students that teaching is the right choice for their career.

We will also look for you demonstrate competency in Fundamental skills in English and mathematics during the selection process.

Additional requirements

If you are offered a place after attending an interview you will need to meet the following additional requirements. The University will send you more information about when and how you need to complete each of these tasks if you accept our offer.

Obtain enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance check after accepting an offer. Please note, the cost of the clearance check is covered by the applicant (£40 at the time of publishing).
If you have spent over 6 months outside the UK in the last 5 years you will be required to obtain criminal records checks from each of the countries you lived in for over 6 months continuously. Further information about obtaining a criminal records check from outside the UK is available on the gov.uk website. Please note, obtaining criminal records checks from other countries can take a long time.
You will also be required to complete an occupational health check to confirm that you are fit to teach.

How to apply

The way to apply for postgraduate teacher training in England has changed. You can now use Apply for teacher training, a new GOV.UK service.

Apply for teacher training is easy to use and gives clear guidance to help potential teachers make strong applications.

To learn more about the new service and to get help with your application, visit Get into Teaching.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about the course or studying at Winchester, please get in touch using our Ask a question form and we will get back to you shortly.

Alternatively, you can call us on:
+44 (0)1962 827234 – UK/Channel Islands/Isle of Man students
+44 (0)1962 826427 – International students

Visit us

Explore our campus and find out more about studying at Winchester by coming to one of our Open Evenings.

Modules

Modules Credits

Master’s Level Modules
There are three Master’s level modules, which are assessed through written assignments and a presentation.
School-Based Modules
There are two school-based modules, which are assessed by observation of practical teaching in placement schools and submission of a portfolio.

Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing, for full-time students entering the programme in Year 1. Optional modules are listed where applicable. Please note the University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. For further information please refer to the terms and conditions at www.winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions.
The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed above.

Progression from one level of the programme to the next is subject to meeting the University’s academic regulations.

2023 Course Tuition Fees

UK/Republic of Ireland/Channel Islands and Isle of Man

£9,250

Student Finance England provide tuition fee loans and maintenance loans for students training to teach. To find out more, please visit the Department for Education (DfE).

The Department for Education (DfE) also offer scholarships and bursaries to students training to teach. The amounts vary by subject being studied and the level of qualifications you hold. To find out more, please visit the Department for Education (DfE).

International Students

£14,700

ADDITIONAL COSTS

DBS Checks

Once you have accepted an offer, you will be required to pay for the cost of an enhanced DBS clearance check and to cover the cost of any overseas criminal records checks to cover significant periods of time spent overseas.

Once you have enrolled, all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.

Printing and binding

The University is pleased to offer our students a free printing allowance of £20 each academic year. This will print around 500 A4 mono pages. If students wish to print more, printer credit can be topped up by the student. The University and Student Union are champions of sustainability and we ask all our students to consider the environmental impact before printing.

Placements

In additional to daily travel to your main school, you will also need to attend at least one other placement that may be closer or further from your home than your main school. You will also be required to attend teaching at the University of Winchester, you will need to cover all the costs of travel yourself.

Key course details

Typical offer: A first or second-class Honours degree (or equivalent qualification). This can be in any subject