| Student type | Fees to pay |
|---|---|
| UK students | £9,250 |
| International students | £18,450 |
University of Birmingham Religious Education (V6X1)
PGDE with QTS full time
- Financial support
- Student finance if you’re eligible
- Qualification
-
PGDE with QTS
A postgraduate diploma in education (PGDE) with qualified teacher status (QTS) will allow you to teach in state schools in England and may allow you to teach in other parts of the UK.
It may also allow you to teach overseas, though you should always check what qualifications are needed in the country you’d like to teach in.
Many PGDE courses include credits towards a Master’s degree.
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Course length
- 36 weeks
- Date you can apply from
- 11 October 2022
- Date course starts
- September 2023
- Website
- https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/education/teacher-education/index.aspx
Contents
- Course summary
- School placements
- Entry requirements
- About the training provider
- Fees and financial support
- Interview process
- International candidates
- Training with disabilities and other needs
- Contact this training provider
- Support and advice
- Apply
Course summary
Our Initial Teacher Education course in Religious Education received the top grade in all areas in the last Ofsted subject inspection. The course tries to develop a deep understanding of issues and complexities which surround the teaching and learning of religious education, religious studies and philosophy education. We wish to develop you as a thinking teacher who can be aware of a variety of effective ways to teach Religious Education and make informed decisions about how you work with students.
At the University of Birmingham we believe we should provide student teachers with the highest level of teacher training possible, and this is why we offer a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDipEd also known as a PGDE) rather than a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Both qualifications lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) but the PGDipEd also offers the equivalent of 120 credits towards a masters (out of 180 credits), which makes it a highly rewarding course by combining both theory and practice.
Following satisfactory completion of this course, plus a successful induction year in school and references, you can return to complete an MA in Teaching Studies. Additionally, the School also offers a number of specialised Professional Development programmes which will enable you to further develop your career.
School placements
School-based work is an important part of the programme, with students normally spending a total of 24 weeks in schools. During the programme you benefit from both carefully supported introductory work in different schools and the experience of spending a significant length of time in two schools.
The final assessment of teaching is based on the spring/summer term school placement. Assessment is shared between University tutors, staff responsible for students in schools, and external examiners. All aspects of your contribution to the life of the school are taken into account, in particular the teaching of your main subject.
During the course supervised experience and practice are arranged in schools of various kinds across the 11–18 age range. We are fortunate in being able to work with a wide range of partnership schools, including mixed comprehensives, single-sex schools, sixth-form colleges and our own University Training School (www.uobschool.org.uk). Many of the schools offer opportunities to work with pupils from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds.
Entry requirements
Qualifications needed
An undergraduate degree at class 2:2 or above, or equivalent.
Your degree should normally have 50% Religious Studies, Philosophy or Theology content. Graduate with Sociology, Ancient or Modern History, Classics or Politics who also have a good pass in A level Religious Education, Religious Studies, Philosophy or Critical Thinking are also invited to apply.
Your degree subject should be in religious education or a similar subject. Otherwise you’ll need to prove your subject knowledge in some other way.
Grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths, or equivalent qualification.
We will not consider candidates with pending GCSEs.
We’ll consider candidates who need to take a GCSE equivalency test in English or maths.
You will need to undertake and pass your equivalency test prior to making an application. Please use this website to undertake the test: https://www.equivalencytesting.com
Personal qualities
In selecting candidates for a place on a University of Birmingham ITE programme, University and school-based colleagues look for:
- Relevant academic profile and intellectual capacity
- Strong subject knowledge
- Relevant work/volunteering experience
- Awareness of contemporary educational issues
- Motivation, enthusiasm and a clear rationale for teaching
- Responsibility, maturity, open-mindedness
- Appropriate ethics and values, including equal opportunities awareness
- Effective spoken and written Standard English
- Commitment to teaching as a career.
Other requirements
You must also:
have a GCSE in Maths and English (grade 4 or above) or an equivalent qualification;
complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check;
complete relevant checks to ensure you have the health and physical capacity to teach;
agree to abide by the University of Birmingham Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise.
Fees and financial support
When you apply for this course, it is important that you also take into account living costs and should ensure that you will have sufficient funds to finance the full duration of your studies. Our PGDipEd programmes include a significant amount of time spent on placements in a variety of schools at different locations, and so when budgeting to study you should also allow for travel to and from placements, as well as textbooks, printing, photocopying and stationery that you may need.
About the training provider
Our Primary and Secondary teacher training pathways prepare top graduates for a career inspiring learning and transforming lives. We work in partnership with a wide range of primary and secondary schools, sixth form colleges and special schools across Birmingham and the surrounding authorities, to offer both core and School Direct routes into teaching.
The School of Education at the University of Birmingham has a long tradition of delivering teacher training courses. Its teaching has been graded as ‘outstanding’ for the third consecutive time by Ofsted inspectors, reaffirming the University’s status as one of the UK’s leading institutions for excellence in teacher training.
Interview process
Selection is rigorous and designed to identify candidates with the strongest aptitude. Successful applicants will undertake a face to face or remote interview where they will:
- meet course tutors
- find out more about the course
- complete a written task (where relevant)
- have a one to one interview
- show GCSE and Degree certificates (where these are available).
We work closely with partner schools to select candidates and applicants will often have the opportunity to meet senior colleagues from partner schools when they join us for interview day.
International candidates
You’ll need the right to study in the UK. You already have this if, for example, you:
- are an Irish citizen
- have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (you may still be able to apply)
- have indefinite leave to remain in the UK
If you do not already have the right to study in the UK for the duration of this course, you may need to apply for a Student visa.
To do this, you’ll need to be sponsored by your training provider.
Before you apply for this course, contact us to check Student visa sponsorship is available. If it is, and you get a place on this course, we’ll help you apply for your visa.
Alternatively, check if you’re eligible for a different type of visa, such as a Graduate or Family visa, that allows you to train to be a teacher without being sponsored.
Find out more about training to teach in England.
International qualifications
If your qualifications come from a non-UK institution, we may want to see a ‘statement of comparability’ from UK ENIC. This will show us how they compare to UK qualifications.
You can call Get Into Teaching on 0800 389 2500 for:
- guidance on the UK equivalents of your qualifications
- a free statement of comparability once you’ve submitted your application (if we ask you for this)
Training with disabilities and other needs
The University of Birmingham strives to be an inclusive learning community. Whatever your disability, mental health or learning support needs, the Disability, Mental Health and Learning Support Service can provide assistance to make sure you that you can access appropriate support. Find out more at: https://www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/your-wellbeing/disability/index.aspx
Contact this training provider
- iteadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk
- Telephone
- 0121 414 4883
- Website
- https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/education/teacher-education/index.aspx
- Address
-
Admissions
The University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
Support and advice
For support and advice, you can speak to a teacher training adviser for free. They’re all experienced teachers who can help you to prepare your application, book school experience, and access exclusive teaching events.
You can also call Get Into Teaching free of charge on 0800 389 2500, or chat online Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm (except public holidays).
Find out about the different ways to train if you do not have a degree, or are already an experienced teacher.
If there is something wrong with this course listing, contact us by email.