Goldsmiths, University of London Primary with Mathematics (2M3G)

PGCE with QTS full time

Financial support
Student finance if you’re eligible
Qualification
PGCE with QTS

A postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) 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 PGCE courses include credits that count toward a Master’s degree.

Course length
1 year
Date you can apply from
13 October 2020
Date course starts
September 2021
Website
https://www.gold.ac.uk/pgce/

Contents

About the course

The Primary PGCE (QTS) with Maths programme has three distinct modules. These are:

  • School Experience
  • Studies and Professional Issues in Research in Education
  • Curriculum Studies: Maths in Action

School Experience

During the programme you will spend a minimum of 120 days in school. This will be divided into two blocked school experiences which will allow you to develop a broad understanding of the role of the teacher in contrasting settings and although being a Maths Specialist you will be expected to teach across the primary curriculum. You will spend one third of the programme in University. In this time you will have mix of lectures and small group seminars to support you in developing a strong and confident knowledge of the subjects you will be teaching in the primary classroom. Underpinning the programme is the Professional Studies course which is designed to prepare you fully for the wider roles and responsibilities of the teacher.

The Primary PGCE (QTS) Programme at Goldsmiths is taught and assessed at masters level. In addition to a recommendation for QTS, if you pass all academic elements of the programme, you will also leave with level 7 credits equivalent to one third of a masters degree. Full academic support is provided to ensure you are fully prepared for assessment regardless of your prior experiences.

Studies and Professional Issues in Research in Education (SPIRE)

The SPIRE module focuses specifically upon issues that most impact upon the young person’s experience of education in the 21st Century. In sessions you will be asked to: consider a range of issues relating to diversity and inclusion; engage with research and policy and link all of this to your own experience in the classroom. In your written assignment you will choose one area from this module that you find the most pertinent to reflect upon more deeply.

Curriculum Studies: Maths in Action

As a Primary with Maths specialist, this module will look specifically at Maths in Action. This module is designed to give you the opportunity to take part in an action research project to deepen your understanding of how to best teach Maths in the primary classroom. You will draw upon key issues in research and policy and link this to you own classroom practice.

PGCE Primary

School placements

The Primary PGCE Programme Primary with Maths at Goldsmiths offers you the opportunity to specialise in one of two age phases. These are:

  • 5-11 (with placement in Key Stages 1 and 2)
  • 7-11 (with placements in Upper and Lower Key Stage 2).

You will be asked at interview to select the age phase you are most interested in working with.

We work with a partnership of over 300 schools across London and beyond. This means that during your time on the PGCE (QTS) programme you will have the opportunity to work in contrasting schools and settings which will provide breadth to your understanding of the role of the teacher.

You will have two extended placements during your programme during the Autumn and Summer terms. Placements are allocated for you once you have enrolled onto the programme. In placing you we take into account any care responsibilities or personal circumstances and we will locate a school for you that is within a reasonable travelling distance from your home in the light of this.

Goldsmiths will also arrange enrichment experiences which are shorter focussed placements arranged to meet your specific needs. These might include short placements in: Special Schools; Pupil Referral Units; Hospital Schools; Early Years Centres or schools in different locations across the UK.

Entry requirements

Qualifications needed

Entry requirements

Additional qualifications may be needed to qualify for the bursary for this PGCE programme.

Personal qualities

We are looking for applicants that have an understanding of the nature of working in an urban setting and have a clear commitment and enthusiasm for working with children.

You must be able to show resilience and be willing to work with others.

Other requirements

You do not need to have extensive school experience before applying but we ask that you spend a minimum of 5 days in a primary school prior to starting the programme to ensure that you are fully aware that the profession is right for you.

You will also need to fulfil our Fitness to Train requirements

Fees and financial support

The course fees for UK students in 2021 to 2022 are £9,250.

Please note that fees for EU and International students will be formally approved and published by the end of October 2020.

Financial support from the training provider

Scholarships and Bursaries

About the training provider

Goldsmiths has been educating teachers since 1904, and is renowned as a leader in the field of teacher education. The partnership you will be joining as you become a student teacher at Goldsmiths has a reputation for supporting the development of exceptional teachers for world class schools. In the most recent Ofsted report it recognised the contribution we make stating:

“Goldsmiths, University of London has worked in close partnership with schools over many years to help meet a local need for high-quality teachers able to contribute quickly to the education of pupils in a predominantly urban setting. Head teachers say that trainees and newly qualified teachers (NQTs) need to be able to ‘hit the ground running’. This is an attribute that Goldsmiths’ NQTs have in abundance.”

The PGCE (QTS) programme at Goldsmiths has been designed to:

  • Promote Reflection: to develop a strong sense of identity that is built upon a close connection between research and experience.
  • Recognise Inclusivity and Diversity: to be rights respecting and recognise and challenge the political, social, economic and cultural dimensions of practice.
  • Celebrate Creativity: to take informed risks and use imaginative and innovative strategies to support learning.
  • Develop Confidence and Engagement: to participate fully in steering the course of the profession both locally, nationally and globally.

Interview process

Interviews will take place at Goldsmiths with tutors from the university team and may also involve staff from our partnership schools.

The selection process has several components that are designed to ensure that you have the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to begin the journey to becoming a teacher.
These components include:

  • Subject knowledge checks;
  • A written English assessment;
  • Group task;
  • Individual interviews;

We are not looking for applicants to be the “finished article” at interview but rather our processes will ensure that you are ready to take on the challenges you might face on the PGCE (QTS) programme.

Training with disabilities and other needs

The Disability Service can help you to arrange any reasonable adjustments, equipment or support you need to study effectively at Goldsmiths. See the Disability Service web pages for more information. Disability Service

Contact this training provider

Email
course-info@gold.ac.uk
Telephone
020 7078 5300
Website
https://www.gold.ac.uk/pgce/
Address
New Cross
Lewisham
London
SE14 6NW

Support and advice

For support and advice, you can speak to a Get Into Teaching 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 speak to an adviser using their online chat service Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm (except public holidays).

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