PGCE Secondary - Biology

The course is delivered full-time, starting in early September and continuing over 10 months. During this time, you will experience a blend of University teaching interwoven with school experience.

Please note that the course does NOT run to university terms.

As part of the PGCE course, you will gain a significant amount of school experience, usually around 120 days over the course of the year. Durham University Partnership has schools across the north east region and students are required to travel independently to these. The Partnership Team work hard to ensure that travel expectations are reasonable.

The University sessions will be delivered as a blended approach with some online teaching, asynchronous and synchronous, as well as face to face opportunities. Lectures provide supporting frameworks of key theories and concepts with follow up seminars being used as peer-assisted learning opportunities and dialogic approaches to teaching and learning. The seminar mode of delivery reflects the nature and approach to teaching in the classroom and supports the additional aspects of professional development programme.

Throughout the year students are encouraged and required to work in teams which will enhance cohort cohesion as well as support professional and academic development. Students will therefore learn from their peers as well as their academic and professional tutors. Students will be able to analyse a range of classroom perspectives and stakeholder viewpoints, triangulating between theory, practice and policy.

At UCAS you can apply for this course by using the following code: C1X1

• The equivalent of a UK 2:2 honours degree of which approximately 50% is comprised of Biology or a similar subject. If your degree is from an overseas institution you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC

• GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4 (or C) or above (or equivalent) which must be achieved by the time of application. If your equivalent qualifications are from an overseas institution you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC (ecctis.co.uk/naric/).

Your interpersonal qualities and your potential to achieve professional skills relating to the Teachers' Standards will be considered when making an admissions decision. Candidates who meet the criteria, will be invited to an interview. The interview process will involve an individual interview with a pre-prepared presentation element and a series of tasks designed to illustrate your potential to meet the Teachers' Standards by the end of the course.

Successful candidates will receive an offer conditional upon successful medical and criminal record checks. The latter is carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service and full instructions on how to apply for a DBS Disclosure will be provided.

If you have a criminal record of any kind, you may contact the School of Education DBS Manager, Caroline Emery, for further advice and information. All enquiries will be treated in confidence.

We strongly encourage you to register for the DBS Update Service, which lets you take your certificate from one employer to another without having to apply for a new check.

Please note, all DBS Enhanced Disclosures for our students must be processed by Durham University unless you have applied to the Update Service.

English language requirements

Full Time Fees

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

There are a wide range of roles that are available to qualified teachers ranging from classroom teaching, specialist subject lead, phase lead, middle and senior management groups.

For further information on career options please view our department pages.

We are a large department, with around 50 academic staff and around 650 postgraduate students (including our PGCE students, both primary and secondary). We are also supported by numerous partners from schools and colleges. We have strong international links, welcoming students, postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars from all over the world.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• Top 100 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022
• 2nd in The Complete University Guide 2023
• 7th in The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2023
• Top 10 in The Guardian University Guide 2023

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the School of Education pages

Research Excellence Framework

• Ranked joint 1st nationally for Research Impact and 1st nationally for outputs
  (REF 2021)

Facilities

Our School of Education is set in beautifully landscaped gardens above the River Wear and overlooks both the Castle and Cathedral. As well as an attractive work environment, it offers excellent study facilities, including a department library with a wide range of books and periodicals.

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