Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Physics)

The aim of the programme is to make you an effective teacher of science and to help you develop high professional standards. The course is designed to prepare science teachers to work in secondary schools as part of a team that teaches science up to Year 11 and physics to Years 12 and 13 (post-16).

During the year you will spend 60 days in College and 120 days in schools. The science programme in College is organised in two strands: Science Tutor Groups (STGs) and Subject Groupings (SGs). STG sessions are grouped under themes; teaching skills, assessment, how pupils learn, and practical skills and the use of evidence. SGs focus on teaching science to age 18 and B/C/P to age 18. The topics include forces, energy, electricity, waves and astronomy.

There are two blocks of school experience, one starting in the autumn and the other in the spring. You will spend time observing other teachers and their classes before beginning to teach yourself. You will teach more during the second school experience than you will in the first one. During the year you will also spend time in two primary schools so that you can see what pupils experience before they arrive in secondary schools.

You will spend equal amounts of time in College working as part of a physics group and as part of a wider group of science students. You will also spend some time working with students from other subjects ranging from ICT to Classics.

The course includes residential fieldwork based a Field Studies Council centre in Surrey. There are many other opportunities for you to develop you abilities to teach beyond the classroom, in the school grounds and beyond.

You will be well supported by your personal tutor and by your school-based mentors. There are weekly meetings with your mentor and 7 personal tutorials throughout the year. The College tutors have all taught in London schools and many have published in science education journals, both professional and academic.

There are two pieces of assessed coursework, a Subject Studies Assignment and a School Experience Report. Both are around 6,000 words and each one is worth 30 Masters-level credits, so as well as gaining Qualified Teacher Status, you finish with a third of an MA, ready to embark on the next stage of your professional development.

Enhancement courses: If your degree is Physics-related but with less than 50% Physics content you may be asked to complete a six-month subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course. You have to secure a place on a PGCE course before you can start SKE, and SKE typically starts in January or February, so you must apply early for the PGCE. For more information about training to teach Physics please see the TDA website: http://www.tda.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/subject-information-enhancement/teach-physics.aspx.