King's College London

You are viewing a course in < Education management and policy

Postgraduate degree

Overview

Please note the course details apply to 2026 entry. Details for 2027 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from October 2026.

The PGCE Biology at King’s prepares trainees to become thoughtful, creative and engaging teachers, through understanding both the research which underpins and advances science teaching, and a wide range of practical approaches. The course is taught by an internationally-recognised science education group with over three decades of acclaimed research and recent classroom teaching experience.

Key benefits

PGCE courses at King’s are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. One reason is the strong research base which informs the course. In the last research assessment exercise, the department was rated as the leading education institution for research in London (REF, 2021).
A working partnership with a broad range of schools in London and beyond, providing unique opportunities to learn how to teach a diverse mix of students.
Biology lecturers who are very enthusiastic and experienced teachers with recent classroom experience who can provide up to date insights into the profession and valuable teaching tips.
Across all PGCE subjects, 92% of our trainees who applied for teaching posts after graduation were employed as Early Career Teachers (ECTs) at schools in the UK and abroad (JISC Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024).
Preparing students to teach outside the classroom: we offer a variety of trips to develop teaching outside the classroom and environmental education. We run trips to Kew gardens, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and London Zoo to make use of London-based attractions for schools. We also run a a residential field-trip to Juniper Hall in Dorking where you will learn ecological sampling techniques and then teach these in groups to year 12 pupils on the last day where you will be given feedback.
Two assessed pieces of coursework give you 60 Master’s-level credits – a third of an MA – which puts you well on the way to a Master’s degree in your chosen profession.

Course essentials

The PGCE Biology is a full-time course that consists of four required modules and two blocks of teaching experience based in secondary schools within London and Greater London. You will complete the course within ten months, studying September to June. You must take modules totalling 120 credits to meet the requirements of the qualification.

You’ll engage in education, pedagogy and professional studies sessions and curriculum workshops. These will take place in both university and school settings and will develop your expertise in general educational and professional issues, as well as subject pedagogy.

You’ll gain the skills and understanding to take up positions in schools as a teacher of your subject with the potential to contribute fully to the life of the school. The course carries the Accreditation of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The aim of our course is to make you an effective teacher of science and to help you develop high professional standards. Our 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 biology to Years 12 and 13 (post-16).

Key Information

Course type:

Certificate

Delivery mode:

In person

Study mode:

Full time

Duration:

37 weeks full-time, September to end of June

Credit value:

UK 120 / ECTS 60 credits

Application status:

Open

Start date:

September 2026

Taught in

Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

School of Education, Communication & Society

Administrative bodies

Regulating body

Application closing date guidance

We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed. We may need to request further information from you during the application process.

Our first application deadline is on 9 March 2026 (23:59 UK time).

The final application deadlines for this course are:

Overseas (international) fee status: 6 July 2026 (23:59 UK time)
Home fee status: 10 August 2026 (23:59 UK time)

After the first application deadline in March:

if the course is not yet full, we will continue to accept applications until all available places are filled up to the final application deadlines above
if the course becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the course to further applications

Base campus

Waterloo Campus

Our Waterloo campus is home to the Florence Nightingale Faculty Nursing & Midwifery, and a vibrant hub for health, social science, and law students. Located moments from the iconic landmarks of South Bank and just a short walk to the Stand campus.