Teaching & modules

Modules

Required Modules

You are required to take the following modules:

  • Professional Practice in Education (45 credits)
  • School Data (15 credits)
  • Studying Policy & Professional Practice (30 credits)
  • Focused Pedagogical Studies (30 credits)

There are no optional modules.

Teaching methods - what to expect

Seminars
Self-Study
One-to-one tutorials
Academic sessions
Teaching placement

Check out further information about our Education, Communication and Society courses including our teaching team, exclusive videos and more on our hub page.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

You can typically expect:

  • The equivalent of over 50 days of academic sessions at King’s (typically three hours in the morning and/or afternoon spread throughout the academic year)
  • Approximately 120 days of teaching placement.* This includes a short period of placement in primary schools (typically four days in length)
  • Four Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) weeks placed at strategic points across the year
  • A number of one-to-one tutorials totalling five to seven sessions across the year
  • Two visits from a tutor whilst on placement to observe lessons and monitor progress
  • Regular** meetings with a mentor, who will be a member of staff at your placement school, whilst on placement
  • Written feedback on all credit-bearing assignments within four weeks of the deadline.

* This 120-day figure represents the standard number of placement days. In certain cases, following assessment by course tutors and mentors, students may be required to undertake a greater number of placement days to demonstrate their ability to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

** Typically, each trainee will have a meeting with their mentor during each week they are on placement. In certain circumstances, the frequency may vary.

The types of learning commitment encompassed within the course vary depending on

modules. For this course, one credit represents the equivalent of 10 hours of learning and engagement. The breakdown below gives you an idea of the likely workload you can expect:

Professional Practice in Education (45-credit module)

This module covers the teaching practice that students carry out in secondary schools. As such, much of the time commitment is dedicated to teaching and planning lessons. The following table will give you an idea of what a typical academic workload might look like as you progress through your studies:

 
Seminars/Tutorials Teaching Self study/assignment work
14 contact hours (seminars/tutorials designed to evaluate teaching performance and provide feedback) 200-220 hours of teaching (this includes time teaching by oneself and ‘team teaching’ in groups). 216 hours (this includes lesson planning, observing lessons, marking pupils work.

 

School Data (15-credit module):

 
Lectures/seminars Self-study/assignment work
10 contact hours 140 hours

 

Studying Policy & Professional Practice (30-credit module):

Lectures/seminars Self-study/assignment work
25.5 contact hours 274.5 hours

 

Focused Pedagogical Studies (30-credit module):

 
Lectures/seminars Self-study/assignment work
200 contact hours 100 hours

 

Location

Lectures and seminars are primarily taught at the King’s College London Waterloo Campus. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught.

Students undertake placements in secondary schools that work in partnership with King’s College London. Partnership schools are located across central London and the Greater London area. Whilst every effort is made to place PGCE trainees in local schools, due to the changing nature of initial teacher education and limited availability of placements in certain subject areas, trainees should be prepared to travel to their placement schools throughout the Greater London area and beyond.

Students also organise their own short placements at state primary schools.

We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start. Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.

Assessment

  • Written assignment
  • Written portfolio

The 45-credit honours-level module will be assessed by a combination of written (online) portfolio documents and continuous assessment of your teaching practice benchmarked to the DfE's Core Content Framework. Your progress will be tracked through three progress reports that will be completed by staff at the placement school. Successful completion of this module will indicate that you have met the DfE's Teachers’ Standards. The 30-credit master’s-level modules will each be assessed by a written assignment heavily based on in-school research that each trainee undertakes. The 15-credit honours-level module will be assessed by an assignment focusing on data collection methods in the school environment.

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

Key Information

Course type:

Certificate

Delivery mode:

In person

Study mode:

Full time

Duration:

37 weeks full-time, September to end of June

Application status:

Open

Start date:

September 2026