Professional Graduate Diploma in Education, Training and Skills

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Why study this course

Pre-service bursaries available in selected subjects for up to £26,000

Trainees who complete the course will be eligible to apply for QTLS (Qualified Teacher Training and Skills) with the Society for Education and Training. This is equivalent to QTS and is suitable for those who may consider teaching post-14 learners in the schools sector

You can specialise in your chosen subject and gain over 100 hours of experience in a post-16 placement setting

The programme has two routes, so is open to both graduates (PGDE route) and non-graduates who have extensive industry experience and are looking to teach in their vocational specialist field (CertEd route)

Course summary

The Level 6 Professional Graduate Diploma in Education Training and Skills offers education, training and development to graduates who are aspiring to teach in the education, training and skills sector such as further education colleges, private sector training providers and offender education. It provides a route into teaching in the Further Education and Skills sector for graduates, and leads to a robust teaching qualification, which is recognised by the sector.

Please Note: Non-graduates may study this programme at level 5.

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Key facts

Award	PGDE
Duration	1 year
Mode of study	Full-time
Start date	September
Awarding institution	Bishop Grosseteste University
Institution code	B38

Course details

About this course

Our Professional Graduate Diploma in Education, Training and Skills is part of an integrated programme for teachers in the education, training and skills sector such as further education colleges, private sector training providers and offender education. It will develop your knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of teaching, learning and assessment, and teachers’ wider, professional engagement in the sector. It offers a challenging, supportive and rewarding experience to promote informed, reflective and effective teaching and professional development.

The course features five specialist routes, for teachers wishing to specialise either in a particular subject/vocational area, or in English, Mathematics, Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or Computing. It combines teaching practice, academic learning, and personal, professional development. Teaching practice will be undertaken within an arranged placement in order to develop the teaching of your specialist subject. You may be required to travel to this placement using an appropriate mode of transport, which may incur an additional cost. You will be allocated a work-based mentor, who will typically be a professional practitioner with expertise in your subject or a closely allied area.

Throughout the programme, modules are delivered concurrently to your teaching practice, allowing you to make robust connections between theory and practice and develop the habit of reflective evaluation. All modules re-enforce the concept of reflective practice as essential to effective teaching and learning, as well as the personal and professional development within your chosen specialist subject.

The first two modules will introduce you to the learning and skills sector, associated policies and professional expectations. These modules contain tools for you to engage effectively with teaching practice from an early stage in the programme. These include, for example, approaches to and principles of effective planning for teaching and learning, underpinning theories of teaching and learning and the role of assessment in the teaching and learning cycle.

The second half of the programme offers opportunities for deeper exploration of philosophies of teaching, curriculum design and the subject-specific characteristics of teaching and learning in your chosen subject area, whether subject/vocational, Mathematics or English.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure module content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, module content will change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry.

What you will study

Students on this course currently study some or all of the following modules:

This module places the role of the teacher directly in context, with particular focus on the planning, teaching and learning cycle. You will consider how you regard yourself and others as a learner, and how to plan inclusively for the diverse learning needs of others. The module will enable you to evaluate a range of planning models and consider the role of short, medium and long term planning.

The concepts of inclusivity and differentiated approaches to teaching and learning are fundamental to becoming a responsive teacher. This module will further developing your understanding of established and emerging theories and models of teaching and learning. It will include, for example, behaviourism, constructivism, cognitivism, humanism, social learning theory, praxis and the principles of motivation.

This module offers you the opportunity to explore the wider political, philosophical, sociological and organisational influences surrounding your day-to-day work, and your wider professional relationships as a teacher in the education and training sector. It aims to develop your understanding of contemporary viewpoints on education, skills and the impact of lifelong learning on wider society.

In this module, you will have the opportunity to focus on teaching, learning and assessment in your chosen specialist subject area. It enables you to apply knowledge of wider influences, stakeholder needs, theoretical perspectives and practical techniques in your chosen subject. The module promotes an approach to teaching, learning and assessment, which integrates effective pedagogy with developed knowledge and understanding of the subject area, and its relationship with vocational learning.

Entry requirements

A bachelor’s degree
Typically, minimum Level 3 in the subject the trainee intends to teach.
For the Mathematics and English specialist routes: Typically, applicants will hold minimum Level 3 in Mathematics or English, as appropriate.
Access to a minimum of 100 hours of teaching over the period of the programme, with suitable Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) documentation and a professional reference.

For a Level 5 qualification please see our Certificate in Education Training and Skills.

How you will be taught

All modules contain elements of theory and practice, and require you to take responsibility for your progress by maintaining a personal development portfolio and teaching practice portfolio, tracking your progression. A named personal tutor, cohort learning sets and online learning materials are available to support you as you progress.

Your learning experience will be made up of directed learning, which typically involves scheduled learning and tutorials with the programme teaching team, as well as a placement of 80 days (560 hours) split into 140 hours per module. This will enable you to undertake the required minimum 100 hours of teaching time and to engage with a variety of activities in order to develop the teaching of your specialist subject. As part of this you will be expected to undertake independent study which may include reading, research, portfolio building, group projects, action planning, developmental activities, events and maintaining industry connections.

Assessment

This course seeks to enable you to engage with and evaluate a range of assessment techniques. Each module carries three assessment components, typically including such tasks as essay, case study, reflective reports, individual and group presentations, peer review, action planning and evaluation of day-to-day teaching practice.

Teaching practice is integral to successful completion of the programme. You will undergo a minimum of eight teaching observations, working with tutors and mentors to identify suitable opportunities for observation, dialogic review and feedback. The planning, evaluation and feedback for each of the observations will be compiled within your teaching portfolio. Observed teaching practice forms part of the assessment in three of the four modules.

You will also maintain a professional development portfolio, which promotes personal, professional development. The components of this portfolio are aligned to module assessments and include, for example, reflective accounts, peer observations and a structured, personal development plan.

Careers & Further study

This course will ensure that you are prepared to teach in the Further Education and Skills sector. It has been written in direct consultation with further education colleges, considering their perspectives as employers. On successful completion of this programme, you will be eligible to apply for the professional status of Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) via the Society for Education and Training (SET). This professional status will qualify you to teach in FE colleges, schools, sixth form colleges, academies, training providers, offender learning/prison education, or in the voluntary sector.

Since April 2012, FE-trained teachers with QTLS have been recognised through an Act of Parliament as equivalent in status to teachers with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in schools, opening up opportunities for career development and wider employment. This course offers a robust professional development route to QTLS and further development of careers. Progression from this programme has many routes, whether that is onto further study at Master's’ level or into employment.

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We will be there to support you, personally and academically, from induction to graduation.

At BGU we have so much support available for our students, the type of support that has won us awards recently in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2023, such as the Chaplaincy team, the Student Advice team, CELT, BGFutures and representatives at the Students’ Union.

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