PGCE Secondary - MFL X7KL14 September 2024

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Course details

With a focus on French and German or Spanish, the PGCE Secondary – Modern Foreign Languages equips you with the skills to teach modern languages and share the importance of language learning to understand other cultures and backgrounds.

Whether designing engaging lesson plans, creating a stimulating learning environment, or developing the skills to encourage student participation, you will gain the subject knowledge and pedagogical skills needed to make the study of languages accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. The course also addresses the challenges of teaching languages and encourages an appreciation of languages in a predominantly monolingual society.

Offering a combination of academic and practical learning, the PGCE extends your awareness of the range and scope of modern foreign languages as a curriculum subject across the 11-16 age range, covering the four essential skills areas of talking, listening, reading, and writing.

Successful completion of the PGCE leads to a Postgraduate Certificate in Education awarded by Durham University and the recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status. The QTS element is accredited by Newcastle University and awarded by the Department of Education.

We pride ourselves on offering a well-planned blend of research and experience in the classroom to start you on your successful career as an Early Career Teacher. We emphasise your entitlement to the Core Content Framework throughout our PGCE course to fully prepare you for the Early Career Framework, which will support you during your first two years of teaching as an Early Career Teacher.

The University-based sessions focus on a weekly specific pedagogical theme, integrated with sessions devoted to your subject specialism, delivered by subject specialists in the University and the school partnership.

The Professional Studies sessions explore your understanding of critical concepts and classroom practice, allowing you to reflect on your teacher identity and progress as a developing teacher.

Please note that the course does not run to standard University terms. It is delivered full-time, starting in early September and continues over 10 months.

Course structure

Four modules make up the PGCE programme:

New Generation of Learners introduces PGCE students to various fundamental educational theories. It starts the journey of addressing the gap between research and practice.

Pedagogy Practice Inquiry creates a critical link between PGCE students’ understanding of school-based practice, context and theory, and research and policy related to pedagogy (for example, through the lens of lesson planning).

Curriculum Development in Practice offers an opportunity for students to reflect on professional practice in their chosen subject from the perspective of the curriculum.

The predominantly classroom-based Professional Studies and School-Based Practice fosters a critical understanding of issues related to developing professional competence as a teacher. Areas covered include effective teaching strategies, managing the teaching and learning environment, enhancing professional development, and creative dimensions of teaching and learning.

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Entry requirements

The equivalent of a UK 2:2 honours degree of which approximately 50% is comprised of Modern Foreign Languages or a similar subject. Alternatively, applicants who have achieved a lower second class honours degree will be considered in conjunction with having resided in a country where the national language corresponds with the language you wish to teach (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/).
Please note that if your first teaching language is not French, you may be advised to undertake a French Subject Knowledge Enhancement course prior to commencing the PGCE MFL, due to the difficulties of placing trainees without French in our partnership schools. Similarly, if French is your only teaching language, you may be advised to undertake a Spanish or German Subject Knowledge Enhancement course prior to commencing the PGCE.

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 processwill 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

Department information

School of Education

The Department of Education offers a mix of teacher training and education research, set within a vibrant and engaged learning community of around fifty academic staff and 650 postgraduates. We are a leading educational research centre with strong international ties and numerous partner relationships with schools and colleges.

Our postgraduate courses are flexible and allow you to follow a particular interest. They include MAs in Education, Educational Leadership and Change, Intercultural Communication and Education and Research Methods. We also offer a range of PGCE qualifications at primary and secondary levels and in specific school subjects.

We provide the opportunity for learning from academic staff who are leading research and teaching experts in their fields. They underpin our Department’s commitment to conducting research that contributes to shaping educational practice and policy, develops educational research and methodologies, informs school improvements and supports the professional development of teachers around the world.

Our portfolio of research projects attracts interest and financial support from important bodies who have a key role in developing education in the UK. They include the Economic and Social Research Council, the Nuffield Foundation, the Sutton Trust, and the Education Endowment Foundation, as well as a range of other organisations and charities.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

Top 100 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2023
5th in The Complete University Guide 2024
Top 10 in The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2024

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

The Department of Education is characterised by its diversity and vibrancy and the enthusiasm and commitment of its postgraduate community to improving the provision of education in the UK and across the globe.

The Department is located at Lower Mountjoy on the main University campus and is not far from the centre of Durham with its UNESCO World Heritage status and the beautiful cathedral.

Our facilities are modern and comprehensive and include a well-resourced library, study areas and the state-of-the-art Confluence Building which plays host to events such as seminars and lectures by guest speakers.