Sciences 1 year PGCE

Who is the course designed for?

If you are passionate about science and wish to enthuse the next generation of young people about science, this course will fulfil your ambitions to become an excellent science teacher. The course is designed to combine your learning through practice, with an understanding of some of the theory underpinning effective teaching and learning. We aim for reflective and dynamic practitioners who are committed to promoting the learning of all pupils in their classes and to helping every youngster make progress in science.

Students in practical sessions

How does the training take place?

This is a full–time, one year course that starts in early September and continues through to the end of June, with breaks over Christmas and in the Spring. The course incorporates periods of university-based and school-based work. The balance between school and university enables you to develop your subject knowledge in science whilst developing the skills required to play an effective role in the work of a school or college science department. This is achieved by a range of approaches that include practical workshops, seminars, lectures and demonstrations, fieldwork and micro-teaching activities, independent and group research and through reading and writing activities. Recent trends in teaching and learning approaches are emphasised including the application of information technology, and you will participate in the design of fieldwork, project work and assessment. We believe that this is best done by working from your own subject knowledge and skills while also having the ability to teach material from the sciences which lie beyond your specialism. All science students take a main subject in their specialist area (Biology, Chemistry or Physics), and work to develop their subject knowledge as required across the three sciences.

Are there any particular features of the course?

Students on the outdoor education weeked?

• The effective modelling of good practice by the tutors
• The use of small/informal subject seminar and workshop groups
• An intensely practical approach grounded in a sound understanding of the theory
• A close partnership with a large number of schools
• The support of trained mentors
• Strong and individualised support from the University subject tutors
• Working within and having access to the facilities of the Science Learning Centre South East
• Subject knowledge lectures and workshops
• Observation of expert teachers at a local partnership school
• Opportunities to work with a peer in a paired placement
• Opportunity to gain the ‘Open Country and Risk Management Award’
• Local fieldwork with pupils
• Professional Themes in mixed subject groups

You will work as a member of two different groups during the university-based part of the course. In a specialist science group (Biology, Chemistry or Physics), you will consider how learning in your specialist area may be encouraged and how key concepts may be integrated into school science courses. As a member of a mixed science group, you will work with students from the other two specialist groups, examining ways of promoting learning across the sciences, and carrying out a range of tasks related to teaching school science. A central focus of the course is on teaching Science in a challenging yet accessible way, understanding how children learn, and to produce reflective practitioners through personal, critical reflection and evaluation.

Subject Knowledge Enhancement Courses

If your degree is science related, but with less than 50% in one of the 3 sciences, or if you feel your subject knowledge is a little rusty, you can apply for the 18 month or 2 year PGCE courses and enhance your subject knowledge in science, focusing particularly on physics. Find more information on these courses here: 18 month course, 2 year course.

If someone is interested in this course, how would you recommend them to prepare for the course?

You may apply for this course if you hold, or expect to hold, a degree in theoretical or applied sciences (e.g. biology, biochemistry, chemistry, engineering, environmental sciences, health science, metallurgy, physics, psychology, sports science, etc.).

In addition to the academic qualifications outlined above you should also have gained some knowledge of science education in the 21st century.

You can achieve this by:

• Spending time in secondary schools observing science teachers and working with pupils
• Consider what elements are be necessary for a ‘good’ lesson and effective learning
• Develop your own subject knowledge especially in the areas of science that you are less familiar
• Develop your knowledge of current science curricula, including a knowledge of the National Curriculum for science
• Familiarise yourself with the standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status

Dr Jenny Byrne

Dr Marcus Grace
Dr Felix Maringe
John Lowe
Caro Garrett

The course aims to prepare you to teach Science to all ages and abilities in the secondary school with planned opportunities for enrichment in post – 16 contexts. The course aims, through a combined effort from the university and the partnership schools, to develop your subject knowledge in science and skills for teaching through a range of approaches: workshops, seminars, lectures and demonstrations, fieldwork and micro-teaching activities, independent and group research and through reading and writing activities. Recent trends in teaching and learning approaches are emphasised including the application of information technology, and you will participate in the design of fieldwork, project work and assessment.

The course has two closely linked parts: School Based Experience (two thirds of the total time) and University Based Experience (one third of the total time). During the course, you will spend time in two placement schools from our partnership group. Whilst on placement, you will work closely with your subject mentor and experience lesson observation, team teaching, working with small groups and teaching whole classes of pupils. University-based work is mainly subject-focused but also contains 'Professional Themes' which are common to all subjects and taught in mixed subject groups. Time spent in the University enables us to prepare you for your placements, evaluate your school-based work and plan ahead; and it allows you to share your experiences with other trainee teachers.

Below is an outline of the course:

• Preconceptions, personal experiences, why & how school science is taught.
• The context of science teaching
• The National Curriculum and National KS3 Strategy
• Planning lessons and creating medium term plans
• Scientific Enquiry
• Managing practical activities
• Using ICT to enrich science teaching
• Using practical resources, textbooks, worksheets…..
• Coursework at A2 – work with sixth form students
• 14 – 19 curricula & pathways
• Marking / introduction to assessment – formative & summative
• Managing classrooms and pupils behaviour
• Trainee presentations
• Catering for diversity: teaching pupils with English as an additional language, differentiation & ‘Every Child matters’
• Literacy & Numeracy
• Teacher talk, pupil talk – instructing, explaining, questioning & discussing
• Evaluating your teaching
• Getting a job
• Planning for fieldwork, local area fieldwork with a partnership school
• Assessment & target setting KS3, KS4, post-16
• Revisiting classroom management issues
• Creativity and cross curricular science
• Enquiry revisited, problem solving, thinking skills
• Science in the wider curriculum (citizenship, ESD)
• The NQT year and professional development
• Fieldwork
• Visits to other science education providers
• Group presentations and course evaluation

Trainees are assessed formatively and summatively across the course. This ensures that progress is reviewed regularly and you are aware of the progress being made against the Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). There are informal activities that need to be completed, and are important in developing a deeper insight into effective teaching.

Besides completion of all subject based tasks there are three elements common to all trainees in order to complete the course successfully. All trainees have to demonstrate that their teaching is suitable to meet the Standards for QTS. Secondly, as part of the Standards everyone must pass QTS skills tests in literacy, numeracy and ICT (there is a TDA test centre on campus). Finally everyone must pass two major assignments, called the Curriculum Subject Assignment (CSA) and Special Study Assignment (SSA). The CSA is based in an aspect of subject teaching, whereas the SSA is based around a study of a whole school issue. The assignments are marked at Masters level and if successful trainees will leave with 60 credits towards a Masters degree and a Post-graduate Certificate in Education. It is possible to complete these two assignments at H level, which will lead to the award of a Professional Certificate in Education. Both awards lead to QTS and therefore enable you to teach in school.

Careers Prospects:

Teaching is a rewarding profession in more ways than one, offering fantastic career prospects and development opportunities. The variety of potential career paths available can see you enjoy all kinds of experiences, roles and responsibilities. In secondary schools you can move up the management structure to gain responsibility as a subject leader or beyond. In addition many teachers have responsibility for aspects of school life, such as supervising Newly Qualified Teachers, having responsibility for coordinating provision for Gifted and Talented pupils, having a pastoral role.

Ultimately, you could progress to a senior management position such as deputy or assistant head and/or headteacher - at which point you would have overall responsibility for the management of a school and the education its pupils receive.

The course at Southampton provides you with a very firm foundation for your teaching career. We have high employment rates from the course and many trainees are actually employed in our partnership schools. The Masters credits are an additional boost to your career. There is a growing expectation that increasingly teachers will gain Masters level qualifications. Not only do we offer the chance of gaining 60 credits at the start of your career, but we have developed a number of routes for teachers to continue their study, allowing them to obtain a full Masters degree.

Details on how to apply for the Secondary PGCE are available here...

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