Close

PGCE Primary 5-11 (with QTS)

PGCE

Expected move to Headington Campus for the start of the 2025/26 academic year

Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026

Full time: Up to 42 weeks

Location: Headington

Department(s): School of Education, Humanities and Languages

Overview
Course details
Careers
Entry requirements
How to apply
Tuition fees

Find a course

Expand

Overview

You'll join a course whose graduates inspire thousands of children and teach in hundreds of schools across Oxfordshire and beyond. The PGCE is specifically designed to provide you with secure subject and pedagogical knowledge that enables you to be an effective classroom teacher.

School leaders know our graduates are well-prepared to meet the high standards expected of them in our schools, with a broad range of on-campus and on-placement teaching and learning. Which will prepare you to make a difference in the lives of every child you will teach, every day.

Your University lecturers have held senior posts in schools and are subject specialists. While on-placement, expert colleagues in our partnership schools will provide you with the mentoring to support your development of purposeful practice in schools.

At the end of the programme, successful completion of the programme, will enable you to be recommended for qualified teacher status (QTS).

Attend an open day or webinar Ask a question Order a prospectus

Why Oxford Brookes University?

  • Purposefully designed placements

    Put your training into practice with placements in at least two different schools and key stages and learn how to make a difference in the lives of every child you teach.

  • Excellence for all

    The programme is underpinned by the principles of character, equity and inclusion, with a focus on adaptive inclusive pedagogies and also supporting all pupils to become a primary school teacher.

  • Evidence informed practice

    Masters level modules that foster curiosity and aspiration to make a difference.

  • Expert support

    Incremental and sustained trainee progress - with nothing left to chance and tailored support where needed.

  • Excellent career options

    Trainees secure jobs in schools that are right for them.

  • Accreditation(s)

    The Department for Education and The Teaching Regulation Agency.

    • ITET Curriculum

Course details

Course structure

Our PGCE prepares you to teach effectively across the primary phase. Our curriculum, which is underpinned by the statutory expectations of the DfE, ensures that you’ll learn, review and revisit ideas through the novice, advanced beginner and effective stages, to become proficient in all aspects of teaching.

The programme consists of on-campus and on-placement learning, helping you to observe, deconstruct, practise, refine and apply your learning to your classroom teaching.

The Oxford Brookes University ITET curriculum contains core components that you’ll need to secure to enable you to meet the standards required for QTS. These include

  • Professional Conduct and Responsibilities
  • Climate for Learning
  • How Pupils Learn
  • Subject and Curriculum Knowledge
  • Planning and Preparation
  • Assessment, Adaptation and Feedback.

The OBU ITET Knowledge Base outlines the core knowledge underpinning the curriculum as well as guidance on how you can enhance your current knowledge.

Tutor and teaching student discussing pedagogical approaches for teaching

Learning and teaching

You'll be part of a vibrant and dynamic learning community.

The on-campus element of the programme is taught to the highest standard by professionally experienced subject-specialists. You will gain theoretical knowledge, skills and understanding combined with the opportunity to practise newly acquired skills before going out into the school environment on your placement.

While on-placement, expert colleagues in our partnership schools will be your mentors to help support the development of your knowledge, understanding and skills while engaging in purposeful practice in schools. Lead mentors from the university will also oversee and quality assure these placements.

Your placement learning is organised by our team and you will experience a range of school settings, with placements in both key stage 1 and 2.

Assessment

On this course you will develop the knowledge, understanding, skills and attributes to become an effective early career teacher (ECT).

You are assessed on this course through a range of course assignments with no exams, including:

  • essays
  • projects
  • portfolios
  • presentations
  • trainee progress profile
  • professionalism and classroom practice 
  • deliberate practice.

Your progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards (DfE 2012) is tracked and monitored continuously throughout the programme, both in the University and during school placements, using the trainee progress profile.

Field Trips

Study modules

Through the course we’ll:

  • train you to hold high expectations for every child you teach by upholding values of character, equity and inclusion from day one. 
  • provide you with the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be recommended for qualified teacher status
  • train and support our mentors - so that they know how to help you make progress
  • assess and support you to become a teacher that makes a positive difference.
     

The modules you will study

Compulsory modules

  • Professional Studies, ITaP and Placement 1

    This module gives you the opportunity to acquire and secure the core professional habits, behaviours and pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary at the novice stage of your training. You will be introduced to and develop your understanding of the evidence that underpins excellent classroom practice.  

    You'll also be supported to develop a secure understanding of how to use this to inform your own classroom practice. You will also have the time to reflect on and refine your own developing practice.

  • Core Subjects

    Through this module you will equip yourself with the subject and pedagogical knowledge to teach the core primary subjects - English, maths and science. You'll be introduced to each subject area:
    • the relevant national curriculum expectations
    • Ofsted Research Reviews 
    • and the Oxford Brookes University Initial Teacher Education and Training curriculum and Knowledge Base.
    You'll be introduced to each subject area, significant concepts and the relevant national curriculum expectations. You'll also learn the importance of auditing, developing and establishing your subject and curriculum knowledge.

  • Foundation Subjects

    Building on experience and prior knowledge, this module will help to support you in developing a secure foundational understanding of subject knowledge and pedagogy in the following national curriculum subjects: 
    • Design and Technology
    • History
    • Geography
    • Art and Design
    • Music
    • Physical Education
    • Computing
    • Languages
    • Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE)
    • and Relgious Education (RE). 

  • Masters 1: Equity in Education

    You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the causes and impact of inequity in education. You will consider examples of inequity and the implications of these for pupils and schools. 

    You'll also develop your understanding of and critique language around pupils and families used in policy and practice. There will be opportunities to consider how research into inequity has been interpreted and applied in policy and practise.

  • Professional Studies, ITaP and Placements 2

    This is your opportunity to acquire and secure the core professional behaviours, pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary at the advanced beginner stage of your training. 

    You'll develop your understanding of the evidence that underpins excellent classroom practice as well as a securing an understanding of how to use this to inform your own classroom practice. You will have the time to reflect on and refine your own developing practice.

  • Masters 2: Evidence Informed Practice

    You will explore links between evidence and classroom practice. Through the lens of a national curriculum foundation subject, you'll consider the connections between evidence, policy and classroom practice and how this has been interpreted.

  • Professional Studies, ITaP and Placements 3

    Through this module, you'll have the opportunity to acquire and secure the core professional habits, behaviours, pedagogical knowledge and skills necessary at the effective stage of your training. 

    You'll develop your understanding of the evidence that underpins excellent classroom practice and will be supported to develop a solid understanding of how to use this to inform your own classroom practice. You will have the time to reflect on and refine your own developing practice.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Research

The School of Education, Humanities and Languages is a thriving centre for educational research and teacher professional development. Students on master's level programmes therefore join a large research community comprising researchers at all levels of higher education study.

We hold two major research conferences each year - the School of Education Research Conference and the EdD Colloquium. All students are invited to attend our annual Research

Seminar Series (which attracts both internal and external speakers). We also organise a number of conferences, lectures, seminars and debates, some of which have an international reach.

The School’s six research groups exist to encourage engagement in research, publication, conference presentations, seminars and workshops:

  • Inclusion and Wellbeing
  • Policy, Partnership and Leadership
  • STEAM pedagogy and learning
  • Humanistic Perspectives on Education
  • Early Years
  • Applied Linguistics

View all staff profiles for School of Education, Humanities and Languages

Male student sitting outside John Henry Brookes building studying

Careers

Teaching is a career where you can make a real difference to children’s lives. And you’ll finish this course with the skills and confidence to become an outstanding primary teacher, ready to start  your teaching career.

You’ll develop strong relationships with teachers and school leaders at multiple schools during your placements. And you’ll graduate with a solid professional network that will help you secure your first teaching role.  

Professional Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Teaching Regulation Agency to grant Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in the UK. You will be provisionally registered with the Teaching Regulation Agency at the beginning of your course. Students who successfully complete the course will be recommended for QTS.

Student profiles

Ian Mazonowicz

"I was attracted to the PGCE at Oxford Brookes because of its locality and because it offered the balance between placement and campus time that I wanted in order to be the best teacher I could possibly be"

Read more about Ian

Katherine Morton

"Teaching has always been something I’ve wanted to do and I knew the School of Education department at Oxford Brookes offered an excellent service"

Read more about Katherine

Nicola Varney

"I decided to study the course because I had reached a point in my career where I had progressed well but was so removed from the reason I started my career in retail buying that I wasn’t sure why I was going to work every day"

Read more about Nicola

Sarah-Jane Grace

"I had already heard that the Oxford Brookes PGCE was a really good course and I liked the idea of joining a university that had a lot of courses surrounding education, as I knew that there would be plenty of resources and many people to give a professional opinion"

Read more about Sarah-Jane

Scott Parker

"The reputation of the PGCE Primary course at Brookes is well known, and even before I became interested in becoming a Primary School teacher I was aware that Brookes was well-respected in this area"

Read more about Scott
Left
Right

Entry requirements

International qualifications and equivalences

How to apply

Application process

Apply for this course through DfE Apply now.


Apply now - DfE Apply

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
Home (UK) full time
£9,250
International full time
£16,600
Home (UK) full time
£9,250*
International full time
£17,100

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
Home (UK) full time
£9,250
International full time
£16,600
2025 / 26
Home (UK) full time
£9,250*
International full time
£17,100

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Funding your studies

Financial support and scholarships

Featured funding opportunities available for this course.

Oxford Brookes Bursary for home students Undergraduate maintenance loans for full-time UK students Undergraduate tuition fee loans for UK students Oxford Brookes Bursary Scheme

Oxford Brookes alumni may be eligible for a 10% fees discount on postgraduate study.

All financial support and scholarships

View all funding opportunities for this course

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.