Secondary Chemistry PGCE with QTS A830

About The Course

Due to the expertise of trainers and staff in our Lead Secondary schools, we are excited to offer our PGCE with QTS in Chemistry. Due to the outstanding teaching in our schools, results in Chemistry are significantly above national average and both schools offer unique and dynamic training and teaching opportunities for the right aspirational initial teacher training candidates.

  • Opportunity to teach at least 2 sciences across Key Stage 3 and Chemistry at Key Stage 4
  • The opportunity to teach your subject specialism at KS5
  • Training with high quality relevant professionals with an outstanding track record for delivering the highest grades for young people at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 as well as delivering exceptional transition for young people
  • Opportunity for leadership training and development of strategic curriculum design
  • Commitment to develop examination expertise at KS4 and KS5 
  • The opportunity to take part in curriculum enrichment through visits and events
  • Teaching opportunity across KS2,3, 4 and 5
  • Become part of a caring and supportive learning community and contribute to making a difference for the school and the young people
  • Direct ownership for student progress in your training year
  • Subject specific and career impacting professional development. Such as high quality subject specific CPD opportunities with nationally recognised guest speakers to support pedagogical and subject specialism
  • Strong employment opportunities

The PGCE will be awarded with Masters credits.

The PGCE aspect of your course takes place at Liverpool John Moores University. Until January, you will normally spend Fridays (sometimes the occasional full week) at the university and the other 4 days in school. Later in the year, you will return to the university for additional full training weeks, but the majority of your time will be spent training in our schools.

The Chemistry programme will focus predominantly on developing subject knowledge and subject pedagogy so that you have the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to become a confident Chemistry teacher. In addition, workshops and seminars will develop your confidence in a range of relevant issues; classroom and behaviour management; meeting individual needs and inclusion; planning and assessment etc. There is a strong emphasis on social justice issues in education and on mental health and well-being. We want you to develop into an inclusive and reflective teacher, with the skills, energy and resilience needed to make a real difference in schools.

 

How School Placements work

Your school-based experience takes place largely in your Home School, supported by well- trained mentors, experienced staff with expertise in Chemistry. We have found that being in a Home School ensures that you are fully integrated into school life and get to know staff, pupils and your subject mentor extremely well, to the benefit of all involved. A member of LJMU staff is attached to each school and is responsible for visiting regularly in order to support all trainees and their mentors.

In addition to the time spent in a Home School, you will also undertake an alternative placement of roughly 6 weeks in a contrasting school between January and February. Additional experiences are also often provided including visits to Special Schools and to Primary Schools. Although the LJMU programmes focus on 11-16 experience, you will also gain experience of post-16 planning and teaching during your school experience.

School experience is structured in phases, beginning with an observation phase, so that you can develop appropriate confidence and competence, taking on greater responsibility for planning and teaching as the year progresses. Your final assessment for QTS is conducted at the end of the year.

All trainees are entitled to weekly review and feedback meetings with their mentors and to tutorials with LJMU staff. This ‘wraparound’ care ensures that you are consistently supported from start to finish, both personally and professionally.

A range of mentor training and development events hosted both at LJMU and in schools, ensure that our mentors understand our expectations and commit to offering high quality guidance and support to each trainee.

In order to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you will demonstrate that you are able to meet all the requirements of the Teachers’ Standards. This aspect of assessment is largely undertaken by school-based mentors. LJMU staff are in regular contact with all trainees on placement, undertake co-observations of their teaching and Quality Assure the school-based training across the Partnership.

The PGCE is assessed through 2 Modules, one of these modules uses the evidence you gather to be awarded QTS.

 

Interview process

Shortlisting: All applicants who meet the entry requirements will be invited to attend a selection event.

Selection events: The selection process will involve a presentation, a Chemistry classroom task and an interview with school staff and members of our partnership. Details to support preparation for the event are sent to successful applicants along with an invitation to attend. Our selection and interview day will also give applicants further information about our programmes and provide an opportunity to meet our friendly and dedicated team.

Applicants are normally informed of decisions within 24 hours.

Applicants will be assessed for their:

  • Depth of relevant subject knowledge and their interest and enthusiasm for teaching Chemistry
  • Ability to successfully engage learners and to make learning exciting and meaningful to young people in a range of contexts
  • Commitment to supporting learners, including in areas of challenging social context
  • Enthusiasm, energy and resilience and ability to work with others in teams and potential to work successfully at Master’s level

Applicants are asked to bring evidence of GCSEs in English and Mathematics with them to interview, along with degree certificates if they have already graduated.

 
Funding

https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-and-salary/overview/funding-by-subject/funding-for-training-to-teach-chemistry