Prep PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status (Taught)

The University of Buckingham is:

• Home of the two-year degree, the University of Buckingham, based in the South East of England, is ranked 6th for Student Satisfaction in the UK (National Student Survey, 2020).

• We are proudly independent and not-for-profit, and offer courses in Allied Health, Business, Computing, Education, Humanities, Law, Medicine, Psychology and Security and Intelligence. We are one of the few universities in the UK that offer September and January start dates for almost all of our courses.

• Based in Buckingham on a riverside campus, we are only 20 minutes’ from Milton Keynes central station and a short drive from Bicester, Aylesbury, Banbury and Northampton. There is free parking on-site and we are within easy reach of London and Oxford.

• Our award-winning small class tutorials ensure every student is known by name and supported throughout their studies, including by dedicated personal tutors.

• As pioneers of the two-year degree, we offer a condensed version of the traditional three-year degree, meaning you can gain a full honours degree and complete your studies a whole year earlier. Alternatively, you can complete both your undergraduate and master’s degree with us in just three years: saving you time and money.

This course is only for those whose teaching includes pupils aged 11-13, If you are only teaching pupils aged 5-11 you must apply for the Primary QTS course.

Becoming a prep school teacher
Teaching is still regarded as one of the most rewarding careers you can embark on. This is a career where you can have an incredible impact on the next generation of pupils. This course is for those graduates who want to achieve Qualified Teacher Status to be able to teach in a Prep School in England.

When asked, 98% of students felt that the course had made them a better teacher. You will learn about all aspects of working as a teacher including teaching strategies, child development, policies and processes and ways to ensure that effective learning takes place. We will work with you to strengthen your specialist subject knowledge along with an understanding of the Core and Foundation curriculum subjects associated with Primary years.

On our PGCE programme, all teachers are encouraged to be inclusive practitioners, for example to know about SEND and ways of promoting and maintaining good behaviour with an awareness of the importance of emotional regulation. We want to help you develop your confidence and resilience in order to be able to assuredly teach different Key Stages and across different age ranges.

This is an employment-based route where you can work as a teacher and train to be a qualified teacher at the same time. In order to apply you must have a post secured in a Prep setting. The course lasts for 37 weeks and covers a full and demanding curriculum. Our curriculum covers all aspects of the Core Content Framework (CCF). On our course, you learn whilst working in the classroom, fully supported by a Mentor in your own setting along with participating in blended learning programme provided by a team of experienced practitioners working with the University. You will be assigned a Tutor employed by the University who will visit you in your setting and work with you throughout the year. This course will support you as you develop your identity as a teacher and help you to find and refine your own teaching style.

Training is delivered through a weekly programme based in school alongside a core programme delivered by the University. This begins with induction in August online, lectures on most Thursdays 8.30-9.30am, twilight lectures that are recorded and available throughout the course, along with three residentials. The residentials are a significant strength of this course as you are able to network with other Prep and Secondary colleagues from across the country as well as participate in a rigorous and challenging programme of lectures, seminars and workshops.