PGCE Secondary Computing (11-18)
Course Overview
From September 2024, the University of Bolton has entered into an exciting partnership with Bath Spa University. Therefore, you will complete your course and be awarded your PGCE qualification (in your specialist subject area) from the University of Bolton and at the end of the course, Bath Spa University will be responsible for recommending you for QTS. This connection combines the extensive experience of two key providers in Secondary provision, supporting your progress and success on this PGCE Secondary programme at the University of Bolton.This master's level Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme offers you a range of experience in secondary schools. You will gain knowledge of diverse socio-economic settings and students with different needs and abilities. Your subject-specialist mentor will support you throughout your training, and university tutors will help you develop research-informed approaches to teaching in secondary schools. Our bespoke programme and modules allow you to develop your teaching knowledge and understanding whilst building on your knowledge of the Computing national curriculum and support your teaching during your placements.
There is a national shortage of computing teachers (1). Aligned with the Department for Education Teachers' Standards and Core Content Framework, our PGCE Secondary Computing (11 - 18) offers you the opportunity to step into a rewarding career as a secondary school teacher. This PGCE ensures you will have access to a minimum of 120 days of school-based experience that will build your practical expertise. When you successfully complete your PGCE and school-based training, you can be recommended for the award of QTS (Qualified Teacher Status).
(1) Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2024 - NFER accessed on 13 August 2024
Highlights
- This programme offers you the opportunity to gain a PGCE Secondary Computing (11-18) and Qualified Teacher Status.
- School-based experience is a core component of this course, and you will undertake at least two teaching placements, of a minimum of 120 days and 20 intensive training and practice days in a secondary school.
- Our highly qualified and dedicated Education team offers a wealth of teaching experience in the secondary sector.
- Our specialist subject studies sessions enhance your learning programme to support you in exploring and developing your skills in teaching computing and are aligned with the national curriculum.
Key Features
- This is a pre-service Initial Teacher Training course. You do not need prior teaching experience or current employment in education.
- The University of Bolton is one of the largest providers of teacher training for further and higher education in the UK, sitting at the heart of an extensive network of educational partners.
- During the course, you will have the opportunity to gain diverse placement experiences in other institutions to enhance your professional development.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- Please be aware applications for a September start on this Secondary PGCE course close on 30th June.
- You must have at least a lower second class (2:2) honours degree (or equivalent). If this is not in a subject aligned to computing then you may be required to complete a Subject Knowledge Enhancement Programme (SKE) to ensure you meet the minimum subject expertise to begin your Initial Teacher Training. A further skills audit will identify subject specialist skills and will inform your action plan for your training programme.
- You must also have GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English and Mathematics. This is a DfE requirement. Please contact us for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents.
- If your qualifications aren’t from a recognised UK education institution, advice will be taken from the International Office on comparability.
- As part of the application process, you'll be required to attend a selection day. This will involve completing pre-interview tasks, IT proficiency tasks, discussion activities, a presentation, and a face-to-face interview.
- You’ll need to satisfactorily pass a fitness to practice assessment.
- Prior to enrolment on the course, you'll need to provide at least two recent and satisfactory references, a satisfactory health declaration, and a satisfactory student agreement.
- This course involves working unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable young people and adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
If you have a degree and wish to pursue a career in teaching computing (and related subjects) in secondary schools, then this course is for you. It offers a strong grounding in teaching computing and examines how this can support a career as a secondary school teacher. Some key transferable skills you could gain include planning, time management, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, analytical and modelling skills, research and self-discipline.
What can I do with this qualification?
Teachers are often employed by state-maintained schools, where your employer is usually the local authority. Alternatively, you may be directly employed by an institution. This will be the case if you choose to work for an academy, free school, independent school or college.
After graduation, you may wish to undertake further study. Popular topics include education management, theory and policy. You could follow a master's in education, pursue a PhD by research or study for a professional doctorate, options which you can pursue with the University of Bolton.
Alternative career options
This course is designed to give you Qualified Teacher Status and entry into the teaching profession. However, as a graduate, you will also be able to use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. For some of the roles listed below, relevant experience and/or alternative postgraduate study may be required.
- Risk analysis
- Insurance
- Data analysis
- Market research
- Data engineer
- Project management
- Statistics
- Banking
- Educational consultancy
- Youth work
- Community education
- Early years
- Education administration
- Learning mentor
- Social work
- Careers advice
- Family support
- Play therapy
- Student services
- Educational writing
Professional Recognition
The programme is aligned with the Department for Education's Teachers' Standards with a final award of PGCE with QTS (upon successful recommendation).
Fees & Funding
As a trainee teacher, you may qualify for help to fund your studies from the Department for Education (DfE). Please visit the Government's Get Into Teaching Funding my teacher training webpage for more information.
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
This course is not open for international applicants
You can apply for PGCE 14+ courses go to our Course Search and select Course Type “Teacher training”.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Applications for the course are through the Get Into Teaching website.
Please be aware applications for a September start on this Secondary PGCE course close on 30th June.
International Applicants
This course is not open for international applicants
You can apply for PGCE 14+ courses go to our Course Search and select Course Type “Teacher training”.
Teaching & Assessment
We aim to support your progress towards successfully meeting the DfE Teachers' Standards so that you can be recommended for the award of QTS when you complete the course. Rather than offering formal 'lectures', we prefer to engage our students in small groups. This allows our teacher trainers to model and share good practice effectively and offer you personalised and meaningful support.
You will be expected to participate in individual and group work during classroom sessions, and we will offer tutorials to supplement class-based learning. For some elements, we will use specialist equipment to develop and consolidate your practical teaching skills ready for the secondary sector. We will encourage you to reflect on your practice and identify your strengths and weaknesses. Reflective practice is an effective way to support your progress and help cement your learning.
Our assessment strategy supports your professional development and reflective practice. The modules are assessed in various ways, including portfolios of evidence of lesson planning and teaching resources, written essays, reflective writing, collaborative work, and presentations.
School-based experiences will be arranged for you and form a core component of the programme. Your learning and progress throughout the PGCE will support your learning and progress towards your recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status. During school placements, your teaching practice will be measured and assessed against the Department for Education Teachers' Standards and documented through session planning, observation reports and reflective journals.
You will receive informal feedback on your performance to help you assess your progress and improve your practice, as well as formal assessment that will contribute to your overall grade for the course. You will evidence your progress on our online learning platform. This will form the portfolio of evidence for you to be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status if you successfully meet the Teachers' Standards at the end of your course.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Positive Classroom Environments
- How Pupils Learn
- Adaptive Teaching
- Inspiring Learning
- Preparation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
- Subject and Curriculum Knowledge (Computing)
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 27% Placement/study abroad 63% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 10% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
