PGCE Initial Teacher Training Secondary

Fees and funding

There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students

Fees

The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:

• Library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
• Access to programme-appropriate software
• Library and student IT support
• Free on-campus wifi via eduroam

Additional costs

Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:

• accommodation and living expenditure
• books (should you wish to have your own copies)
• printing, photocopying and stationery
• PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
• mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
• field trips (travel and activity costs)
• placements (travel expenses and living costs)
• student visas (international students only)
• study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
• academic conferences (travel costs)
• professional-body membership
• graduation (gown hire etc)

Funding

There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.

Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.

Full-time PGDE students are eligible for the same range of financial support as undergraduate students

You will have access to:

• a non means-tested student loan to cover your tuition fees
• a means-tested student loan to help cover your living expenses
• a means-tested maintenance grant, which does not have to be paid back
• a means-tested LJMU Bursary worth up to £500, which does not have to be paid back

Subject-specific bursaries are available to support those training to teach. The amount of bursary depends on your subject and degree classification. Find out more at Get into Teaching.

Confirmed 2023/24 Bursaries:

The following subject areas are now subject to a £27,000 tax-free bursary:

• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics

The following subject areas are now subject to a £25,000 tax-free bursary:

• Geography
• Languages

The following subject areas are now subject to a £20,000 tax-free bursary:

• Biology
• Design and Technology

The following subject areas are now subject to a £15,000 tax-free bursary:

• English

If you are eligible for a bursary you do not need to apply for one; once you are enrolled at LJMU you will begin receiving payments from the beginning of your course.

Bursaries are often available to those training to teach in a variety of subjects. Please refer to the Get Into Teaching website for more details when they are published.

Alternatively, if you have a good first degree, you can apply for a scholarship from professional subject bodies such as the IoP, RSC, IMA and BCS. Find out more at Get into Teaching.

Please be aware non-UK national trainees in languages and physics are now eligible for bursaries and scholarships.

For the latest information about bursaries and funding, please visit the Get into Teaching website.

Employability

Further your career prospects

LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.

Teacher Training employment prospects at LJMU are extremely good, with most subjects exceeding the national averages.

The PGDE course is intended for those preparing to enter the teaching profession and most of our students go on to achieve their career goal, working in state or independent schools and colleges. Teaching provides a variety of pathways leading to specialist roles ranging from pastoral to subject leadership and on into school leadership positions.

After completing your PGDE you can progress to the MA Education Practice programme for Early Career Teachers (ECTs) which will enable you to complete a full MA during your first year of employment.

Having gained teaching experience, a number of graduates move into associated professions such as educational psychology, consultancy, and in the education service sector outside of schools.

Teaching

An insight into teaching on your course

Study hours

University-based study includes: 

• a full-time block of three weeks at the start of the course in September
• one day per week until January
• six one-week study blocks at university between October and June
• a number of conference days throughout the year

You will undertake a significant amount of independent study and preparation to support your course assignments and school-based work (planning, preparation and assessment); and should be prepared to work some evenings and weekends.

Teaching methods

You will be taught in lead lectures, workshops and seminars, involving group discussion and reflection, problem solving and micro-teaching. You will also make use of our online virtual learning environment.

You will be allocated a School-based Mentor, who will organise and supervise your school-based training. Your Mentor will be supported by your LJMU tutor who will visit your school several times to monitor your progress. Additional professional development sessions are organised in school during placements. 

Tutorial support is an important part of the LJMU learning process and you will receive a personalised service that will enable you to set targets and achieve your potential. Your LJMU Tutor will support your academic and professional development and will meet with you formally during the year.

The University element of the programme is based around modules focusing on developing theory and practice. They will cover areas such as: 

• critiquing effective approaches to learning, teaching and assessment in your subject
• promoting inclusive, engaging and impactful sequences of lessons to meet the diverse needs all learners
• informed and deliberate use of educational research methods to improve learning

Applied learning

You will spend 120 days on school placement.

Placements are organised, by our Work-Based Learning Unit, in our Partnership schools in the Greater Merseyside area. For the majority of the training you will gain your teaching experience in a ‘Home School’ with a shorter ‘Alternate Placement’ in a different school setting in January/February. This innovative model ensures you feel genuinely part of the staff whilst on school placement and can monitor and gain satisfaction from your impact on your pupils’ progress over time.

School-based training involves the preparation and delivery of learning sequences and lessons to small groups and whole classes of learners, with expectations and workload increasing during the course. This work is supported by a school-based Teacher-mentor, who will enhance your professional learning experience in school, and your LJMU Tutor.

Assessment

How learning is monitored on your programme

PGDE assessment methods include: critical reflections on theory and practice, engaging with practitioner enquiry (as both a consumer and producer of research), the design and evaluation of learning experiences, and presentations.

On your placement, you will need to monitor your progression towards achieving the professional standards required for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and to maintain a professional development portfolio associated with these.

A final assessment of your achievement of the Teachers’ Standards required will be based on co-observation and assessment of your teaching practice, with your mentor and tutor, and the evidence of pupils’ learning and progress in the classes that you teach.

Entry requirements

You will need:

Additional requirements

• Relevant work experience
  • significant experience in a school or other employment context

International requirements

• IELTS
  • IELTS score 7.0 (Minimum  6.5 in each component)