Secondary Education Biology PGCE (11-16)

We offer our students an exceptional training experience – if you’re looking for a lifelong, challenging and exciting career, teaching may be for you.

The Biology subject knowledge programme aims to support and develop you to become a confident and competent educator. As a part of our distinctive and ambitious curriculum you will understand and apply knowledge of:

- Science Capital

- Science in Society

- Science Outside the Classroom

- Health & Safety processes

Subject sessions will take part in a laboratory classroom, to encourage modelling of classroom teaching skills and active exploration and trialling of common Enquiry Types. You will explore how to teach key concepts of Biology through exploring ways in which the curriculum can be taught. You will explore strategies to decolonise the science curriculum and embed Sustainability issues, while appreciating how young people develop key concepts over time, identified within statutory guidance and GCSE specifications.

Sessions will be led by science specialist tutors, exploring current and contemporary debates about the nature of learning and teaching science. The taught programme will complement your development of core teaching skills on placement, and provide a theoretical model to help you evaluate the impact of innovative teaching strategies. You will develop a critical understanding of how to design sequences of learning to support and encourage pupil progress. You will also be introduced to essential aspects of Physics and Chemistry, so that you are prepared to teach Science across the curriculum.

You’ll be supported by a range of experienced professionals, both during school placements and by academic staff at the university. The programme aims to help you become an engaging and effective teacher within the 11–16 age range, and provides the input and opportunities that could enable you to teach post-16.

We were founded as a teaching college 175 years ago, and following the introduction of new quality requirements, our Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), have successfully achieved reaccreditation in 2022 by the Department of Education.

Our ITT courses have also recently been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, with inspectors highlighting their ‘unique’ emphasis on sustainability and the University’s strong partnership with schools.

A brand-new campus
It’s planned that this course will be taught at UoG’s new campus in Gloucester city centre from September 2025.

The vibrant campus will be at the heart of the regeneration of Gloucester city centre. It will bring an iconic building back to life as a modern centre for teaching, learning and community partnerships, through placements, research and outreach activity, and provide cutting-edge facilities for your course.

Study style
The PGCE Secondary course is split into 3 phases which allow trainee teachers to learn and embed knowledge and skills related to their teaching practice.

- Developing – From September

- Broadening- From January

- Enhancing- From April