School of Education
PGCE Courses
The University of Leicester's PGCE courses have been designed to give you the knowledge, skills and practical experience you'll need to excel at teaching in a primary or secondary school.
Both Primary and Secondary PGCE courses combine the latest thinking and research into education policy and practice with hands-on experience in the classroom - around two thirds of your time will be spent on teaching placements in schools.
We’re delighted that in 2024, Ofsted graded our initial teacher training programmes as Outstanding. This means that both our Primary and Secondary teacher training adheres to the highest standards set by the Department for Education.
According to the report, “trainees are exceptionally positive about the high quality of training they receive. They benefit from an ambitious curriculum, delivered by experts, and supported by relevant, up-to-date research. Trainees have ample opportunities to integrate theory and practice. They learn to be instinctively reflective, and this helps them to decide the beliefs and values they will hold as a teacher. Trainees gain rich experiences in schools with different contexts.”
Read the full report.
Primary courses
Our Primary (ages 5-11) PGCE course will qualify you to teach confidently and competently in all areas of the Primary National Curriculum. You can choose from:
PGCE Primary (University-led)
1 year, full-time
This is for you if... you have an undergraduate degree and you want to train to become a primary school teacher by developing your understanding of pedagogy, whilst gaining experience in a variety of schools.
PGCE Primary (Lead Partners)
1 year, full-time
This is for you if... you have an undergraduate degree and you would like to train to teach 5-11 year-olds as part of the Lead Partners scheme.
Secondary courses
Our secondary PGCE courses will enable you to turn your passion for a particular subject into inspirational learning opportunities for the children and young people you teach. You can choose from:
- English
- Geography
- History
- History with Classics
- Mathematics
- Modern Languages
- Religious Education
- Science (Biology, Chemistry or Physics)
- Social Science
PGCE Secondary (University-led)
1 year, full-time
This is for you if... you have an undergraduate degree and would like to train to teach either 11-16 or 11-18 year-olds.
PGCE Secondary (Lead Partners)
1 year, full-time
This is for you if... you have a degree and would like to train to teach either 11-16 or 11-18 year-olds as part of the Lead Partners scheme.