Study Details: PGCE 1 year full-time
This course will prepare you to be a successful teacher of secondary school geography.
Introduce your students to the dynamic concepts that shape the amazing planet we live on. You’ll learn how to support students to become critical thinkers and develop their understanding of geographical place and natural processes, while considering how human influence can dramatically change the dynamic equilibrium of our planet.
Working within a large partnership of experienced geography specialists, and alongside a supportive team of subject mentors, you will begin your journey to becoming an excellent geography teacher, who can inspire students to become conscious global citizens.
Choosing your path
You can choose to study this course as a University of York PGCE trainee or through our partnership with Pathfinder Teaching School Hub. The following routes are open to you:
Pathfinder trainees work with University of York PGCE trainees at the University for Curriculum Area sessions. Whole School Issues sessions are usually delivered in the partner school.
Each route has a different course code and institution code. Please see our information on applying for details.
Accreditation
On successfully completion of this course you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is awarded by the Department for Education (DfE).
2:2 or equivalent in Geography or a related subject at 2:2 or above. We also accept combined honours degrees where geography or a related subject makes up at least 50% of the award.
For fees and funding options, please visit website to find out more
Most of our graduates become teachers, but the skills you learn will open other career paths too.
Placements
Over the course of your two secondary teaching placements you’ll have the opportunity to work with different age groups (including gaining some post-16 experience), with different abilities and with students of varying dispositions. You’ll work in different types of schools and subject departments.
You’ll have the opportunity to experience the pastoral side of each school by being actively involved with a tutor group. You will be able to engage with the wider life of each school by participating in school trips, parents’ evenings, open evenings, events such as school concerts and lunchtime/after school clubs.
First placement
Observation
You'll undertake a number of observations both within your subject specialism and more widely. You may also teach a small number of lesson segments.
Teaching Placement Block 1
You’ll teach approximately 8-12 lessons over the course of about five weeks.
Teaching Placement Block 2
You’ll teach 10-12 one hour lessons per week. This is about 50% of an average teacher’s timetable.
Second placement
At the beginning of your second placement, you’ll carry on teaching about 50% of an average teacher’s timetable. Towards the end of the placement, you might be given the opportunity to take on additional teaching, up to 75% of a teacher’s timetable.
Additional placements
Primary
In addition to the two teaching placements which occur in contrasting secondary schools, you will also participate in a primary placement which will develop your understanding of primary and secondary transition issues.
Professional enrichment
Towards the end of your course, you'll participate in an additional one-week placement which will give you experience of areas you haven't already worked in. This could mean participating in exciting and relevant curriculum-based projects in schools, or gaining experience of non-mainstream education settings such as Pupil Referral Units or schools for young people with additional needs.
Before starting a placement that forms part of your course, you are likely to be asked by the placement provider to sign a confidentiality agreement. This is to ensure that you do not disclose any information that is confidential to the placement provider.
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