Further Education and Skills PGCE

Top reasons to choose this course

• Learn with an Ofsted ‘good’ provider.
• Fully supported placements to grow your knowledge, skills and confidence.
• In addition to your PGCE, you can apply for Qualified Teaching and Learning Skill status (QTLS) once you have completed the course and are in employment.
• Excellent employment rates for our graduates, with most gaining their first teaching post soon after graduation.
• Be taught by an expert team of further education practitioners.
• At university you’ll have access to over 30,000 specialist resources including books, DVDs, games and an online catalogue in our curriculum centre.

Course structure

This course is delivered through taught sessions at the Falmer campus and on placement in a further education setting.

Taught sessions at the university normally take place on a Wednesday where you will build on and enhance your strengths. Sessions include seminars and tutorials, self-directed study, peer-teaching sessions, practical workshops, shared expertise sessions with leading practitioners and reflexive learning.

You will spend two days a week teaching under supervision in one of our local partnerships which include further education colleges, sixth form colleges, a land-based college (Plumpton) as well as Lewes Prison, DV8 and the Connected Hub.

Our tutors and mentors will advise and support you throughout your placement. You will receive comprehensive feedback during this time which will enable you to see what you are doing well and where you might need to improve.

Areas of study

This course is made up of four modules each comprising 30 Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) points and the final award provides 120 points at either professional or postgraduate level.

Modules

• Teaching My Subject

  This module introduces you to teaching and learning, including the role of a teacher; how to effectively engage learners in learning; how to plan, deliver and evaluate effective, subject-specific lessons that promote student learning and are adapted for individual learning needs; and how to plan a series of lessons that support inclusive learning of subject-specific content and wider FES such as the embedding of numeracy, literacy, employability and digital skills.

• Teaching Practice 1

  Through teaching practice, you will develop skills and knowledge in pedagogic theory, learning and assessment, lesson design and subject-specific pedagogy, demonstrating competencies against the Learning and Skills Teacher Occupational Standards. The module also equips you to reflect upon and critically evaluate your experiences so you can identify professional strengths and areas for development and set appropriate targets for improvement.

• Teacher as a Researcher

  In this module you will be able to further your critical understanding of your subject-specific teaching practices through a research project. The module includes opportunities to take part in action learning sets to enable you to develop a reflective and collaborative approach to your own professional practices.

• Teaching Practice 2

  This module builds on Teaching Practice 1, providing opportunities for you to develop autonomy in pedagogic theory, learning and assessment, lesson design and subject specific pedagogy so you can demonstrate competencies against the Learning and Skills Teacher Occupational Standards. You will also reflect upon and critically evaluate your experiences, to identify your professional strengths and areas and targets for improvement in your post-qualification phase.

Course content is kept up to date with changes in local and national initiatives and legislation, so you will be confident that your working knowledge is based on current theory and practice.

Some of the specialist areas that trainees have studied on this course include English, maths, art and design, music tech/performance, sociology, health, hairdressing, psychology, sport, sport science, law, history, business, engineering and science.

Placements

You’ll undertake two placements on this course.

The first is required to be a minimum of 250 hours in duration, with at least 150 hours of teaching practice, enabling you to gain a full sense of the everyday activities of a teacher. Of the 150 teaching hours, at least 100 should be in your subject area. You'll be expected to gain experience of remote teaching alongside face-to-face delivery.

The second placement must be for at least 20 hours. These hours can be observation, CPD and other activities to give a sense of the approach within that area.

Our staff will ensure that you are well prepared throughout your placement and that you have all the support and guidance needed to make the most of these opportunities.

You will start by observing teachers, then with assisting and team teaching, before taking responsibility for planning, delivering and assessing learning yourself.

You will have additional time to find out about the extent of the work of the organisation, including areas of specific interest such as learning support and quality assurance.

Key aims of placements

• Advance the development of your professional attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding.
• Provide practical and specific experiences that enable you to critically analyse your professional practice and take responsibility for your own professional development.
• Enable you to work collaboratively with colleagues in order to develop an understanding of the ways in which the attainment, development and wellbeing of all learners can be achieved with a unified support and teaching system.
• Provide opportunities that enable you to adopt a creative and constructively critical approach towards your practice, supported by appropriate reading and research.

During your placement, university tutors, college mentors and teachers will support you and take shared responsibility for your professional development.

Organising your college-based training
Our Partnership Office will organise your placement for you which will be in a college or sixth form setting. We work hard to ensure that you have placement opportunities that will give you valuable and varied experiences in the area of education in which you are interested.

How it works
We will ask you to complete a placement information form when you start your course, and will use this information to match you to a suitable placement. We will consider your previous experience, travelling distance, the subject you wish to teach and your current needs.

Once we have matched you with a placement, the team in the Partnership Office will confirm the placement as quickly as possible with the college or organisation. They will then contact you with the confirmed details. Almost all of our placements are with partner schools or organisations in south-east England, the majority in East and West Sussex.

Meet the course leader

Belinda Garlick

“I joined the University of Brighton as course lead and partnership coordinator for the Further Education and Skills PGCE in September 2021.

“Prior to joining the university, I had 10 years of experience teaching in further education colleges in both London and Brighton. My subject specialism was Sport and Physical Education, which I taught until I moved over to teacher training in September 2019.

“Alongside my teaching roles at college, I was a teaching and learning coach for six years, working regularly with other teachers in the sector to assist in improving their practice. I also mentored PGCE trainees each year and hold a masters level mentoring qualification. 

“My passion is research-informed education practice, and this underpins my teaching. I enjoy encouraging my trainees to be reflective practitioners who experiment with their teaching and make informed decisions on the methods that are the most effective for student learning. 

“I work alongside a partnership of five colleges in Sussex and Surrey to provide the best career and networking opportunities for our trainees, both during their qualification and into their future teaching careers.”

Ofsted

Graded ‘good’ by Ofsted for further education in our 2024 Initial Teacher Education inspection.

Ofsted commended us on many aspects of our courses, saying:

• Trainees shine at Brighton’s long-established and highly impressive teacher training programmes.
• The care and dedication shown by staff towards trainees is superb.
• Trainees are at the heart of everything. They are valued and expertly supported throughout the course.
• The curriculum skilfully equips trainees in safeguarding, behaviour management and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Trainees impress the placement settings they work in because of their professionalism and aptitude to apply what they have learned.

Partner college courses 

Full-time and part-time post-16 teacher education courses are also offered by our partner colleges, including routes for those currently teaching or who will have a guaranteed post in the further education and training sector for the academic year in which the course starts. 

Upon successful completion, you will receive either a PGCE or a Certificate in Education from the University of Brighton.

You can choose to study at:

• Bexhill College
• East Sussex College Group
• Brighton MET
• Plumpton College
• Reigate College.

Our partner colleges provide access to specialist facilities and knowledge and offer the opportunity of being able to study locally whilst working towards a university qualification. You’ll also have access to University of Brighton facilities including student support services, study support, the Brighton Students’ Union and library and computing resources.

Find out more about the courses and how to apply on our partners websites.

• Bexhill College
• Brighton MET
• East Sussex College Group
• Plumpton College
• Reigate College.

Useful links

The following organisations provide additional information about the further education and training sector.

• Education and Training Foundation is a government-backed, sector-led national support body for the further education and training sector.
• Society for Education and Training is the only membership body dedicated to professionals working across further education, vocational teaching and training.
• Association of Colleges represent and promote the interests of colleges and provide members with high-quality professional support services, including training, events and recruitment.

Course fees

Bursaries

Bursaries of up to £31,000 are being offered for selected course subjects starting in 2025. 

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

Local area

Maps

Support and wellbeing

Sport at Brighton