PGCE Secondary Mathematics
Course overview
Start date
September 2020
Subject area
Teaching and Education
Attendance
Full-time
Learning
On campus, dual delivery
Course summary
This course leads to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for the 11-to-16 age range, which qualifies you to be a teacher in secondary schools in England and Wales. Where possible, we also give you the chance to gain experience in the 11-to-18 age range.
Successful education is built on strong subject teaching. Learners need highly skilled specialist mathematics teachers to inspire and challenge them.
Good maths teachers are always in demand. In fact, more teacher training places were allocated to mathematics in 2014/15 than any other subject (source NCTL 2015).
It means that when you train to teach the subject, you could be eligible for the highest range of tax-free training bursaries – or a prestigious scholarship from the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.
A career in teaching mathematics offers the job satisfaction of giving all young people the chance to conquer a subject that's integral to their long-term success.
Return to campus: dual delivery
In a Covid-secure environment, enjoy learning on our state-of-the-art campuses and flex between online delivery
Find out more90%
of trainees in a teaching post within six months
The overall proportion of our Secondary PGCE teacher trainees who are in a teaching post within six months of completing the course. Ahead of the sector average.
100
partnership schools
The number of secondary schools we work with across East London and into Essex in which our students undertake full placements. When they gain employment, most of our students secure jobs within our partnership schools.
SKE
Subject Knowledge Enhancement
We are proud of our longstanding practice of supporting non-traditional students. Our pre-course subject knowledge enhancement courses allow you to reinforce your degree with the subject knowledge you need to qualify as a specialist teacher.
Fees and funding
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will be automatically cancelled.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Maintenance Loan
You can apply for a loan to help with living costs such as food, travel and accommodation. How much you can borrow depends on where you live and study, and whether you are currently on welfare benefits. The maximum loan you can apply for is £12,729.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Supplementary Grants
The government also offer the following additional support:
- Parents' Learning Allowance
- Adult Dependants' Grant
- Childcare Grant
- Disabled Students’ Allowance
- All nursing and many allied health students on courses from September 2020 will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year from the government.
For further information visit gov.uk/student-finance or contact Student Finance England.
All students will receive:
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
- Care Leaver and Foyer Bursary - up to £1,500
- Progression Bursary - up to £2,000
- Engagement Bursary - up to £2,000
- Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
- Helena Kennedy Foundation - £1,500
- Going Global – awards range from £300 - £700
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
- Vice Chancellor Scholarship - up to £27,750 over three years
- Dean Scholarship - up to £13,500 over three years
- Civic Engagement Scholarship - £1,000
- EU Scholarship (EU Only) - £1,000
- ELSEF Scholarship - £1,000
- UTC Scholarship - £1,500
- Sports Scholarships - up to £6,000
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the list below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you are a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will automatically be cancelled.
For information visit gov.uk/student-finance
Please note EU students can only apply for their funding using a paper application form.
To download a form visit www.gov.uk/student-finance-forms
All students will receive:
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
- Care Leaver and Foyer Bursary - up to £1,500
- Progression Bursary - up to £2,000
- Engagement Bursary - up to £2,000
- Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
- Helena Kennedy Foundation - £1,500
- Going Global – awards range from £300 - £700
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
- Vice Chancellor Scholarship - up to £27,750 over three years
- Dean Scholarship - up to £13,500 over three years
- Civic Engagement Scholarship - £1,000
- EU Scholarship (EU Only) - £1,000
- ELSEF Scholarship - £1,000
- UTC Scholarship - £1,500
- Sports Scholarships - up to £6,000
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the list below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you are a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
At UEL, we understand that studying in another country is a big financial commitment. If you apply early for an undergraduate, you may be entitled to a scholarship of up to £3,000.You can find out more about the international scholarships here.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) also run an Emergency International Fund to assist international students in hardship.
You can contact our SMART team on 02082233333 or study@uel.ac.uk
As part of the Tier 4 student visa requirements, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) estimate that you will need £1,265* per month to cover your living costs. It includes expenses for accommodation, food and drink, travel within London, text books, entertainment, clothing, toiletries and laundry. Most Tier 4 students are required to show they have sufficient funds to cover the first nine months of the course before they start- a total of £11,385- in addition to the tuition fees. You can find more information about the specific requirements of the Tier 4 student visa here. The amount that you will spend can vary depending on your lifestyle. The UKCISA International Student Calculator can help you plan and manage your money. Please make sure you also factor in the fees for the visa application and immigration health surcharge when budgeting.
* Please note the Immigration Rules are subject to change and this figure is likely to be increased by UKVI year on year. Please therefore check our ISA pages for more information at the time of preparing your visa application.
Deposits and paying by instalments
International students are required to pay a deposit prior to being issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
Your remaining balance will be paid in five monthly instalments over your first term. The first of these instalments must be paid when completing your enrolment on arrival at UEL. Please follow the payment instructions here.
After the required payment has been made, you will be asked to complete the online International Student Reply Form to confirm your acceptance of our offer and of our terms of admittance and fees policy.
Our International team at UEL are available for advice and guidance on studying in London, fees, scholarships and visa requirements.
Email: international@uel.ac.uk
Entry requirements
All applicants MUST have GCSE English and Maths grade A*-C.
The entire interview process lasts about three hours. During the interview you will be asked to talk about a current educational issue. Please ensure you have done some research into current educational issues in advance of the interview. You could, for example, read recent editions of the Times Educational Supplement.
Our aim is to find out as much as we can about your attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding in order to shape training opportunities for you, should you be offered a place on the programme.
Your responses to these tasks and activities will be considered alongside all the other evidence to assess your suitability for the Secondary PGCE programme.
During the individual interview you will be given the chance to talk with a tutor about the programme and any other issues that are relevant.
Teacher Professional Skills tests remain in place for those looking to begin an initial teacher education (ITE) course prior to April 30th 2020. For those applicants starting their ITE programme in September 2020, professional skills test passes are not required. Numeracy and literacy competence will be embedded in the ITE programme and assessed as the courses progresses.
- can read effectively and are able to communicate clearly and accurately in standard English
- possess the appropriate qualities, attitudes and values expected of a teacher
- have the intellectual and academic capabilities needed to meet the Teachers’ Standards
The process of selection will involve:
- review of UCAS Teacher Training application form
- an English task
- a Mathematics task
- an assessed collaborative activity
Applicants are required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for Regulated Activity.
As you will have close contact with children and/or vulnerable adults on the this course, you will be required to have a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure certificate.
You need to complete this process prior to starting the course. Failure to complete this process will impact you going on placement as part of the course.
Further information is available here
It is a legal requirement that you are assessed as fit to teach in order to be given an unconditional offer on our programmes. Teaching is a demanding activity and there are fitness requirements set by the Department for Education for applicants to teacher training.
Maitland Medical undertakes the screening process for physical and mental fitness to teach. An online questionnaire must be completed and a fee of £55.00 must be paid upon submission. You will need to contact Maitland Medical at mail@maitlandmedical.co.uk or phone 0208 295 8250 in order to apply.
Maitland Medical will notify UEL when an assessment has been made so that we can update our records. These records will be checked prior to your placements to ensure that you are fully cleared to attend.
Trainee teachers with special needs and/or disabilities are very successful on our programmes particularly when they disclose their needs before registration. If you do have a particular need or disability we strongly encourage you to disclose this as soon as possible so that we can assess the level of support you may need and to which you are entitled.
Non-UK qualifications
GCSE equivalent qualifications taken outside the UK will be assessed in line with UK NARIC and NCTL guidance.
What you'll learn
We will support you to develop as a great mathematics teacher who can bring the subject to life by devising and delivering a diverse range of engaging lessons that educate and excite all pupils.
The subject studies element of the course will show you how to break down barriers and find ways to help both struggling and high-achieving students develop skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematics in the secondary school context.
You will be guided by specialist tutors who have relevant teaching experience and who often contribute to educational research, policy and curriculum developments in your subject.
You will learn about children and child development in the core Active Inquiry and Technology-Enhanced Learning modules with the rest of the Secondary PGCE cohort.
For example, if the topic is behaviour management, your seminar group discussion will look at what managing behaviour means for a maths teacher compared with a PE teacher or an English teacher.
What you'll study and when
We consistently review and develop our courses and modules to ensure they are up-to-date with sector and industry graduate skills demands. Course structure, modules and options are subject to change.
School-Based Learning: Reflections on Practice
Research informed practice
Securing Pupil Progress
Active Inquiry and Intervention: impacting upon Pupil Progress
How you'll be assessed
To pass your PGCE and be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status, you have to demonstrate that you have met the Teachers’ Standards.
While the course is modular, the emphasis is on the whole process of your development as a teacher. So, rather than a fragmentary approach, there is ongoing assessment, charting the often subtle transformations in your knowledge and understanding, and your practical skills.
Course specificationHow you'll learn
We are very well equipped for mathematics with two specialist base rooms, including multimedia training equipment and materials.
The subject studies element of your training programme enables you to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of mathematics in the secondary school context.
You will learn how to devise and deliver lessons that creatively tackle the subject's challenges – helping pupils with a range of abilities to achieve the best results possible.
There are three elements to our secondary training: subject studies, general professional studies and school-based training. It differs from courses offered by other universities in that it is very much subject-based.
The university-based training initially consists of weekly lectures on themes that are then developed in seminar groups. You will work both in subject-specific groups and in mixed-subject groups.
We organise our training so that it feels like a school. We teach students mainly in small groups of 30 rather than in large lecture halls of 150 or 300 because it is important that you have plenty of time in your subject groups.
Your subject tutor will be like your form tutor at school. We believe that we should model good practice to you so that you can learn by example.
Our ethos is based on collaboration, not competition. We encourage you to work collaboratively just as you will when you qualify and start working in a school.
You will undertake long placements in contrasting schools, totalling 24 weeks. We work in partnership with over 100 schools and colleges to provide a high-quality programme of support.
You will be on placement from week three, so right from the beginning of your training you will have a strong link between theory and practice.
While an experienced teacher will be in the classroom with you, it is you who will be planning the lessons and teaching the lessons. You will start by observing the teacher, then helping. By the end of the Secondary PGCE course, you will be teaching 60 per cent of a normal teacher’s timetable.
You will have the opportunity to visit additional schools and settings. For instance, if your first placement is in a mixed comprehensive school in Barking & Dagenham, then you might go to a single-sex faith school in Havering for your second one.
Our tutors and subject mentors will advise and support you throughout each placement as you learn to teach.
Your future career
The Secondary PGCE course at the University of East London was designed in 2001 in conjunction with the local authorities to address the secondary education teacher shortage in east London.
The partnership works with input and support from the London Boroughs of Barking & Dagenham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Redbridge.
It means that our graduates are represented in virtually every secondary school in east London. Some are now deputy heads or in senior management roles in schools that are taking our current trainees for their placements.
Across all subjects, from maths to modern languages, our teacher training graduates are acting as mentors to those following in their footsteps.
The partnership means that you have a head start when it comes to securing a teaching post in east London at the end of your training.
Both local authorities and individual schools visit our campus regularly to meet our trainees and advertise available vacancies.
You may also decide to undertake further study at the University of East London, either at the end of your course or after gaining teaching experience, perhaps specialising in Special Educational Needs or taking our MA Leadership in Education.
We also offer the opportunity for doctoral study to further develop your teaching knowledge and expertise.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal
