How are you assessed on our PGCE course?
There is no end of course examination. You will be assessed on an ongoing basis through your teaching performance during school experiences and through written coursework and computerised QTS Skills tests.
You will be expected to develop a range of competences appropriate to the role of a secondary school teacher, and meet Professional Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) determined by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).
A profile of your progress is created during the course and this provides evidence of your achievements. At the end of the course, this evidence forms the basis of a final report which is used to write your reference when applying for teaching posts in schools.
Your progress will be monitored both by your university tutors and your school mentors and will be shared with you throughout the course. In this way, you will develop awareness of your professional strengths and areas for development; the course is designed to provide you with appropriate experiences to help you to meet the full range of QTS Standards.
All trainees on PGCE courses in England are required to pass basic skills tests in numeracy, literacy and ICT. These are computerised tests set up by the Training and Development Agency for Schools. These tests can be taken at various centres in the East Midlands and in other parts of the country.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded the Loughborough University Post-Graduate Certificate in Education or the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education, and will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
The Loughborough Post-Graduate Certificate in Education course contributes 90 credits towards a masters degree programme. The full masters degree programme - entitled MSc in Education with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - requires 180 credits. The final part of the programme is completed on a part-time basis during the early years of teaching. Further information about the MSc in Education with QTS is provided in a separate section of this site.