The Student Room Group

PGCE- where?

Hey,


I'm trying to establish a list of primary PGCE courses that i wish to apply to and feel i need some advice from those who have already completed a PGCE course.

I have heard that the course is really intensive and that i pretty much won't have time for a life outside of the course. Sound right? Ideally i would like to move somewhere new, as it would allow me to meet new people and experience a new place. However, if the above is true then there is not much point as i'm not going to have time to socialise or meet new people? I'm thinking that it maybe best if i just go to my old university of which i'm familiar with and have supportive friends about?

I've also heard that what university you do the course at does not really matter as the PGCE course is standardised at all universities by the government, correct? If this is not the case i need to factor university reputation and quality into my decision.


Thanks!

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There's a league table somewhere.

The Institute of Education and Cambridge are the best.
Reply 2
Hi,

You can compare universities on this league table for Education (including PGCE courses).

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6643

I'm starting a PGCE course this September, and will anticipate a year of no-social-life too.

I think you're right in saying that PGCE courses are standardised, but I believe going to a good university will be more beneficial than a poor university - teaching quality, resources etc.

Hope this helps.
Reply 3
It is correct that the courses are standardized. So it really does not matter. Teaching quality, mentor and support availability vary though. I know a couple of places that are especially good and some that are pretty poor.
Reply 4
I just want to stay at Birmingham so badly
Reply 5
santogold
It is correct that the courses are standardized. So it really does not matter. Teaching quality, mentor and support availability vary though. I know a couple of places that are especially good and some that are pretty poor.


Thanks, care to share where?
Reply 6
London Met and is not really good at providing support. This is from friends who studied there. i

Goldsmiths and IOE are supposed to be really good in London. I am not sure about Bham but have never heard anything bad about the Uni.... it is supposed to be quite good. And Wolverhampton is supposed to be good too.
Reply 7
la fille danse
There's a league table somewhere.

The Institute of Education and Cambridge are the best.


where did you get this tripe from?
Reply 8
phoenix01
Hi,

You can compare universities on this league table for Education (including PGCE courses).

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/single.htm?ipg=6643

I'm starting a PGCE course this September, and will anticipate a year of no-social-life too.

I think you're right in saying that PGCE courses are standardised, but I believe going to a good university will be more beneficial than a poor university - teaching quality, resources etc.

Hope this helps.


ed. studies and initial teacher training can be two very different things, but i don't think the tables take this into consideration. for example, a pgce course may include a high amount of teaching-only staff (either employed directly by the uni or hired for a few lecturers a year from schools etc), which sort of contradicts the table because research data is included (and there are research-only staff working within the academic part of the education depts.). it's a big silly mess really. further, because some of the best pgce providers are not research power houses, they are lower in the tables, despite the fact that their teaching quality is deemed to be excellent. things like this make finding a pgce provider difficult.
Reply 9
fivebyfive
Hey,


I'm trying to establish a list of primary PGCE courses that i wish to apply to and feel i need some advice from those who have already completed a PGCE course.

I have heard that the course is really intensive and that i pretty much won't have time for a life outside of the course. Sound right? Ideally i would like to move somewhere new, as it would allow me to meet new people and experience a new place. However, if the above is true then there is not much point as i'm not going to have time to socialise or meet new people? I'm thinking that it maybe best if i just go to my old university of which i'm familiar with and have supportive friends about?

I've also heard that what university you do the course at does not really matter as the PGCE course is standardised at all universities by the government, correct? If this is not the case i need to factor university reputation and quality into my decision.


Thanks!


i think it's important to consider whether you want to do a pgce specifically or a scitt. further, another important thing to consider is whether you want to teach in an inner city school (e.g. in birmingham) or in a little rural community school (e.g. in somerset). from what i've seen as a pgce grad (and phd student in ed. studies), inner city east london schools like to employ people with teaching experience in inner cities - having a multi-ethnic teaching practice can really help your cv in these contexts, and thus applying to exeter (which is easily one of the top schools of ed. in the country could be a problem because the work placed opportunities are limited mainly to regional (southwest) schools (though there is a scheme to let a few go to london now). in contrast, an inner city provider very low in the table would offer you good inner-city experience.

edit: pgce providers are regulated by various bodied such as ofsted, so in theory you should be ok going anywhere, BUT the quality of your pgce is contingent upon the quality of your school-based placement, and the quality of schools vary nationally. i guess the websites at the unis will boast about their ofsted grades. exeter and cambridge have the highest amount of top-rated pgce subjects apparently, but i don't think this means your education would necessarily better because it depends on the quality of your school placements (and this debate includes the inner city vs rural placement stuff discussed above)
LINK

Bishop Grosseteste Has a good reputation for wanting to become a teacher, that's what the university is dedicated to.

Edit: Just read the above post, the university is in the city of lincoln. The placements are likely to be in small surrounding towns. But the website can probably give more information about the placements.
Reply 11
hiya :smile:
does anyone know if Nottingham trent is good for the primary pgce?
xx
Yep! It's a good place to be :smile:

Dylan is the KING, btw :wink:
Reply 13
all hail bobby :cool:
i'm guessing that your boosh is mighty...i LOVE noel fielding
Does anyone know what Oxford Brookes, Reading and Bath Spa are like for their PGCEs? I am so undecided where i want to go, glad i'm taking a gap year to give myself another year!
i know brookes teacher training well. top notch. bastards have poaches a prof. of mine from exeter, and a some MAJOR player in special educational needs have taught there/teach there (MAJOR players).

bath spa is a campus in the middle of nowhere. city is lovely there. teacher training is not something to complain about but nothing special i guess (nothing like exeter or bristol which are in the same region i.e. southwest and have the best education depts. in the uk, + a few others (moray house [edinburgh], cambridge etc). dont go to spa, go to bristol or exeter if you want southwest.

not sure about reading. never heard anything about it.
the one thing i will say - it all depends on where you want to teach afterwards. exeter and bath could have you teaching in little village school, but in reading your may have more of an inner city set-up, and this *could* give you the edge in when applying for jobs. if you want inner-city manchester/london etc then go to reading. if you want rural or smaller schools then bath spa. it all depends on where you want to live after.
BobD
all hail bobby :cool:
i'm guessing that your boosh is mighty...i LOVE noel fielding


:smile: i loved series 1. series 2 was 50:50, and ive not seen 3! but before it became super big i loved it and the name was quirky. now my username is a bit common!
The Boosh
i know brookes teacher training well. top notch. bastards have poaches a prof. of mine from exeter, and a some MAJOR player in special educational needs have taught there/teach there (MAJOR players).

bath spa is a campus in the middle of nowhere. city is lovely there. teacher training is not something to complain about but nothing special i guess (nothing like exeter or bristol which are in the same region i.e. southwest and have the best education depts. in the uk, + a few others (moray house [edinburgh], cambridge etc). dont go to spa, go to bristol or exeter if you want southwest.

not sure about reading. never heard anything about it.


Thanks for the info. Is that Bristol or Bristol UWE?
bristol.