Newman University College, PGCE, Secondary Education (English)

This course prepares students to teach English in secondary schools, covering the implementation of the National Curriculum, the literacy framework and GCSE requirements; successful completion of this course leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) subject to satisfactory performance in skills tests; teaching related subjects such as drama and media as part of English are considered as well as looking at the post-16 curriculum; building on their English studies at undergraduate level, students develop classroom skills and are introduced to the latest debates in English teaching; they develop skills to teach both language and literature and encourage a love of reading amongst the children you work with which, hopefully, will stay with them throughout their adult lives; students develop a range of strategies to communicate the laws of grammar and develop the writing abilities of pupils across the 11-16 age range; the course has also been designed with a focus on information communication technology, reflecting both Newman’s expertise and its importance to the wider community; students also develop skills such as classroom management and education policy and practice needed to be an effective teacher of English at secondary level; all students complete placements in secondary schools, usually in the West Midlands area.