iQTS Primary PGCE (5-11)

Placement School

• You are responsible for securing your own school placement of at least 120 days. You will need to provide evidence of your placement prior to submitting a formal application.
  • Occasionally we are able to support appropriate candidates in securing a school placement in Asia. Please send details of your preferred course and a copy of your CV to pedagogue@warwick.ac.uk. Subject to discussion with you, Pedagogue (a University agent based in Asia) may be able to assist in making introductions to schools. In all cases placements are subject to interview and full safeguarding checks.

• You will need to provide a complete school statement of support confirming among other things that they will provide you with an experienced school mentor.
• Once you receive a conditional offer, your school must also sign a Partnership Agreement

Minimum Academic requirements

• UK Bachelors degree with Honours at 2:2 or above, or equivalent level.
• At least Grade C/Grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics and Science*

Equivalency Tests

We accept third party equivalency tests in place of GCSEs.

The current providers that have been approved are as follows, with details of the current discounts that are available. If you are intending to use another equivalency testing company, we recommend you contact our admissions team prior to doing so to ensure that they meet the entry criteria.

Equivalency Testing

• Why choose Equivalency Testing? 
• Long standing company 
• Excellent student support 
• Secure testing 
• Good and quick feedback 
• Significant discount available for PGCE offer holders, please email cte.admissions@warwick.ac.uk for the code.

A Star Equivalency**

Why chose A Star Equivalency? 

• Excellent student support 
• A clear outline of required material in each exam 

• Rolling programme of live online subject specific support sessions. 
• An extensive range of free support material 
• Practice papers and marking schemes 
• Discounted from £165* to £139 (saving £26). Please contact cte.admissions@warwick.ac.uk for the discount code. 

If you are intending to use another equivalency testing company, we recommend you contact our admissions team prior to doing so to ensure that they meet the entry criteria. 

Documentation

You will be required to provide original documents or attested copies of all your qualifications to evidence that you meet the qualification entry requirements set out above. Information on who we will accept to attest your qualifications can be found here.Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window

If your qualification certificates are in a language other than English you must also provide an official translation of your certificates to allow us to ascertain equivalency.

English requirements

Your spoken and written English must be of an adequate standard for postgraduate study. If English is not your native language, you will need a minimum score of 6.5 (Band A) under the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Find out more about English requirements at Warwick.

Safeguarding & Suitability checks

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff, enrolled trainees and offer holders to share this commitment.

As part of the recruitment process your suitability to train to teach will be assessed in both your interview and by the provision of the following application supporting documents:

References
You will need to provide two appropriate references in support of your application. Both must be received directly from the referee from a business email address that can be verified.

At least one of your references should be from your current employer, and if you have ever worked with children, you should provide a reference from that employer.

It can take a while for a referee to complete and submit a reference on your behalf, so the sooner you get in touch with your referees, the better – you might want to send your referee a description of the course and what you’d like to get out of it to make it easier. You can learn more about what a reference should include hereLink opens in a new window.

Capacity to Teach
You will be required to complete a Health and Physical Capacity to Teach Declaration. This form will be shared with you to complete, once your application has been reviewed, your interview has taken place and you are made a conditional offer.

Checks by your placement school
Your placement school will need to complete a School statement of Support and a Partnership Agreement that confirms they have carried out the local safeguarding checks that they would perform for any other employee.
These could include:

• in-person ID checks
• local police checks
• obtaining a local version of a DBS certificate
• checking the local equivalents of the Prohibited List and the Children’s Barred List

Completion of the above to confirm your suitability for the profession is a condition of any offer to study on the iQTS programme with CTE. Disclosure does not automatically make you ineligible to enrol onto our programme, each application will be considered on a case by case basis.

For a Candidate who have ever lived or worked in the UK
You will be required to apply for an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) Upon securing a conditional offer, you will be asked to provide evidence of this.

Evidence of Police Checks
You will be required to provide a local police check for any and all countries where you have lived for six months or more within the last five years. These checks must cover the whole period of time you spent within those countries.

Classroom Experience

Although it is not a requirement for entry, we recommend that you have some experience in the classroom before applying. This experience will give you a flavour for your potential future career and will help you write your application.

PGCEi Entry Requirements

If you don't think you meet the entry requirements for the PGCE iQTS programme, please take a look at our PGCE International PrimaryLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window Programme to see if this might be a better fit.

*The new grading system for those receiving their results for GCSE English, Mathematics and English was adopted in 2017. The grading system is now 9-1, with Grade 9 awarded to those students in the very top tier. Grade 4 is considered equivalent to the old Grade C.

**Special offer for the University of Warwick students. Maths exams are available in Foundation or Higher. English, Science and Biology are untiered
If students require further support, we offer a range of low cost options.

Core Modules

Phase Studies 

This module is designed to heighten your awareness of the pedagogical approaches related to each subject/phase specialism. This will help you adopt a range of approaches and strategies to ensure your teaching is sufficiently diverse to challenge or support as appropriate in an international education setting. 

You engage critically and analytically with a range of theories and models which underpin effective teaching and learning. You'll develop the skills, knowledge and understanding required to be an effective teacher. You'll understand the impact this has on pupil progress in their subjects, building towards a vision for outstanding learning and teaching in your area of expertise that will underpin your practice on teaching placements.

You are required to observe or teach a minimum 15 maths sessions and 15 phonics sessions in your school over the course of the academic year.   

Professional Enquiry 

You will develop the skills, knowledge and understanding required to be an effective teacher and understand the impact this has on pupil progress in a range of international contexts.  

You'll also be introduced to skills and techniques to support your development as a reflective practitioner, gaining access to a wide variety of pedagogic styles and innovative methods for learning and teaching in international settings. Throughout the course, links between critical reflection and your subject specialisms will be emphasised, helping you to embrace the concept of a connected curriculum.  

Professional Practice 

This module is concerned with ensuring that you are able to teach children a broad and balanced curriculum giving consideration to the ways children learn best including learning through play. It will develop your subject knowledge as well as provide you with a wealth of teaching approaches and activities for each subject. This module includes regular meetings with your school mentor, as well as evaluations of professional practice through mentoring conversations on placement following lesson observations across a range of subjects.  

Assessment

You will be assessed through written Master’s level assignments, which are aimed at assessing your professional and subject-specific learning. 

The current assessment methods consist of the following, however, CTE reserves the right to change these as appropriate in line with the requirements of regulatory authorities such as the DfE. 

Professional Enquiry (Master's level) 

Summative Master's level assignment. 

Phase Studies (Master's level) 

Summative Master's level assignment. 

Professional Practice (Master's level) 

• 2x 1000 reflections and a and a 30 minute viva voce about your practice.
• All practical teaching in the classroom must also be assessed against all the iQTS Teachers’ Standards which you need to be meeting by the end of the course (Regular observations and discussions of your practice, portfolio of evidence around particular aspects of the iQTS Teachers’ Standards).

Fees and Funding

* The In Person Assessment route will incur a one off, non-refundable payment of £700.00 (paid separately to other course fees)

The assessment fee will be due ahead of the assessment period for those on the in person assessment route, and must be paid before the assessment can be undertaken. The department will contact trainees to confirm the payment arrangements in the Spring term

If you opt to pay your fees in instalments, the following is an example of the fee schedule:

If your placement school will be paying your programme fees, you will need to ensure you provide sponsorship information when you enrol.

*NOTE: Applicants for iQTS are not eligible for loans, bursaries or any other type of financial support from the Department for Education and Student Finance England to help cover the costs of studying for iQTS.

Additional Costs

• Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as classroom resources and travel costs.

• Safeguarding Check Costs

The entry requirements for this programme includes various checks.

Attestation and translations of any ID and qualification documents, as well as any local regulatory or police checks, will be at your own cost.  If you have ever lived or worked in the UK, you will also be required to apply and pay for an International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC)

•  Computing requirements

A computing device with a browser and strong and reliable broadband internet access is required for the course. A webcam will be required during all live taught sessions. The university provides central guidance on the recommended specification for any device you use to undertake your academic work.

•  Assessment Visit Payment (For In Person Assessment ONLY)

A one off assessment fee of £700 will be charged to those on the In Person Assessment route. This amount is separate to the course fees.
You will be contacted ahead of the assessment period to pay this fee in one instalment.

For up-to-date information concerning fees, funding and scholarships for Home/EU and Overseas students please visit Warwick's Fees and Funding webpage.

You may also be interested in our PGCEi Primary course

To find out more about the differences between the two programmes please visit our Key Differences PageLink opens in a new window
You may also find our Frequently Asked QuestionsLink opens in a new window useful.