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PGCE Secondary Biology (iQTS)


Course code

Online assessment:
P-X37E
In Person Assessment:
P-X36E

Qualification
PGCE Secondary: Biology iQTS

Duration
1 year

Start Date

20th August 2025

Department of Study
Centre for Teacher Education

Location of Study
Distance Learning


This course is ideal for those who are looking to teach Biology in International Schools at the secondary age range (11-18). Successful completion of the course will lead to International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS).

The course will enable you to develop your teaching of Biology in line with the Warwick Teacher Values of social justice, intellectual curiosity and creativity. You'll become a confident teacher and make a real difference to your students' development and lives.

The University of Warwick are known for the quality of our teacher training both nationally and internationally , and our work is based on a global partnership of over 500 schools.


Course overview

This one-year, 90-credit Post-Graduate course with iQTS (International Qualified Teacher Status) is a teacher training course designed for students embarking on a teaching career internationally with a focus on combining theory and practice across all course aspects through a blended learning programme. 

The course provides a well-integrated blend of online and school-based learning opportunities that develop a values-based and evidence-informed approach to classroom practice in an international school setting.  The course is designed to fully cover the iQTS Core Content Framework, as appropriate for the Secondary Phase, age range 11-18 and will take account of the local context in which students are teaching.  

Trainees will be supported to understand the complexity of evidence and established views on effective learning in schools. Taught sessions and assessments will encourage critical engagement with evidence and the implications for personal teaching practice.  

The Centre for Teacher Education is the University’s global-service provider for high quality teacher training and professional education. At it’s most recent inspection, the University of Warwick’s Centre for Teacher Education has been awarded “Outstanding” provider status by the British government standard (OFSTED).  


What is iQTS?

iQTS is a UK Government-backed international teaching qualification which will be recognised by the Department for Education as equivalent to English Qualified Teacher Status.  

iQTS is suitable for candidates who wish to train to teach and qualify outside the UK, including:

  • UK citizens currently working abroad who wish to start teacher training or develop their teaching career
  • Non-UK citizens who wish to begin teacher training or build on existing teaching experience
  • UK and non-UK teachers without QTS who wish to improve their employability in England and internationally with a UK government-backed and approved professional qualification

Why Warwick?

At Warwick, we’ll help you find your own path to success. We understand that teaching is more than just a job. We also know that you are more than just another applicant. That’s why our approach is tailored around your needs. We’re focused on getting you prepared to enter the classroom, and ready for all the challenges that teaching throws at you. We won’t drop you in at the deep end, but we will help you become accustomed to different school environments.

We have a long history of providing students with the best access to the contacts, resources and facilities needed to fulfil teaching promise. You’ll also benefit from our research-informed teaching, delivered at an acclaimed university with a reputation for excellence. That teaching will come from people who truly understand about the journey that you’re taking.

There’s lots to take in when you think about becoming a teacher. That’s why we ensure that support is available whenever you need it. As well as having a personal tutor, that will support you throughout the time you’re at Warwick, you can rely upon the friendship and guidance from your fellow trainees. We also have online resources dedicated to giving you the help and support you need.

So choose Warwick, and give yourself the ideal start for that journey. Be somewhere which believes your teaching career can be as long, rewarding and enjoyable as you want it to be. Be somewhere that trusts you to follow a more personalised teaching path, but will be there for you wherever that path takes you.


Contact us

Admissions questions:pgcei@warwick.ac.uk 

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.
  • 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*


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 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 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 International PGCE (PGCEi) Secondary ProgrammeLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window 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.

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.  


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) 

There are 2 components for the assessment of this module, both of which must be passed for the module to be completed.  

Fees and Funding

Route    

2025-26

(In Person Assessment) Full Time EU/Overseas/Home £ 9,250 + £700 assessment fee*
(Fully Online Assessment) Full Time EU/Overseas/Home £ 9,250

* 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:

Non-Refundable Deposit Payment Payable ahead of course start date Instalment One Date:
Start Date of programme
Instalment Two Date: November 2025 Instalment Three Date: February 2026
Payment Amount: £600 Payment Amount: 50% of fees (minus £600 deposit you will have already paid) Payment Amount: 25% of fees Payment Amount: 25% of fees

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

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 Secondary 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.

Prior to completing this form, please ensure you have familiarised yourself with our International Programmes Website. The information you provide here to determine whether you meet the entry criteria for one of our International PGCE programmes.

If your responses indicate that you do meet the requirements for the PGCE iQTS programme, and a School Statement of Support (SSoS) has been uploaded in support of your Stage 1 self Assessment form will invite you to submit a formal University of Warwick Postgraduate Application form.

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Stage 1 - Self Assessment Form (SAF)

Before you are invited to submit a formal (Stage 2) application form you must complete the following

  • Submit a Self Assessment formLink opens in a new window - This form asks you to confirm details such as the programme you are interested in, your country of study (must be outside of England) your placement school information and details about your academic qualifications.
  • Upload a completed School Statement of SupportLink opens in a new window (SSoS) signed by your placement school - This form is official confirmation from your placement school that they are able to support you throughout the programme. You must have a school statement of support before we are able to invite you to make a formal stage 2 application.

We cannot assess your viability as a candidate, and progress to stage 2 of the application process if you have not returned both of these documents fully completed.

Stage 2 - Formal Application

If the information you have provided in your SAFLink opens in a new window & SSoS indicates that you meet the entry criteria for the programme you are interested in, we will invite you to submit a formal University of Warwick Postgraduate application form.
Upon invitation to apply you will be provided with:

  • Application Guide - Which will instruct you how to set up your applicant portal and what information you must provide
  • Centre for Teacher Education Personal Statement Template - You must submit this as a supporting document with your application
  • Timeline of experience Template - You must submit this as a supporting document with your application. This form will allow us to ascertain the length of the mandatory second placement you must undertake as part of the programme.

You will also be required to submit documentation that evidences the information you have provided in your self assessment form.
This will include high quality scans of all relevant qualifications that confirm you meet the entry requirements for the programme you have applied to (and official translations where these documents are not in English)

These qualification documents can be submitted unattested at point of application, however, to meet the conditions of any offer made, these documents must be attested by an UoW approved service

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What is the difference between the in person assessment route and the online assessment route? 

When you submit your Stage 2 application form, you will be asked to select which route that you would like to apply to.

If you select the in person assessment route, the University of Warwick will arrange for one of its tutors to visit you during your placement to assess your teaching practice. To account for this visit, this route will attract a higher course fee. If upon reviewing your application for this route we identify that it will not be viable to visit you based on your location due to prohibitive costs, we will advise you to apply for the online assessment route. 

If you select the online assessment route, the University of Warwick will arrange to observe your teaching practice remotely. The assessment will be undertaken in one of two ways: 

    1. You will upload a recording of your lesson to a secure online platform where this will be accessed asynchronously by your assessor.  

2. The University of Warwick will assess your lesson via a pre-arranged live stream of your lesson. Please be advised that if you selected this option, the lesson would need to take place during the working hours of our UK based tutors. The lesson will not be recorded. 

If you select the online assessment route, your placement school must confirm that they agree to the recording or streaming of your lessons.