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What makes PGCE - Secondary - Modern Languages at Worcester special?

Age phase: 11-16 with post-16 enhancement

Our Secondary PGCE in Modern Languages allows you to develop your passion for creating a purposeful and interactive study of language for a full range of learners. You will learn how pupils develop, consolidate and deepen their knowledge and understanding of modern languages in meaningful contexts. We will give you the tools to reflect on how to enrich pupils’ language learning experiences by giving them opportunities to develop an appreciation of language and cultural diversity.

Throughout the course you will taught by an enthusiastic, experienced and inspiring tutor and work with our partnership's excellent Modern Languages Departments. You will be encouraged to enhance your thinking and your practice by working together and with trainees from other subjects to create a vibrant learning community.

Scholarships of £27,000 and bursaries of up to £25,000 are available for language teachers starting a teacher training course between September 2024 and July 2025. See the DFE website for more information. 

Financial support is available for non-UK trainee languages teachers. Including, if you are eligible, a relocation payment, bursary or scholarship. You cannot receive both a bursary and a scholarship. Find out more about Fees and financial support for non-UK trainee teachers of the DfE website.

As an international student, if you are eligible, you’ll receive a single international relocation payment of £10,000 from the Department for Education (DfE) around the end of your first term training in England. Find out more about Fees and financial support for non-UK trainee teachers of the DfE website.

We are proud that our Secondary PGCE was rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in March 2023. Ofsted identified that:

Trainees benefit from an exceptional learning experience at the University of Worcester. This experience instils in them a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference to the lives of the children and young adults in the communities they serve.’

Placements, university sessions and mentors will support your development and our trainees are ‘exceptionally well-prepared for their first teaching post’ (Ofsted, 2023)

Overview

Overview

Modern languages combinations

  • French
  • Spanish
  • French with Spanish 
  • Spanish with French   
  • French with German   
  • German with French

Key Features

  • Very high employment rates
  • The subject specific part of the course aims to build on your expertise in modern languages and to familiarise you with current teaching methodology and research, thus enabling you to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills required for the successful teaching of modern languages
  • Learn to teach modern languages in high quality placement schools
  • Use our support systems to help you write assignments at Master’s Level and our additional targeted support for international trainee teachers
  • The university will guarantee accommodation for students studying this course, where possible, this will be near to the location of your placement - If your accommodation is located further from your placement school we will provide hire cars or university minibus travel to suit your needs.

We work in partnership with

Applying early will allow time for applicants to attend a subject knowledge enhancement course prior to the start of the PGCE course if this is a condition identified at the interview stage.

Ofsted Outstanding logo

Ofsted has rated us as "Outstanding" in training Primary and Secondary Teachers 2023.

The University of Worcester’s education of future primary and secondary teachers has been given the highest possible grade with inspectors stating that, along with its partners, the University creates “a learning community that places children at the heart of everyone’s endeavours”.  

Read our full news story

"Trainees in all phases are well supported to build their subject knowledge throughout the course."

Ofsted 2023

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Please consult individual subject specialism pages for full details of entry requirements, but most specialisms ask for:

Academic requirements

  • Honours degree normally (2:2) or higher from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification, in a relevant subject area. Applicants with a 3rd class degree will be considered on an individual basis.
  • All entrants have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 (formerly grade C) in the GCSE examinations in English Language or English Literature and Mathematics (applicants must have these qualifications by the start of the course). Alternatively, we offer an equivalency test if you don’t have the required GCSE grade to apply for our courses. Trainees who begin courses before providing evidence of the required GCSE standard (or equivalent) will not be eligible for financial incentives, such as bursaries or grants until they achieve the required standard.

Qualifications not listed? Contact the Admissions Office for advice by email: AdmissionsB@worc.ac.uk

Additional requirements

  • An Enhanced DBS check. You will be sent details of how to apply for your DBS in the summer term. You will need to pay for this. You may already be part of the DBS update service. Find out about the update service here. As part of the DBS process you will be checked against the Children’s Barred List.
  • A check against the Prohibition List.
  • If you have lived, studied or worked overseas for three months or more in the last five years a Certificate of Good Conduct from the country of residence will be required. Further information and guidance associated with additional costs are available from the Home Office.
  • An online occupational health check. All those on a teacher training programme must be certified as meeting national requirements for physical and mental fitness to teach, as set by the Department for Education.
  • International students: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent

Other information

To help you prepare for your interview you can expect questions covering the following:

  • the subject knowledge required for teaching the subject curriculum in school
  • your ability to critically reflect on your prior experiences in relation to your future development as a teacher
  • your understanding of the UK education system and the wider role of a teacher
  • how you have overcome challenges in your life and shown resilience
  • how you plan to meet the academic and teaching demands of the course.

In addition, we are looking for enthusiasm, commitment, and potential. Clear verbal and written communication skills are integral to this which you will have an opportunity to demonstrate throughout the interview.

  • School experience is desirable, but not essential.
  • Interviews will be conducted online. Applicants will be contacted directly with more details.

All applications for PGCE Secondary should be made via the Government's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training website.

Additional useful information is available on the Government's Get Into Teaching website.

"Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is carefully and deliberately constructed around subject and phase. Expert subject tutors have constructed a highly ambitious curriculum which is rich and suitably broad in its content."

Ofsted 2023

Course content

Course content

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative. 

Subject Knowledge with a Deep Understanding

  • Enrich your subject knowledge drawing on the expertise of tutors with national and international research profiles in partnership with school mentors with excellent current practice in your specialist area.
  • An excellent teacher requires confident subject knowledge and an understanding about how pupils learn. The majority of your time in university is in subject workshops.  

Specialist Subject Opportunities

  • Carry on working on your subject knowledge throughout the course.
  • Plan activities for the European Day of Languages for KS3 pupils at a local school.
  • Work with Modern Languages mentors and Heads of Department, for example, to explore links between grammar teaching and problem-solving, to reflect on how to work effectively with disadvantaged learners and to understand how to motivate boys to study languages.  
  • Network with PGCE Modern Languages students from another University to share good practice.
  • Teach a lesson at a Primary school and reflect on KS2/KS3 transition.
  • Take part in cross-curricular sessions with trainees from different PGCE subjects to enrich your practice.
  • Links to subject associations.

Pedagogy

  • Understand and apply theory and research on how children learn and develop.
  • Explore a range of learning and teaching styles, and classroom organisation.
  • Discover how to promote progress through observing, planning, teaching and assessing learning.

Professional Studies

  • Develop adaptive teaching strategies to respond to the unique needs in a range of contexts, leveraging the diversity inherent in schools.
  • Be informed by the research and evidence about effective teaching at a general level before applying this knowledge to subject-specific approaches.
  • Learn the expectations, standards and behaviours which are appropriate to the profession and the wider responsibilities of a teacher.

Enhancement Activities

  • Gain expertise through one of our unique Enhancement Activities: PSHE and Citizenship, Careers Education, Education in Climate Emergency, Teenage Mental Health, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or Technology Enhanced Learning.  In addition, we also offer an Aspiring Leaders programme.

Your career

  • Become a reflective self-evaluating practitioner.
  • Enjoy great employment prospects; our support takes you from trainee to ECT (Early Career Teacher) and beyond
  • Prepare for leadership and your Masters with 60 credits and a strong research foundation.
Manon Atangana

Manon Atangana

What I loved the most about the University of Worcester PGCE programme were the subject sessions. It was an opportunity for us to come together with the other trainees to share our placement experiences and our practice which really helped us develop as teachers. Before starting my PGCE, I was working as a French language assistant in a university in Canada while doing an online masters in teaching French as a foreign language. 

The UW PGCE programme definitely helped me with my understanding of teaching in secondary schools, the contrasting placement experiences gave me the confidence and the knowledge to teach a wide variety of students. I am now teaching French and Spanish in a London school and I am at the same time completing a learning to lead training so that I can eventually go into leading French as head of subject.

Viktoriya Litynska

Viktoriya Litynska

Secondary School Spanish Teacher

“Prior to the starting the PGCE at the University of Worcester I had just completed a degree in English at the University of Malaga in Spain. I had some experience of teaching English in Spanish schools. In addition, as part of an Erasmus programme, I had a part time job teaching Spanish to university students in the UK. This is where my interest in teaching other languages began.”

“From the very beginning, the PGCE gave me the opportunity to refresh my knowledge on French by offering me an intensive course in French, as I had not studied French for more than 5 years. Taking that course made me feel much more confident. I taught French in my first school placement, which was a wonderful experience. All the PGCE tutors are very helpful and supportive. They also provide a varied range of activities to make the university sessions interesting and interactive.”

 

"Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is carefully and deliberately constructed around subject and phase. Expert subject tutors have constructed a highly ambitious curriculum which is rich and suitably broad in its content."

Ofsted 2023

Register your interest

Enter your details below and we will keep you up to date with useful information about studying at the University of Worcester.


Information sessions

Attend information events throughout the year to find out more about the PGCE Modern Languages course.

Dates and times for 2023-24 are:

  • Thursday 27 November 2023: 14:30 to 15:30 (online)
  • Thursday 25th January 2024: 11:30 – 12:30 (online)
  • Tuesday 11th February 2024: 11:15 – 12:15 (face to face or online)

Please contact the PGCE Modern Languages course tutor i.schafer@worc.ac.uk if you would like to attend.

Take a Virtual Tour of our Campus

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

PGCE Psychology students doing group practical work

Teaching approach

  • School experience in a range of settings.
  • Professional Studies sessions in school and at University.
  • University-led workshops, lectures, seminars, fieldwork and guest lectures.
  • Study of key texts and supplementary reading.
  • Participation in high level professional discussion, peer presentations and debate.
  • Directed studies, case studies and problem-solving tasks; development of practice-based competence and skills of critical reflection through guided individual mentoring during placements.
  • One-to-one academic and personal tutorial support including access to our first class Firstpoint services
A male teacher is smiling and standing in front of a whiteboard

Assessment

  • Assignments are carefully designed to develop your skills as a teacher.
  • Assessments that move from highly structured to more open briefs as you develop your professional skills.
  • The opportunity to develop skills as a research informed practitioner.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Not sure about your subject knowledge?

Build up or refresh your existing knowledge with a Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) programme before the course.

Subjects offered at the University of Worcester:

English, biology, chemistry, physics, design technology (food), religious education.

Find out about the bursary.

Careers

Careers

  • Great employment prospects
  • Prepare for leadership and your Masters with 60 credits and a strong research foundation
  • Many University of Worcester trainees gain promotion within the first few years of teaching
  • Our Careers and Employability Team can help you to harness your potential with bespoke advice, interview skills and CV enhancement.
A female teacher training student in a classroom working on placement as part of her degree to get into teaching.

PGCE Alumni Scholarship

If you are a University of Worcester graduate starting a full-time PGCE in September 2024 then you may be eligible for a £500 Cash Scholarship.

See our scholarships page for more details.
Costs

Fees and funding

Full-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fee for full-time UK and EU students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2024/25 will be £9,250 per year.*

* Please note that for EU students training as Physics or Languages teachers and in receipt of the UK government bursary/relocation package the fee is £17,400 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fee for full-time international students enrolling on a PGCE in the academic year 2024/25 will be £17,400 per year.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Teacher training funding

You can get help with the costs of teacher training. A student finance package will include a Tuition Fee Loan and a Maintenance Loan. You may also be eligible for extra help if you have children or have a disability.

Some courses are also eligible for a tax-free bursary or scholarship depending on your subject, degree classification or highest academic qualification.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for essential books, trips, stationery, printing and photocopying.

Travel costs for placements vary depending on the location of schools and your mode of transport, sometimes these may be reclaimed depending on your individual circumstances.

We organise occasional visits to increase subject knowledge. Travel costs are at your own expense but we do encourage car sharing. In addition there is sometimes a fee but this is not normally more than £20 in total.

In addition, we encourage you to join subject specific associations. The cost is typically between £25 to £50 for which you benefit from their support, guidance and resources.

The DfE requires all trainee teachers to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which you will need to pay for.

Accommodation

Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience. Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study.

We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls. With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Chestnut Halls' at £131 per week to 'Oak Halls' at £221 per week (2024/25 prices).

For full details visit our accommodation page.

How to apply

How to apply

Apply now

Applications for PGCE courses, both Primary and Secondary, should be made online through the government's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training website.

Visit the Get Into Teaching website for detailed information on how to apply for a PGCE.

Read our How to apply pages for more information on applying and to find out what happens to your application.

When making your application via DfE, please mention which language you wish to specialise in, from:

  • French
  • Spanish
  • German with French
  • French with German
  • Spanish with French
  • French with Spanish

Please contact us if you would like to train to teach French only or Spanish only as we have limited availability.

Make an application

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Secondary PGCE Office

Isabelle Schäfer

Course Leader

Isabelle Schäfer

Personal Academic Tutor