PGCE Primary Programme Specification 2025-26

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1	ACADEMIC QUALITY TEAM
2	Programme Specifications 2025-26
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5	Programme Title			PGCE Primary
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7	This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:			2025		Award type			PGCE with QTS
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9	What level is this qualification?			7		Length of programme			10 months
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11	Mode of study (Full / Part Time)			Full Time
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13	Will the programme use standard University semester dates?			No. First week in September each year so for 2025/26, this will be Mon 1st Sept 2025.		For York Online programmes, will standard dates for such programmes be used?			N/A
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15	Awarding institution			University of York		Board of Studies for the programme			EDUCATION
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17	Lead department			EDUCATION		Other contributing departments			N/A
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19	Language of study and assessment			English		Language(s) of assessment			English
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21	Is this a campus-based or online programme?			Campus-based, online, and professional school settings
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23	Partner organisations
24	If there are any partner organisations involved in the delivery of the programme, please outline the nature of their involvement. You may wish to refer to the Policy on Collaborative Provision
25	Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academies Trust (NPCAT)
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27	Reference points
28	Please state relevant reference points consulted in the design of this programme (for example, relevant documentation setting out PSRB requirements; the University's Frameworks for Programme Design (UG or PGT); QAA Subject Benchmark Statements; QAA Qualifications and Credit Frameworks).
29	DfE ITT criteria (updated annually); DfE Quality Requirements from 2025/26 - see Annex A; Ofsted ITE Handbook (updated annually); Core Content framework; QAA Benchmark for Education
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31	Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
32	Will this programme involve any exemptions from the University Policy and Procedures on Credit Transfer and the Recognition of Prior Learning? If so, please specify and give a rationale
33	No credit transfer or RPL is allowed as QTS requires specific performance within programme.
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35	Exceptions to Regulations
36	Please detail any exceptions to University Award Regulations and Frameworks that need to be approved (or are already approved) for this programme. This should include any that have been approved for related programmes and should be extended to this programme.
37	N/A
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39	Internal Transfers
40	Please use the boxes below to specify if transfers into / out of the programme from / to other programmes within the University are possible by indicating yes or no and listing any restrictions. These boxes can also be used to highlight any common transfer routes which it would be useful for students to know.
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42		Transfers in:	No			Transfers out:	Yes
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44	Statement of Purpose
45	Please briefly outline the overall aims of the programme. This should clarify to a prospective student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
46	At its core, this Masters-level PGCE course in primary education will equip you to meet the Department of Education’s National Teaching Standards and therefore achieve Early Career Qualified Teacher Status. This programme goes on to offer far more by providing a stimulating, cross-curricular, highly-collaborative learning environment. A major strength of this is the teaching placements in partnership schools, which are fully integrated into the programme structure. Whether you enrol on the York PGCE or under the umbrella of a Lead Partner, each of these routes benefit from the same rigorous assessment and placement pattern. As a result, you will not only be trained to create a safe and positive climate for learning, you will also have the opportunity to develop a strong sense of subject-specific pedagogy along with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in relevant educational research, all in line with the mandatory national ITTECF curriculum framework. You will therefore graduate as a forward-looking, resilient and reflective teacher, able to make a reasoned contribution to educational debate and practice.
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52	If there are additional awards associated with the programme upon which students can register, please specify the Statement of Purpose for that programme. This will be most relevant for PGT programmes with exit awards that are also available as entry points. Use additional rows to include more than one additional award. Do not include years in industry / abroad (for which there are separate boxes).
53	Exit Award Title			Is the exit award also available as an entry point?	Outcomes: what will the student be able to do on exit with this award?			Specify the module diet that the student will need to complete to obtain this exit award
54	Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Studies			EXIT ONLY	Teach in state schools in England once QTS has been recommended to the DfE.			50% average across 3 taught modules + all other practice modules graded as pass (no pass/fail modules can be failed)
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56	Programme Learning Outcomes
57	What are the programme learning outcomes (PLOs) for the programme? (Normally a minimum of 6, maximum of 8). Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme and represent the outcomes that students progressively develop in the programme and achieve at graduation. PLOs should be worded to follow the stem 'Graduates will be able to...'
58	1	Independently and creatively plan, resource and deliver lessons by applying theory, discipline knowledge and appropriate level expectations
59	2	Create an inclusive, stimulating learning environment by managing classroom dynamics and adapting to learning need
60	3	Effectively assess learning and progression through critiquing a range of well-developed formative and summative strategies
61	4	Critically reflect on, and perceptively develop, their own classroom practice by assessing and selecting appropriate evaluative frameworks and engaging actively with a supportive network for feedback
62	5	Communicate clearly, confidently and professionally with teaching colleagues, pupils, parents/guardians, support staff, external agencies and in academic contexts, using media appropriate to the situation
63	6	Contribute with justifications to debates and developments in secondary education by applying a research-informed approach to the analysis of their own practice and by proactively researching broader education issues
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65	Diverse entry routes
66	Detail how you would support students from diverse entry routes to transition into the programme. For example, disciplinary knowledge and conventions of the discipline, language skills, academic and writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity.
67	The DfE mandates entry criteria for this programme: a first degree at honours level; GCSE pass in Maths, English and Science, cleared DBS etc - see: Initial Teacher Training entry criteria. To be compliant with the DfE and for Ofsted, we cannot accept candidates who do not meet the DfE's entry requirements. We actively look to recruit new graduates, students from ethnic minority backgrounds (particularly in North Yorkshire from the gypsy, roma traveller communities and forces personnel) and those changing careers. Pre-registration induction tasks equip trainees of all backgrounds and circumstances to identify subject knowledge gaps; induction phase allows a bespoke programme of subject knowledge auditing to be set up for the duration of the programme. Finally, upon entry we would look for honours level graduates from any discipline area for primary training, not just those disciplines that forms the primary curriculum subjects (core and foundation).
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71	Inclusion
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73	Please confirm by ticking the box on the right that the design, content and delivery of the programme will support students from all backgrounds to succeed. This refers to the University's duties under the Equality Act 2010. You may wish to refer to the optional Inclusive Learning self-assessment tools to support reflection on this issue.
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75	Employability
76	Please give a brief overview - no more than 5 sentences - of how the programmes helps develop students' employability. Your Faculty Employability Manager can help reflection on this issue. This statement will be used by Marketing as the basis for external content with respect to employability.
77	Because the qualification is a professional entry qualification, PGCE graduates can enter a career as a teacher having gained QTS recommendation and a PGCE. Those who secure a first post will enter the Early Career Framework as an ECT; other careers include education-related jobs. The programme is designed to equip trainees with skills in all mandatory national level ITTECF Framework themes: setting high expectations, understanding how pupils learn, subject curriculum and pedagogic knowledge, classroom teaching, adaptive teaching, assessment, behaviour management and professional values. These form the basis of assessment against the Teachers' Standards, but also equip the trainee with the requisite skills for employment in primary school teaching once they graduate. The programme will have two main placements, and two other placement experiences (secondary and professional enrichment weeks) that enable the trainee to widen their expertise and specialist knowledge - again equipping trainees with further employability skills.
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80	Description of Structure
81	Provide a BRIEF description of the structure of the first stage (UG) or programme (PGT): this is only necessary if this is not evident from the tables below. For instance, an entry might be 'students choose X modules in Autumn Semester from List A and Y modules from List B'. For York Online programmes using the 'carousel' model, the description should include whether any modules have to be taken in a particular order (e.g. if there is an introductory module and/or any constraints on the timing of option and/or ISM or ISM-related modules).
82	Induction Stage - Sept-Oct- Assignment 1 completed during Placement 1. Formative feedback on ITTECF development in October and December. Development Stage - Nov- Jan- Assignment 2 & 3, completed during Placement 2 (From Jan-June). Refinement Stage - Feb-April- Formative feedback on ITTECF themes at Easter Assignment 1-3 assessed at final exam Board (June); Enrichment phase - May-July inc Professional Enrichment (2 weeks) in June; summative judgement against TS in June. QTS status recommendation made after June Exam Board. Final exam board (June): assesses PGCE academic award outcome PLUS QTS status reccomendation to DfE. ED0053M Please note that the PGCE runs against school terms and not university semesters. ED0054M ED0055M The final ""module"" is assessed across the PGCE year: ED0056M In-depth detail on the non-modular assignments and general PGCE assessment is issued annually in the PGCE Assessment Handbook (see 2025/26 Assignment Handbook for details). Trainees use this handbook as their reference point throughout the academic programme.
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86	Part-Time Structure (Normally PGT Only): For part-time variants of programmes, please use the box below to specify which modules will be taken in year 1 and which will be taken in year 2 (and so on if more than 2 years).
87	N/A
88	N/A
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90	Can a York Language Elective module be taken ab initio (ie beginner level) in Stage 1?									No
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92	Are students on this programme permitted to take elective modules (in place of any of their option module choices; subject to limits set out in the UG and PGT programme design policies)?									No
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94	Module List & Programme Structure
95	Please use the following tables to indicate the programme structure by listing the modules on the programme. There are separate tables for each stage of the programme. For PGT programme or other programmes that only have one stage, simply use the first table and leave the rest blank. As far as possible, please order modules by semester. Additional rows can be added as needed (copy and paste an existing row to retain formatting). Note: It is suggested that optional modules that are grouped (e.g. where students have to select from lists grouped by term or theme) be listed under a generic title for the group under the 'title of module' column, with titles of individual specific modules in that group in the 'further title' column. Where modules are grouped, it is not necessary to complete each row against every column for every module in the group if the information is the same for all modules in that group.
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99	Stage 1 (UG) or PGT:
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