Entry Requirements

All entrants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent qualification. An honours degree of 2:2 or above is preferred. We are happy to receive applications from candidates in their final year of study.

All entrants must also have attained a minimum Grade C/4 (or equivalent) at GCSE in English, Mathematics and a Science subject, or will attain these qualifications before the start of the course. Equivalency tests from www.equivalencytesting.com are preferred, but tests from other providers are accepted by prior arrangement.

If you are on the apprenticeship route and you have an equivalency test in English or Maths, you also need a level 2 functional skills in Maths and English.

Overseas Qualifications

If your qualifications were awarded overseas, contact UK ENIC at www.enic.org.uk to arrange confirmation that your qualifications are equivalent to UK GCSE and UK bachelor degree standard.

Personal Qualities

The PGCE is an exciting, fast-paced year. Candidates are expected to be enthusiastic, well-organised, hard-working and keen to seek their own highest possible standards of achievement. Successful applicants will demonstrate:

• Appropriate subject knowledge or the capacity to develop it during the course
• A commitment to a career in primary education
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to foster good relationships with children
• An understanding of the demands and expectations of the teaching profession

The Selection Process

After an initial screening, suitable applicants are invited to attend an online interview.

The selection process consists of:

• A pre-interview task – you will be asked to prepare a learning activity suitable for children based on a fiction book of your choice
• Personal interview – this will take around 30 minutes
• English and Maths tasks – online quizzes in Maths, English grammar, and a short written reflection on a video clip of a primary school lesson

Successful applicants will demonstrate:

• The potential to meet the required DfE Standards for Qualified Teacher Status by the end of their training
• The appropriate intellectual and academic qualities required to become teachers
• That they possess physical and mental fitness to teach.
• Commitment to the teaching profession.

Safeguarding

The PCP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All trainees are subject to appropriate pre-selection checks, including obtaining and considering Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks and children’s barred list information. All entrants are required to sign a declaration that they have not previously been excluded from teaching or working with children. Applicants who have spent time living or working overseas may be required to provide additional evidence of good conduct.

Equality

The PCP is committed to the inclusion of all eligible participants, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality or religious beliefs. Although the majority of schools in the partnership are Catholic and candidates should feel comfortable working in a faith-based setting, candidates do not need to be from a Catholic background.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]