PGCE Further Education and Training

Become a teacher in a college, sixth form or training centre on this Further Education and Skills PGCE, and support and inspire students aged 16 and above as they prepare to take their first career steps.

You'll gain teaching expertise at University and real classroom experience on teacher training placements in real educational settings, such as sixth forms, colleges and other further education institutions.

You'll develop the confidence and skills to become a reflective and resilient further education teacher, and also explore how to teach and design learning programmes in a range of specialist subjects alongside your course teachers and work-based subject mentors.

If you're not yet working or teaching in further education, you can study this teacher training degree full-time at the University or by distance learning. Or, if you already have a role in further education, you can study part-time by distance learning or at one of our partner colleges, alongside your job. If you choose to study by distance learning, you'll still do your teacher training placements in person.

Wherever and however you study this PGCE, you’ll be a student of the University of Portsmouth, so you’ll have access to all of our facilities and support.

Once you graduate, you'll have the teaching qualification you need to begin your teaching career in further education colleges, sixth-forms and private training providers.

You can start this course in September or January (distance learning option only).

• A good honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject. Formal qualifications, experiential learning and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) are also considered.
• GCSE Mathematics and English language at grade C (Grade 4) or above, or equivalent.

If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.

To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification. 

• Full time students who study on campus will be provided with a teaching placement and subject mentor by the University.
• Part-time students are required to have secured their own teaching placement with at least 100 teaching hours plus 75 non-teaching hours per year, and have an identified subject mentor.
• All Distance Learning students are required to have secured their own teaching placement with at least 100 teaching hours plus 75 non-teaching hours per year, and have an identified subject mentor.
• English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 (or equivalent) with no component score below 6.0.

You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:

• you have a UK degree
• you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
• you are a national of a majority English speaking country

Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.

• All shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an interview.
• All offers are subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance and Occupational Health clearance.

Careers this course prepares you for

On this further education teacher training degree, you'll gain the formal teaching qualification you need to teach in colleges, sixth-forms and private training providers.

This Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a professional teaching qualification recognised by further education providers in the UK. When you graduate, you'll also be eligible to apply to the Society for Education & Training (SET) to gain Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status, which is recognised as comparable to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

As a new further education teacher in 2024, you could expect a starting salary of £26,090 in the UK. A PGCE is an internationally-recognised qualification, so you'll also be able to work as a teacher overseas, including in the USA, Canada and Australia.

You could also earn 60 postgraduate credits on this further education PGCE, which you could put towards a full Master's degree (worth 180 credits) in the future.

Leaders work closely with college partners to ensure that they have a shared vision of excellence.

They use feedback from partners well to adapt programmes to ensure that they meet employers’ needs. When they identify areas for development, they act swiftly to implement positive changes. 

University of Portsmouth Initial Teacher Education inspection report 2024, Ofsted

Graduates of this teaching PGCE have gone on to work in:

• further education colleges
• sixth-form colleges
• private training providers
• public services
• voluntary organisations

Graduates of this teaching PGCE have gone onto roles such as:

• Further education maths teacher
• Social sciences teacher
• Sociology and Criminology college lecturer
• Project coordinator
• Educational support worker
• Learning support tutor

Career outcomes shown are sourced from the latest available graduate outcome surveys. The data shows career outcomes at 15 months after graduation.

Career planning

During your course you'll have expert career support from your tutors and from our Careers and Employability Centre, which you can access for 5 years after you graduate.

You'll benefit from:

• Networking events
• Applied projects with companies such as IBM, Boeing and Hampshire County Council
• 1-to-1 appointments  
• CV and cover letter advice
• Interview preparation and practice
• Workshops to enhance your employability skills
• Recruitment events including the Student and Graduate Opportunities Fair
• Support starting your own business