PGCE Secondary History

Train as a history teacher on our versatile, immersive PGCE Secondary History course at the Institute of Education.

You will be trained to teach children from 11 years old until their GCSE exams, and beyond this to A-level.

How you’ll learn

Inspiring children to learn about history can be a very rewarding career. This course combines theory, research and practical classroom teaching to develop your skills as a teacher. 

You’ll attend workshops, seminars and individual sessions with experienced academic mentors. You will also gain significant practical classroom experience with children of different ages.

Throughout your course, you will:

• teach pupils about causation, change and continuity, similarity and difference, and difficult concepts
• develop pupils’ evidential thinking and chronological understanding
• plan lessons, from the creation of individual activities to lessons and sequences of lessons designed to support pupils’ learning of history 
• make big decisions about the curriculum; for example, which period of history to teach and when to teach it. 

In order to achieve this, you will be supported by tutors who work closely with mentors in schools to ensure that high professional standards are maintained.

Qualified Teacher Status

This Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Secondary History course leads to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), qualifying you to teach the 11-18 age group in secondary schools in England and Wales.

Your learning environment

We offer a diverse and experienced community of academics with extensive school teaching and academic experience. You’ll be taught by passionate staff who are nationally and internationally renowned for their expertise in history teaching.

Alongside University of Reading tutors, you will be taught and guided by a team of committed and experienced University-trained school mentors.

Your learning activities will help you develop a toolkit of knowledge and skills, ensuring you are well prepared to tackle challenges and opportunities throughout your training and your career.

History trips

As part of our PGCE Secondary History course, we organise trips to explore:

• history learning in different contexts
• the value of local history
• the value of leading effective school trips. 

In recent years, we have visited Windsor Castle to work with the Royal Archives there (including an exclusive tour), and we frequently work with the Museum of English Rural Life.

Professional links

You’ll benefit from our links with numerous experts in history education. Leading history teachers contribute to our training sessions, and we often work with organisations such as the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education and the National Archives. 

These contacts ensure that your thinking and practice is informed by experts at the leading edge of the profession.

Partnership with schools

This course is designed in collaboration with our strong schools partnership, ensuring that it meets both your needs as a learner and the needs of the children you teach.

At secondary level, we have relationships with around 90 schools in the local and surrounding area. It is a testament to the strength of these partnerships and the reputation of our graduates, that most schools in Berkshire employ at least one graduate from the University of Reading.

Placements

Placements enable you to develop the skills and knowledge valued by employers. You'll build your confidence in the classroom and gain practical teaching experience.

Placements also provide you with the opportunity to connect with potential employers and build your professional network.

On this secondary PGCE course, you are required to carry out three placements in two age groups – ensuring that you receive a broad range of experiences. Two placements must be undertaken in a school setting, but the third can be taken in a different setting – allowing you to sample teaching in an alternative environment.

In your school placement, you will:

• gain experience in the range of responsibilities of the classroom teacher
• observe other teachers
• plan the teaching of small groups and whole classes
• plan and teach elements of lessons and whole lessons
• reflect on and evaluate your teaching
• receive feedback on your teaching.

We offer a flexible and broad range of educational environments. You'll have the opportunity to gain experience in:

• special needs schools
• Pupil Referral Units
• independent schools
• museums
• charities.

Research

98% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Education). 

For more information, please visit the Institute of Education website.