PGCE Offer Holders

The autumn term course starts on Monday 14 September 2026.

We are still working on the detail of the autumn term timetable and the planned timetable for the primary PGCE programme will be different according to your allocated group. You will be notified of precise timings at the start of the term. However, you should expect to attend campus on four days each week for taught sessions during the autumn term. Your non-campus day will vary, depending on the week. Exceptions to this are week beginning 14 Sept and 28 Sept when you will be expected to be on campus (or on a school visit) five days per week, Monday to Friday.

The Autumn term school placement will take place during 09 November  - 18 December where you will be required to attend your school setting each weekday (except week beginning 07 December when you will be back on campus for the week).

In early September you will receive a welcome message from the PGCE team and further details on the arrangements for the first day of the taught course on Monday 14 September. A timetable for the term will then be provided during the first week. 

For term dates for the whole year, please see Term dates (note PGCE term dates are not the same as standard University term dates and are listed under 'Alternative Programmes').

For information on parking at the St Luke's campus and the surrounding area please see https://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/car-parking/permits/exeter/ or contact the Car Parking team on carparking@exeter.ac.uk

The autumn term course starts on Monday 14 September 2026.

We are still working on the detail of the autumn term timetable and the planned timetable for the secondary PGCE programme will be different according to your subject. You will be notified of precise timings at the start of the term. However, you should anticipate that you will need to be on campus 2 days per week for taught sessions during the autumn term (3 days per week if you are on the Biology with PE programme) as well as engaging in online timetabled sessions and independent learning outside of these days.

The Autumn term school placement will take place during 09 November – 11 December where you will be required to attend your school setting every weekday.  You will then return to the campus for the final week (w/b 14 December).

In early September you will receive a welcome message from the PGCE team and further details on the arrangements for the first day of the taught course on Monday 14 September. A timetable for the term will then be provided during the first week. 

For term dates for the whole year, please see Term dates (note PGCE term dates are not the same as standard University term dates and are listed under 'Alternative Programmes').

 For information on parking on campus and the surrounding area please see https://www.exeter.ac.uk/staff/car-parking/permits/exeter/  or contact the Car Parking team on carparking@exeter.ac.uk

The PGCE Primary programme includes the following periods of school-based work.  They are:

In addition, there are twenty Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) days focussing on four themes of teaching and learning, enabling you to delve deeply into particular key areas.  Each group of 5 days focuses on a theme and is a mix of St Luke's campus-based university-led sessions (Intensive Training) and school-based practice practice in your school (Intensive Practice).

There are also two St Luke's campus-based seminar days on 05 March 2027 and 02 July 2027.

The PGCE Secondary programme includes the following periods of school-based work: 

In addition, there are twenty Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) days focussing on four themes of teaching and learning, enabling you to delve deeply into particular key areas.  Each group of 5 days focuses on a theme and is a mix of St Luke's campus-based university-led sessions (Intensive Training) and school-based practice in your placement schools (Intensive Practice).

There is also a further seminar day on St Luke's campus on 02 July.

The Partnership Office will ask you to provide details about your circumstances and placement preferences to help them when allocating your placements.  We aim to advise trainees of their placement schools by early August. If your circumstances change after you have submitted your information, please do inform the Partnership Office (exeterpartner@exeter.ac.uk) as soon as possible.

Please see Placement FAQs for more information about the placement allocation process.‌

We offer a contribution to some of the travel and accommodation costs that PGCE trainees may incur as a result of the structure of the training year.  The policy is available on the School of Education website here. Please read the policy carefully to see what it does and doesn’t cover.  If you have any questions about this policy in advance of starting the programme, please contact the Info at St Luke’s team on info.stlukes@exeter.ac.uk.

Fundamental Skills Audits

All trainees need to demonstrate a certain level of English and mathematics by the end of the course before QTS can be awarded.  This is a DfE requirement.  To start this process, please download the following two audit documents and spend as much time as you can developing and improving your English and mathematics skills before the course starts.  

Fundamental Skills English Audit
Fundamental Skills Maths Audit

Please keep these completed documents safe as your tutor will discuss the outcomes of your audits with you in the first weeks of the taught course and you will be asked to upload them to your electronic portfolio.  There will be plenty of opportunities during the course for you to work on any areas you identify as needing improvement.

Please download the following document relevant to the primary course you have chosen:

Primary 5-11 PGCE - Intro to the Primary Curriculum and Initial Needs Analyses
or
Primary 3-7 PGCE - Intro to the Primary Curriculum and Initial Needs Analyses

This is an introduction to all the curriculum subjects you will be learning to teach.  It also includes an initial needs analysis for each curriculum area in order for you to identify what you do not know or have forgotten so that you can revise/brush up on and complete some self-study exercises.  It also includes some suggested reading.  Please make sure you complete all the audits - you will be asked to upload them to your electronic portfolio at the beginning of the course.

This document is designed to help you begin your transition into the teaching profession. It outlines some key expectations we have of all PGCE trainees, particularly in relation to your professional development.

Your tutors will go through all of this guidance with you again once the programme begins, and you will have plenty of time to ask questions and explore what these expectations look like in practice. For now, we hope this summary helps you start thinking about what it means to step into the role of a teacher and gives you some prompts for reflection as you prepare for the year ahead.

Task: Take some time to think about the reflective questions and write down your thoughts in any format that works for you, You are very welcome to type directly into the blank framework task sheet provided, or if you prefer, you can print it out and annotate it by hand. You may also choose to present your reflections in another format; mind maps, notes, voice to text, or a separate document - anything that supports your thinking.  You will be asked to upload your thoughts to your electronic portfolio once you start the course. 

Professional Behaviours Expected from PGCE Trainees Task

Blank Framework Task

Fundamental Skills Audits

All trainees need to demonstrate a certain level of English and mathematics by the end of the course before QTS can be awarded.  This is a DfE requirement.  To start this process, please download the following two audit documents and spend as much time as you can developing and improving your English and mathematics skills before the course starts.   

Fundamental Skills English Audit
Fundamental Skills Maths Audit
‌‌
Please keep these completed documents safe as your tutor will discuss the outcomes of your audits with you in the first weeks of the taught course and you will be asked to upload them to your electronic portfolio.  There will be plenty of opportunities during the course for you to work on any areas you identify as needing improvement.

Please click on the relevant link below to access subject-specific pre-course tasks, recommended reading and general information relating to your subject:

‌‌Secondary English Information and Tasks

Secondary Geography Information and Tasks

Secondary History Information and Tasks
Secondary History - Progression in History under the 2014 National Curriculum

Secondary Mathematics Information and Tasks
Secondary Maths - Subject Knowledge Audit

Secondary MFL Information and Tasks
Secondary MFL - Eurydice explanation of the English education system
Secondary MFL - History of Education in England part 1
Secondary MFL - History of Education in England part 2
Secondary MFL - French, German & Spanish GCSE subject content

Secondary PE Information and Tasks
Secondary PE - Appendix A (Example of an Abstract)

Secondary Science Information and Tasks
Secondary Science - Subject Knowledge Audit
Secondary Science - Reading 1 (Lemke)
Secondary Science - Reading 2 (Willingham)
Secondary Science - Reading 3 (Archer)

This document is designed to help you begin your transition into the teaching profession. It outlines some key expectations we have of all PGCE trainees, particularly in relation to your professional development.

Your tutors will go through all of this guidance with you again once the programme begins, and you will have plenty of time to ask questions and explore what these expectations look like in practice. For now, we hope this summary helps you start thinking about what it means to step into the role of a teacher and gives you some prompts for reflection as you prepare for the year ahead.

Task: Take some time to think about the reflective questions and write down your thoughts in any format that works for you, You are very welcome to type directly into the blank framework task sheet provided, or if you prefer, you can print it out and annotate it by hand. You may also choose to present your reflections in another format; mind maps, notes, voice to text, or a separate document - anything that supports your thinking.  You will be asked to upload your thoughts to your electronic portfolio once you start the course. 

Professional Behaviours Expected from PGCE Trainees Task

Blank Framework Task

Many trainees ask for advice on useful reading prior to beginning the course. Your main subject tutor will advise you on subject-related reading. The following books have been suggested by tutors and represent a range of views on educational issues. The list includes some more accessible texts, while others are quite ‘heavyweight’. All are relevant to the course that you are about to follow. Select from these titles, depending on your interests. 

Alexander, R. (2020) A Dialogic Teaching Companion. Oxford: Routledge.

Capel, S. A., Leask, M., Younie, S., Hidson, E., & Lawrence, J. C. (Eds.). (2023). Learning to teach in the secondary school : a companion to school experience. 9th Edition. Routledge

Kyriacou, C (2018) Essential Teaching Skills (5^th Edition). Oxford: OUP.

Sherrington, T (2022) Teaching WalkThrus 3: Five-step guides to instructional coaching. Hatchette UK

Wilson, E. (2017) School-based Research: A Guide for Education Students (3rd Edition). London: Sage.

If you have a physical disability or specific learning difficulty you are advised to complete a Wellbeing Services prospective student questionnaire before you start your PGCE programme.  Further details and the questionnaire can be found here. We strongly advise you to return this questionnaire as soon as you can so that the Wellbeing Services team can support you.

[Please note the prospective student questionnaire is different from the online PGCE Health Assessment form all PGCE applicants must complete as part of the mandatory fitness to teach assessment process.  Completed PGCE Health Assessment forms are sent to the University’s Occupational Health Assessment provider who will consider whether any reasonable adjustments are required as a result of your health, specifically in relation to your teaching placements.]  

Once registered with the Wellbeing Services team, they will, where appropriate, draw up an Individual Learning Plan with you.  This is an important document as it will inform the School of Education of any particular adjustments we need to make for you (for example, if you have dyslexia and want this to be taken into consideration when your assignments are marked or if you have a physical disability and require assistive equipment or software or if you would benefit from extensions for your summative assignments).

Students with a disability or specific learning difficulty may be eligible for the Disabled Students Allowance. This is an allowance that pays for the additional costs that can be incurred as a result a person’s health or disability, including specialist equipment. Please let the Wellbeing Services team know if you would like to discuss this in more depth. There is also more information at https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/overview.

For more information on the services and support available from Wellbeing Services, please see https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/.

Students who experience mental health conditions may be entitled to additional support and reasonable adjustments when studying at the University of Exeter.

If you have experienced mental health difficulties you are advised to complete a Wellbeing Services prospective student questionnaire before you start your PGCE programme.  Further details and the questionnaire can be found here.  We strongly advise you to return this questionnaire as soon as you can so that the Wellbeing team can contact you to discuss your health in relation to your course in more depth.

[Please note the prospective student questionnaire is different from the online PGCE Health Assessment form all PGCE applicants must complete as part of the mandatory fitness to teach assessment process. Completed PGCE Health Assessment forms are sent to the University’s Occupational Health Assessment provider who will consider whether any reasonable adjustments are required as a result of your health, particularly in relation to your teaching placements].

Support from the Wellbeing Service mental health pathway can include considering how your health may impact on your ability to study during the taught, university-based part of the PGCE course, and what support may be available to you. Support can include ongoing mental health support and an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), which informs the School of Education of any particular adjustments that may need to be considered, as a result of your health, while studying and based at university during the taught part of the course.

Students who have experienced mental health difficulties can also be eligible for the Disabled Students Allowance. This is an allowance that pays for the additional costs that can be incurred as a result a person’s health or disability, including equipment and mental health mentoring support. Please let us know if you would like to discuss this in more depth. There is also more information available at:  https://www.gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas/overview.

The Wellbeing Service also offers a range of workshops and groups, and individual support for students experiencing personal, emotional and psychological difficulties. For more information about this or the support offered by the Wellbeing Service mental health pathway please email: wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk, Telephone: 01392 724381 or see our webpages: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/students/wellbeing/ 

All PGCE trainees have an Individual Profile which allows them to consider and share important information about themselves with the school and university staff supporting them through the course.  

We recognise that support should be based on the needs of the individual and not determined by label or diagnosis. We support self-advocacy to allow trainees to speak up for themselves, express personal needs and make informed decisions. 

The Partnership Office send a PGCE Trainee Individual Profile form to students once they have accepted a place on the course which allows trainees to share a variety of information. This information, along with any Occupational Health Reasonable Adjustments, is added to the Individual Profile and shared with the trainee’s placement schools, their Senior Lead Mentor (SLM) and University Lead Mentor (ULM). The Individual Profile is also used to explore any support needs during a tutorial in the autumn term.