Employability
100% of our graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating (2018/19 Graduate Outcomes Survey).
Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £17,205 for the course
Course summary
- Enhance your knowledge of subject-specific pedagogy and skills through university sessions and school-based work.
- Gain at least 120 days of school-based experience in two different school settings.
- Achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) upon graduation.
With a focus on school-based training in educational settings you develop professional skills and are encouraged to critically reflect on your progress through personal, academic and professional review tutorials. Since English is a core subject, qualified teachers specialising in it are highly desired by schools upon graduation.
You can support your application for this course through our English SKE course.
Student view
How you learn
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
You are introduced to English-specific skills through university sessions and school-based work. You are expected to consolidate your development, both in university and in schools, by researching appropriate material and accessing wider resources.
You learn through
- seminars
- workshops
- lectures
- group work
- directed tasks
- school-based experiences
- independent study
- discussions
- group work
- practical work
- written assessments
School Direct
Apply for a place through the School Direct scheme for a dedicated route into a job after graduation. When applying through School Direct, the school or partnership of schools that you've applied to will be much more involved in your selection, recruitment and professional development as there is the intention that you will be employed by them if you successfully complete the course.
For more information visit our School Direct page .
Course leaders and tutors

Martin Illingworth
Senior Lecturer in English EducationCourse lead for Secondary English School Direct PGCE course
Applied learning
Work placements
Currently the requirement is for trainees to gain at least 120 days of school-based experience in two different school settings. On school-based training you use a range of methods and approaches in order to develop your skills including observation, collaborative planning and actual practice in the classroom through team and solo-teaching. We moderate progress against the Teachers' Standards with school visits.
Future careers
Upon graduation most students go directly into employment as qualified teachers. However a number of key transferable skills are developed throughout the course, allowing for alternative progression or career routes, such as
- research via masters-level study and PhD
- local authority/voluntary sector work or research
- non-government organisation (NGO) administrative and research posts
- enrichment work with young people
- more general graduate careers including retail management and the civil service
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour | Keeping safe on Campus

Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEntry requirements
All students
An honours degree in English or relevant subject (normally 2.2 or above) or equivalent.
Normally GCSE grade C or Grade 4 in English Language and mathematics, or equivalent. Where applicants have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or above in English literature only, we will look for further evidence of a breadth of achievement in English. We will consider applicants who are in the process of obtaining the relevant GCSEs.
If English is not your first language you must have an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in all skills or equivalent. For equivalents see our English language entry requirements web page.
You are encouraged to gain experience of schools through direct observation of teaching and learning and/or by working with young people in subject-related, or other related educational activities.
Candidates who are successful will demonstrate a sound understanding of teaching and how children learn, where possible within a school setting. We encourage all candidates to evidence their understanding by drawing on related examples or experiences, such as time spent in schools or other learning settings. Demonstrating an ability to make links between experience and knowledge, and their proposed career would be desirable.
If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to a selection event and you should present a passport or photo driving license. You can present other forms of photo ID for the selection event, but if you do, you will still need to present valid identity documents required by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) prior to starting your course.
As you will work with children, you must complete a declaration of criminal convictions and health check forms.
We welcome applications from people seeking a career change, and we actively encourage applications from those groups under-represented in teacher education, to help ensure that the teaching profession represents the diverse nature of contemporary UK society.
Course enrolment - professional requirements
Before enrolling you must complete all the professional checks that are required as part of entry for the course:
Suitability Declaration
You must fully declare the following information on the pre-admission suitability declaration form provided during the admissions process:
- unfiltered criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. For further information on unfiltered offences please see the Disclosure and Barring Service website.
- involvement in disciplinary proceedings during paid or voluntary employment or education establishments
- involvement with safeguarding proceedings, social services or related organisations
- if you have ever been removed from a teacher training programme as a result of your behaviour, or would have been removed if you had not left the programme
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Criminal Record Check
- you will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check prior to or during the enrolment week of your course. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
- you will need to present valid identity documents (PDF) as part of the DBS application process
- if you have lived outside of the UK for more than six consecutive months in the last five years you must provide an overseas criminal record check. Further information on obtaining an overseas criminal record check.
- where your DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate contains any recorded information you must present this to the Academic Administration Team within ten working days of receipt of the certificate.
- In addition to this all those who are made an offer of a place will be checked against the DfE children’s barred list.
Occupational Health Screening
You will need to undertake occupational health screening to determine your suitability to undertake the course. This will be provided by the University free of charge. As part of this assessment you are expected to provide all relevant, truthful and accurate information to ensure a safe environment for yourself and service users.
Other background checks
All applicants that have accepted an offer will also be checked against the prohibition list to ensure you are not:
- subject to a prohibition order issued by the Secretary of State
- prohibited to teach in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA)
If your personal circumstances change in relation to any of the professional requirements, from when you apply to the end of your course, please notify the Academic Administration team immediately by emailing tedss@shu.ac.uk.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Module | Credits |
---|---|
Module: Developing And Reflecting On Professional Practice | Credits: 30 |
Module: Developing And Reflecting On Subject Knowledge And Pedagogy In Secondary English | Credits: 30 |
Module: School Based Training 1 | Credits: - |
Module: School Based Training 2 | Credits: - |
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is still to be confirmed. For an indication, our tuition fees for UK students starting this course in 2023/24 are £9,250 per year. For part-time study the fee will be calculated pro-rata each year based on the number of credits studied. These fees are regulated by the UK government and are therefore subject to changes in government policy.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £17,205 for the course.

Scholarships and bursaries
If you are starting a PGCE in secondary education you may be entitled to financial support.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Teaching, education and childhood studies courses (PDF, 312.4KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.