Enquire Apply The International Postgraduate Certificate in Education offers teachers based in schools outside the UK, who have not undergone a period of formal training, the opportunity to participate in a structured programme of professional development.  It is the leading course of its kind available in the UK.

Starting every September, the International PGCE is a 37-week school-based course available to teachers who already have a job in a school, during which trainee teachers work under the guidance of a mentor (appointed by the school in which they work) and receive weekly tutorials to review progress and set targets. The course is available in most subjects and age levels.

Six one day ‘live’ training sessions plus one induction day (in late August) run by the university will be available on-line. Attendance is mandatory.

All International trainees will be assigned a University of Buckingham tutor who will meet on-line with trainee and mentor on average once per month to assess their progress, guide their development and support the mentor. It is expected that some sessions will allow the tutor to ‘sit in’ on mentor meetings.

Course Delivery

This course is 100% online.  If you are based in China and would prefer a BISE tutor to visit you at your school for lesson observations and take part in workshops aimed at China based students to support your learning, you may find that our International PGCE – China course is more suited to your requirements.

The course is delivered in a variety of ways:

• Six online training days + induction day (attendance compulsory)
• On-line support with assignments
• A weekly programme of academic readings
• A weekly meeting with your mentor to reflect on your practice and set targets
• Monthly meetings with your University of Buckingham Tutor

The University of Buckingham will be in touch with you every week in UK school term time via our newsletter.

Teaching & Assessment

Trainees are assessed in a number of ways:

- you will have a mentor in your school who will arrange for your lessons to be observed and assessed so that you can improve week by week.

- you will record evidence of your teaching on an online form.

- trainees are assigned a University of Buckingham tutor who will be in touch regularly. You will have termly meetings to assess your progress and guide your development.

- you will write three academic essays.

For the additional QTS qualification (needed to teach in a state school in England), it is possible for a teacher who has been teaching for two or more years to apply for the Assessment-Only Qualified Teacher Status. A trainee may begin the AO QTS process in the term following the one-year International PGCE.

You must be employed as a teacher in an international school abroad that teaches English National Curriculum or the International Baccalaureate (IB) and be in sole charge of a full-size class for a minimum of 10 hours a week.

You must have completed a bachelor’s degree.

In addition, you must:

Obtain a commitment from your school to provide a suitable mentor.

Show the physical and mental fitness to teach.

The employing school must be able to fully support a candidate through the course, enabling them to demonstrate all of the English Teachers’ Standards across the full age and ability range of training.

All international applicants who do not hold a GCSE grade C/4 or above in English Language must have an IELTS or TOEFL certificate with scores accepted by the University.

English Language Requirements

Tuition Fee: £4,000
Registration Fee: £275 (non-refundable)

Fees can be paid in termly instalments or in one lump sum. Termly instalments can be arranged directly with the Finance department upon receipt of the invoice.

Please click the APPLY button to submit your application by 31 July 2021. The course will start in Sep 2021.

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