PGCE
Initial Teacher Education
"The teaching and professional development offered by Bath Spa University was well-structured and of a very high standard. The support provided by the Programme Leaders and Academic Tutor was second-to-none, allowing me to progress through my PGCE year with confidence and a feeling of great success."
Rachel Burton, PGCE Secondary Modern Languages, 2021
Skilled teachers make a difference to the lives of those they teach. This teacher training course is designed to enable you to become a qualified, passionate teacher of Modern Languages in Secondary schools.
We encourage you to embrace the professional qualities and attributes that successful teachers need, including:
With our support, you’ll become an empathetic and skilled teaching professional who is responsive to the needs of all pupils. You’ll have a positive impact on those you teach – from the beginning of your training within schools.
Learn how to inspire and engage learners of French, German and Spanish using teaching methods that motivate them to become successful independent pupils, excited and challenged by the opportunities afforded by knowing another language.
In subject sessions we model ways to instil a love of learning in the subject, how to draw on authentic resources to promote curiosity about other cultures, how to teach in the target language and how to use activities to promote collaboration, discussion and communication.
These sessions are led not only by academic staff but a wide range of language experts. You’ll learn how to create a positive, lively and supportive Modern Languages classroom, understand the theories behind teaching the four skills that are key to learning languages – listening, speaking, reading and writing – and develop strategies to help pupils overcome barriers to learning your specialist language.
Explore the fundamentals of teaching through an integrated programme that encompasses both university and school-based training.
You’ll develop your understanding and practice through these core components:
We’ll revisit these components to enable you to gain, apply and refine your knowledge and skills throughout the year.
The PGCE Secondary programme covers all subjects and is studied full-time over one academic year.
Your first school placement begins with familiarisation, where you observe your Training Mentors teaching the classes that you will eventually take over. You’ll teach parts of lessons before assuming responsibility for them. You’ll also learn about the curriculum in your subject, how schools work and how pupils make progress.
Throughout your training you’ll be supported by your Academic Tutor, who is a specialist in your subject. Your Academic Tutor nurtures and develops you as an individual and a professional, while working closely with your Training Mentors and Lead Trainers to provide vital support.
Your PGCE Secondary journey culminates in you developing independence and your own identity as a teacher. You’ll create your own resources, style and techniques for teaching, and build the confidence you need to bring your subject to life.
Throughout the year, you'll track and reflect on your experiences and gain evidence of your suitability to be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Learn through doing – gain practical teaching experience (planning, assessment and the impact of these on pupils’ progress) during your placements in schools. Explore the professional role of a teacher, including safeguarding, working with colleagues and parents, taking responsibility for a tutor group, and extracurricular activities. Your Academic Tutor and Training Mentor will model good practice and provide regular feedback on your progress.
You’ll also learn through seminars, lectures and talks delivered by expert practitioners, with follow up question and answer sessions. You’ll be guided to reflect on your own progress and set targets, to read widely and to develop Modern Languages subject knowledge. You’ll also learn from your peers – discussing what you’ve learned and sharing ideas with other BSTs as you develop your own identity as a teacher.
To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.
Throughout the programme, you’ll gather examples of practice to reflect your progress at each of the four review points during the course.
Your Training Mentor will observe you regularly during school training, and provide personalised feedback to enable you to succeed as a teacher.
You’ll write reflective reviews; these are designed to help you further your knowledge and skills and to become a reflective practitioner.
Your subject knowledge and fundamental skills in Maths and English will be monitored throughout the programme.
You’ll also submit two subject-focused assignments at Level 7 to gain 60 Master’s-level credits and demonstrate the critical and academic knowledge you’ve gained in your subject.
This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.
As a graduate of our PGCE with a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you can begin your teaching career right away.
During the course, we offer support with applications and interviews so that you can give your teaching career the best possible start.
As an Early Career Teacher, you’ll be supported by your new employing school for a further two years, after which you might work to become a Head of Department, Assistant Head, Deputy or Headteacher, or take on a more pastoral role such as Head of Year.
Develop a wealth of indispensable digital skills that you can take into your future career. One of only three Adobe Creative Campuses in the UK, we provide all Bath Spa students with access to the full Adobe Creative Suite, giving you the tools to communicate creatively, whatever your course or chosen professional field.
As a Bath Spa Teacher, you'll learn in a variety of locations within our wide partnership, both at the University and in schools.
Your main campus will be Sion Hill. Teaching will take place in rooms equipped with relevant texts, equipment, training materials, and electronic resources.
You'll have access to a range of facilities, including our Libraries.
Open access computer facilities are available. The University’s Virtual Learning Environment (Ultra) provides remote access to a wide range of resources.
| Student | Annual tuition fee |
|---|---|
| UK full time | £9,535 |
| International full time | £16,460 |
You may need to pay additional course costs over and above your tuition fees, for example, for specialist equipment or trips and visits. Please check the course Programme Document (linked under the main image on this page) for details of any additional costs. You can also read our Additional Course Costs Policy for further information.
Please visit our Funding pages for an overview of the funding options that may be available, including scholarships and bursaries.
The following amounts apply if you're starting your teacher training course between September 2025 and July 2026.
You may be eligible for a teaching bursary or scholarship when training to teach. Please use the table below to check which subjects offer bursaries and scholarships.
This information is set by the Department for Education (DfE) and is subject to terms and conditions. For more guidance please refer to Get Into Teaching.
| Subject | Bursary | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Art and Design | £10,000 | |
| Biology | £26,000 | |
| Chemistry | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Computing | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Design and Technology | £26,000 | |
| English | £5,000 | |
| Geography | £26,000 | |
|
Languages (French, German and Spanish only) |
£26,000 | £28,000 |
| Maths | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Music | £10,000 | |
| Physics | £29,000 | £31,000 |
| Religious Education | £10,000 |
This information was accurate at the time of writing; please check the DfE website for the most up to date information.
Teachers are role models for their pupils and must act with integrity at all times, while having the highest expectations of themselves and their pupils. They forge positive professional relationships and engage with wider communities.
You’ll need to be suited to the teaching profession both personally and academically. We look for committed individuals with a professional approach and an exceptional work ethic. We value strong communication skills, adaptability and emotional resilience. Having a true passion for your subject will give you the edge.
In your application, you should detail why you want to work with children and young people, and what experience, if any, you have of this.
In order to apply you'll need to have completed, or be in the final year of a UK degree (or equivalent qualification). You're required to have a good honours degree or above with at least 50% in French, German or Spanish. A native speaker of one of these languages would need to be a fluent and clear speaker of English and have a degree, which may be in another subject other than the first language they wish to teach.
You'll also need GCSE passes at grade 4/C or above or recognised equivalents in English and Mathematics.
Applicants must be able to offer two teachable languages, one of which must be French – at any level – and either German or Spanish. Second languages can be improved to teaching standard by the completion of a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course.
Before being allowed to enrol, all teacher training applicants are required to complete a number of compulsory compliance checks, including:
You may also need to enrol in a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course.
Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page to apply through the Department for Education's application system. If you need more guidance, please head to our how to apply webpages.
Once your application has been received and assessed, and if it is successful in making it to the next stage of the application process, you'll be invited to attend an interview (these are currently held online). At the interview, we'll assess your suitability and passion for teaching. The interview will include a short teaching exercise and a discussion of educational issues. We'll ask you about your experience to-date of working with children and young people.
You’ll need to be well suited to the teaching profession both personally and academically.
See 'What we look for in potential students' for more information.
