The Course

Q. How long is the course?

A. The PGCE Secondary course is 36 weeks long, commencing in September and ending in June. Of the total course load, 65% is based on practical experience comprising of 24 weeks spent in a school; the rest of 35% is taught, which translates to 12 weeks spent at Swansea Met's Townhill Campus. The PGCE Primary course is 38 weeks long, commencing early in September and ending late in June. A total of 18 weeks of the course are spent out in schools.

* Please Note: If you are accepted onto the course, please do not book holidays or other arrangements without checking exact course dates with the PGCE Office first, please call 01792 482111 for term dates.

Q. Where are the placement schools and can I choose which schools I undertake my school experience?

A. The regulations for the award of Qualified Teacher Status require trainees to have experience in two schools. The Swansea PGCE works in partnership with a range of schools across South Wales from Pembrokeshire to Monmouth, the majority being in the M4 corridor including Cardiff, Bridgend and Swansea areas.

At interview candidates are asked to state a geographical area of preference for school placement. However, you cannot choose which school you will be placed in. Our policy to attempt to place trainees in schools we judge will provide the best professional development experiences to enable a trainee to flourish. We do our best to take personal circumstances into account in allocating placements, but you will appreciate allocations will not always be the nearest school to ‘home'. We endeavour to place students within a 50 minute travel time to schools and often it is nearer but in some cases travel time to an allocated school may be more than the nominal 50 minutes. It is often possible to share transport to school with other trainees and we encourage this. Please note that whilst every effort is taken to place trainees in schools within preferred geographical areas, we reserve the right to make placements elsewhere.

Q. How do I apply?

A. All PGCE applicants are to apply to the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR). This can be done online or via postal application. If you choose Swansea Met as your first choice to study, we will receive your application first. We will then assess your application and suitability, and if this is successful, you will be invited to an interview. Places are offered following successful selection from the interviews. The offer of a place may be conditional (for example, on the successful award of a degree).

Q. When is the Primary Placement week that I have to complete before joining the course and how is this arranged? (PGCE Secondary courses only)

A. The Primary Placement usually begins during the first week of September for 1 week and is organised by the student. You can organise this at any time before the start of the course - during term-time is obviously the most suitable.

Qualifications and Experience

Q. What qualifications do I need to apply for a PGCE course?

A. Entry Requirements for the PGCE Secondary course include:

A degree relevant to the subject you wish to take. It is possible that degree equivalents will be acceptable.

GCSE grade C or above (or equivalent) in English Language and in Mathematics.

Entry Requirements for the PGCE Primary course include:

Applications are considered from graduates fulfilling all of the following requirements:

Passes (grades A-C) in  Mathematics and Science and passes (grades A-B)  in English Language at ‘O' level or GCSE (or their equivalent) are necessary requirements for candidates of all ages. In addition, a suitable spread of GCSEs to reflect the primary National Curriculum.

Applicants are also expected to have either an ‘A' level (or equivalent) or a degree in a National Curriculum subject or a degree in Educational Studies from Swansea Metropolitan University. Candidates who do not meet this requirement will be dealt with on an individual basis.

It is normal practice for all applicants to be interviewed before acceptance. Applicants are expected to have gained recent experience of primary schools before attending interview.

In the case of queries about eligibility please contact: PGCE Primary Admissions office on 01792 482111 Or email the Course Director to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Q. I do not have the exact qualifications that are required for the course. Would my qualifications be acceptable?

A. For anyone who is uncertain about whether their qualifications are appropriate for entry onto the course, please get in touch with the relevant course tutor:

PGCE Secondary - Please contact Chris Jones at the PGCE Office by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

PGCE Primary - Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

You should aim to send them a detailed CV including exact grades so that they can best advise you.

Q. My degree is not related to the subject I want to teach. Can I still apply? (PGCE Secondary only)

A. The regulations for award of Qualified Teacher Status at secondary level state that to gain QTS trainees must have knowledge and understanding at degree level standard in the subject they are training to teach. For PGCE entry to most subjects we require at least 50% of your degree to be in the subject you wish to teach or a good degree in a strongly cognate subject. If you are unsure as to whether your degree will be sufficient for entry onto the course, then please provide a transcript of the modules studied to the PGCE Office with clear indication of the PGCE subject you are interested in, and we will do our best to advise you as to your suitability.

Q. Do I need any experience before I apply?

A. It is advantageous if you have some experience of working with children and/or within schools, so you can refer to your experiences at interview. This is particularly true of the Primary PGCE course, where prior experience is essential. ‘Shadowing' a teacher or subject department in a school is highly recommended and in some subjects may form part of the interview arrangements. The Careers Service "Go Wales" can arrange school experiences for you in the form of Work Tasters; you can access this information by using the following link: Go Wales Work Tasters. Go Wales has listed establishments which they can arrange taster sessions with for you, or alternatively if you had a school in mind, they could get in touch with them on your behalf and set up the taster session from there on.

Q. What other qualities are you looking for in the application?

A. The TDA have just launched a new tool called Teacher Training Application Form Assistant on their website which will assist you with your application forms. It is hoped that it will be of use to those of you making an application by prompting you to think of appropriate answers to each section without providing the actual answers.

Fees, Grants and Bursaries

Q. Do I have to pay tuition fees?

A. The financial support available for 2012 entry is as follows;

 Annual Deferred Flexible Tuition Fee of up to £9,000.

Students will not have to pay upfront for their tuition. Tuition fees will be paid for by a loan which students will only start to repay once they have left their course and are earning over £21,000 a year.

Eligible Welsh and non-UK EU domiciled students will be entitled to recieve a fee grant to cover fees above £3,465. This grant is non-means tested and doesn not have to be repaid.

Q. Am I eligible for an Incentive Allowance? 

A. Only students that are looking to study a priority subject area will be eligible for an Incentive Allowance. See below categories.

Q. How do I apply for the Incentive Allowance?

A. When you have been in contact with your Local Education Authority and can confirm how you will be paying your fees, we will sort out your incentive allowance from the Welsh Assembly. For further clarification, please contact our Finance Department on 01792 481007. Normally the training grant will paid in nine monthly instalments, from October to June, paid in the last week of each month.

Q. How do I apply for the tuition fee grants and/or loans?

A. Once you have been confirmed a place on the course, you should contact your Local Education Authority as soon as possible to apply for your tuition fee grants and/or loans.

Accommodation

Q. How do I arrange accommodation in Swansea?

A. We do have a limited number of flats just for PGCE students. Applications are sent out around May/June. Information on accommodation for PGCE students is detailed on our website in the Accommodation Pages.

PLEASE NOTE: The information provided is for illustration purposes and correct at the time of publication.