If you want to be able to teach at any level, you need to complete a PGCE. This is specialist teacher training, and there are many different educational institutions that you can apply to study at in 2023.

It’s important to recognise that each of these institutions has its own strengths and weaknesses, so what we thought we would do is take a look at the top 10. This list is in no particular order, but it does contain the 10 most popular places where people choose to study for a PGCE.

University of Birmingham

The PGCE qualification that is available at the University of Birmingham offers teacher training for early years, primary and secondary. The course takes one year to complete, and students can go on to get a Masters degree in teaching studies after completing the initial training. The course will focus primarily on teaching, planning and computer skills.

University of Bristol

The University of Bristol offers a one-year course for PGCE training. This course primarily focuses on secondary school teaching, and more than 200 students apply each year. The primary focus on the course modules are on educational and professional studies, curriculum studies, and school experience.

University of Cambridge

Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the UK, and offers a course that can be done over one year full-time, or two years on a part-time basis.

While you stay at Cambridge, you get the opportunity to specialise in one of the areas of education, from early years, to primary school, right the way through to secondary. Once you’ve completed the course, you can choose to do a Masters in educational studies if you want.

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University of Durham

The University of Durham offers a one-year course in both primary and secondary school level education. The University has strong working relationships with local schools, so you’re guaranteed to get a placement during your course.

University of Exeter

Students of the University of Exeter will be able to participate in a one year course studying either primary or secondary school education. If you choose to take part in the secondary school education course, then during your first time you can take elective modules in other departments.

Loughborough University

Loughborough University offers a one-year course which is focused on secondary school level. As a student, you will spend roughly 60% of the course in classrooms working on placement.

This particular course will provide you with all the necessary experience and knowledge to handle a classroom environment, and is much more practical than some of the other courses which focus more on academics.

University of Manchester

The University of Manchester provides both secondary and primary level education. The one-year course is designed to make sure that students have a proper understanding of the teaching profession, as well as the skills required to excel when teaching. There is also a lot of emphasis put on making sure that diversity is valued among students, and teaching prospective teachers how to respect cultural differences.

University of Nottingham

Students who are studying at the University of Nottingham get the chance to pick between both primary and secondary education. There are quite a few different subjects to choose from. English, geography, science, history, maths and modern languages are all available to specialise in.

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford has a very prominent education department, and works closely with many schools in the local area to make sure that there is a unique program for training people to teach secondary level. Roughly 30% of all students manage to gain employment with their placement when they graduate.

University College London

The University College in London has the last option on the list, but it is not lost by any means stop offering a one year course, this education program helps students who want to specialise in early years, primary, secondary, and even post compulsory education. The core modules that are taught during the course include things like professional practice, teaching and learning, and action research. 

Where Should You Go?

When it comes to studying for your PGCE, there is no wrong answer. The place you choose to study for the kind of education you want to teach will depend upon your personal preference, as well as the subject that you want to specialise in. However, the majority of PGCE teacher training courses are designed to give you a broad education, so the likelihood that you can teach most subjects it’s quite high.

Naturally, the course has been designed to give you an education in all aspects of teacher training. Not only do you learn how to handle students, but also how to design lessons, use the computer system to provide modern support, and how to interact with students on a regular basis. And the soft skills that you learn as a result of teaching are often just as important as the qualification itself.

Final Thoughts 

So, picking the right educational institution to do a PGCE training course for 2023 is largely up to you. There are plenty of different universities that specialise in delivering education like this, and they all offer something unique.

The best thing that you can do is to research each university carefully, and attend some of the open days if you want to get a proper understanding of what’s on offer. When it comes to gaining an education for the sake of teaching, it’s really your choice in how you do things, which means that there is no wrong choice. If you attend one of the universities where this teaching course is available, and you’ve already studied there, the transition is much easier. 

However, this is not mandatory, and many people choose to study elsewhere for their teacher training because it affords them access to different opportunities once they graduate. There are plenty of great options out there, so just take a look at what’s available and you’ll discover something for you.