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Key details

Start date(s)
September 2026
Study Mode
Full-time (1 year)
Location
Horsforth Campus
School
Education and Childhood

 

Become a teacher and help children achieve their full potential

Teaching is about far more than delivering lessons. It is about inspiring curiosity, building relationships and helping children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed. You will support children at a crucial stage of their development and help create the foundations for lifelong learning.

Our programme is designed to help you develop as a teacher who is:

  • confident across the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 curriculum
  • knowledgeable about how young children learn and develop
  • skilled in creating environments where children can explore, learn and thrive
  • informed by educational research and evidence
  • prepared for the next stage of your teaching journey

Upon successful completion of all aspects of the programme and meeting the Teachers' Standards during your experiences in school, you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

 

 

The Student Contract

About this course

From the start of your studies, you will learn alongside experienced teacher educators and work with school-based mentors who will support your professional development throughout the programme.

Adaptive and Inclusive Teaching 

You will develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to teach children with a wide range of strengths, backgrounds and learning needs. You will explore how teachers remove barriers to learning, maintain high expectations for all pupils, and create learning environments where every child feels valued and supported.

Working with university tutors and school-based mentors, you will learn how to:

  • adapt teaching while maintaining ambitious expectations
  • use assessment to identify and respond to pupils' needs
  • support children with SEND and other additional needs
  • create inclusive learning environments that promote participation and achievement
  • build positive relationships that support children's wellbeing and learning

By the end of the programme, you will be able to apply inclusive and adaptive approaches to teaching, using evidence-informed practice to support children's learning, development and participation.

These themes are embedded throughout the programme and developed through university-based learning, school experience and research-informed professional practice.

Programme Structure

The Primary (3-7) programme will support you to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to teach effectively in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.

The programme is comprised of four strands:

  • Subject Knowledge and Applied Pedagogy

Develop a secure understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 curriculum alongside the pedagogical knowledge needed to teach it effectively.

You will learn how children develop knowledge and skills over time, and how teachers design engaging learning experiences that inspire curiosity, creativity and deep understanding.

Throughout the programme, you will explore how teaching can be adapted to ensure learning is accessible, ambitious and inclusive for all learners.

  • Professional Studies

Develop the wider professional knowledge needed to become an effective teacher. Professional Studies connects educational theory with the realities of classroom life, helping you develop confidence and professional judgement.

You will explore key aspects of professional practice, including safeguarding, behaviour management, planning, assessment and the wider responsibilities of teachers.

  • Research Literacy

Outstanding teachers continually reflect, question and learn.

Throughout the programme, you will engage with educational research, policy and professional practice, developing the confidence to evaluate evidence critically and apply it meaningfully in your own teaching.

Rather than simply following initiatives, you will become a teacher who understands why different approaches work and how they can support positive outcomes for children.

All PGCE Primary courses culminate in the award of a Level 7 Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

  • School Experience

There is no substitute for learning in schools.

You will spend at least 120 days working alongside experienced teachers in a range of partnership schools, gradually taking increasing responsibility for planning, teaching and assessment.

Throughout your placements, you will be supported by experienced mentors who will help you connect university learning with classroom practice while developing your confidence as an inclusive teacher.

During your school experiences, you will draw upon what you have learned at university and apply it to meet the needs of children in your school or setting.

Upon successful completion of all aspects of the programme and meeting the Teachers' Standards during your school experiences, you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).


Your Learning Journey

The Primary (3-7) programme has been designed to provide a gradual and supported introduction to the teaching profession.

Stage One: Building Strong Foundations

Begin your professional journey by exploring child development, curriculum, learning theory and classroom practice.

Alongside your first school placement, you will begin to develop your professional identity while learning about adaptive teaching, inclusion and the foundations of effective classroom practice.

Stage Two: Developing Confidence

Build on your early experiences by deepening your understanding of assessment, curriculum progression and responsive teaching.

As your confidence grows, you will further develop your ability to adapt teaching, respond to pupils' needs and make informed professional decisions.

Stage Three: Becoming Classroom Ready

Spend the majority of your time in school, taking increasing responsibility for teaching and learning.

Working alongside experienced colleagues, you will refine your classroom practice, demonstrate the Teachers' Standards and prepare for the transition into your first role as an Early Career Teacher.

Qualified Teacher Status

Throughout the programme, you will receive regular feedback from university tutors and experienced school-based mentors, enabling you to celebrate your progress and identify your next steps.

By the end of the programme, you will have demonstrated that you meet the Teachers' Standards and, subject to successful completion of all programme requirements, will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Course modules

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Core modules

In addition to input on subjects across the primary curriculum and Professional Studies, you will study two academic modules.

Supporting Individual Needs

In this module, you will consider issues of inclusion and explore how teachers can make their classrooms inclusive for all learners. You will look closely at one specific need, developing your knowledge and understanding of its implications for classroom practice. You will then reflect on how you can adapt your teaching and classroom environment to create a safe, supportive and productive place for all learners.

Developing Assessment Literacy

In this module, you will consider the purpose of assessment and explore the strategies you can use as a teacher, developing your understanding of why effective assessment is important for learning. You will evaluate the assessment strategies you have used in the classroom, drawing on relevant literature to analyse their impact on learning. You will also explore how assessment can be used across the wider curriculum to inform and adapt teaching, identify learners’ needs and provide the right support at the right time.

These modules will develop your understanding of educational theory and research and provide you with the academic credits required for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).


Learning and teaching

The Student Contract

Assessment will be both formative and summative and will take place at different times across the programme. 

Examples of Assessment across the programme will include:

  • Personal subject knowledge audits.
  • Ongoing target setting and progress checks against the core competencies.
  • Level 7 formative assessments
  • Level 7 marking and feedback

Learning and teaching

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

  • high quality teaching
  • an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
  • a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

  • Student Involvement and Engagement
  • Inclusion
  • Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
  • Digital Literacy and Skills
  • Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

  • Personalised support
  • Expert lecturers
  • Strong connections with employers
  • An international outlook
  • Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Entry requirements

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.

  • An undergraduate honours degree (usually a 2:2 or above) or equivalent. Please note that applicants with third-class honours degrees will be considered on an individual basis, and normally only if applicants have additional qualifications and/or significant relevant professional experience.
  • GCSE Grade 4 (or C or accepted equivalent) in English Language or English Literature, Science and Mathematics. If you do not already have the appropriate GCSEs, or if you are unable to provide proof of your grades, please refer to the GCSE Equivalency information below.
  • The ability to read effectively and communicate clearly and accurately in spoken and written standard English.
  • Suitable personal and intellectual qualities required for teaching in primary schools.
  • Applicants also need to demonstrate the commitment, attitudes and values appropriate to those of a primary teacher and the potential to train as a teacher. Strong applicants often have experience in primary schools, but this is not a requirement.

This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.

Additional entry requirements

In addition to the above essential entry requirements, successful applicants also tend to have:

  • Advanced level qualifications (or equivalent) in Primary Education.
  • Experience of observing the teaching in a primary school in this country.

You will also need to meet additional entry requirements set by the Department for Education (DfE) for selection. This includes the completion of a health check and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. For further information, please visit our Initial Teacher Training additional entry requirements page.

Interview information

If your initial application is successful, we will invite you to the next available Interview Day. For more information on the interview process, visit our PGCE Primary Education interviews page.

GCSE Equivalency

If you do not already have the appropriate GCSEs, or if you are unable to provide proof of your grades, we can accept GCSE equivalency tests taken with A Star Equivalency, equivalencytesting.com or Birmingham City University (BCU) Further details are emailed to applicants who accept offers with us.

Please get in touch for further advice on 0113 283 7123 or admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk.

Fees and finance

Funding

For information about our tuition fees please visit our Student Fees and Finance pages. 

How to apply

Applications for September 2026 entry are now closed. Applications for 2027 entry open in early October.

Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies (CCRS)

Achieve an additional qualification alongside your PGCE with the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies. 

Although the CCRS isn't compulsory, it is recognised across the Catholic school sector as a desirable qualification that can expand on both your expertise and your vocational focus. The course aims to ensure you have the basic knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the beliefs and principles of the Catholic Faith while providing a basis for further study.