PGCE Primary (School Direct)

School Direct was introduced in 2012 and allows schools to directly recruit students onto teacher education courses run in collaboration with universities. To make sure you have a range of placement opportunities, schools work together in Teaching Alliances.

This course is made up of both campus-based sessions - which will give you a grounding in the principles of good teaching practice - and school-based placements giving you the chance to apply your knowledge and experience a wide range of classroom situations. These placements will be in contrasting schools to give you a broad range of experience - they could be in city, suburban or rural schools, in the independent or state sector.

The School Direct PGCE Primary course will prepare you to teach across the full range of the Primary Curriculum. We will introduce you to the wider context of teaching, including responding to diversity in school and the inclusion of Special Needs Education, as well as equipping you with classroom management and planning skills.

By the end of the course you will meet the required professional standards for Qualified Teachers Status (QTS), and will be awarded a University of Leicester PGCE. Our strong ethos of reflective practice will prepare you will for your future career in teaching.

The School Direct Primary PGCE is run in partnership with a range of School Direct partner schools. You can choose which School Direct Provider you would like to apply for and then submit your application through UCAS.

Each School Direct Provider will offer its own unique range of placement experiences and opportunities but will still share most, if not all, of the Primary PGCE taught strands with the University of Leicester Primary PGCE students, giving you a great opportunity to share experience and practice with other students.

The following schools are our School Direct Primary Providers:

David Ross Education Trust
Church Langton CE (Aided) Primary School
Hatton Teaching Schools Alliance
Sparkenhoe School Direct
5 Wells - Park Junior, Wellingborough
Thomas Estley Learning Alliance
Nottingham Catholic Teaching School Alliance
Newcroft Primary Academy
If you have any queries regarding the School Direct courses, please the lead school directly and they will be happy to help. Please use the contact details provided on our School Direct pages.

Not sure which PGCE route is right for you? Have a look at our Routes into Teaching pages to find out more about PGCE, School Direct and SCITT routes, including the dates of regular events we hold.