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Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PgCE) for Teaching Special Education Needs in Further Education

Start Date: 7th September 2026

Length 1 year
Study Full-Time
Location Teaching Development Centre

Qualification Gained

Levels Explained

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More about the course

This Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PgCE) for Teaching Special Education Needs in Further Education course will allow you to build on knowledge from your degree-level study and develop specialist skills and knowledge in teaching and supporting learners in the post-14 sector. You will have experience or knowledge of the sector through previous study, employment, voluntary work or personal experience and be able to apply it in a real context.

You will have a patient and caring nature, be understanding, and have good interpersonal skills. As part of the course, you will undertake a work placement of 150 hours within a SEND setting to develop your teaching style and practice.

Once you complete this course you will be eligible to apply for QTLS, which is as highly regarded as QTS by employers.

Entry requirements

A successful applicant will have a full undergraduate degree, as well as hold at least a Level 3 qualification in your chosen subject area.

Please note: It is an essential requirement of any initial teacher training course that students hold at least a Level 2 qualification in both English and maths at the start of the course. This could be either a minimum GCSE grade 4/C or Functional Skills Level 2 qualification.

You must have at least 150 confirmed teaching hours available through a placement, as well as the support of a subject specialist mentor, prior to enrolling on the programme. The College will provide assistance in finding suitably supportive placements, but these cannot be guaranteed.

Please note: Entry onto the programme will be dependent upon a valid enhanced DBS check which must be carried out by the College in line with government policy.

If English is not your first language, you will require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5.

At Newcastle College University Centre, we welcome applications from students studying new T-Level qualifications.

Further details on our entry requirements can be found here.

What will I achieve?

If you complete this course successfully you will receive a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PgCE) for Teaching Special Education Needs in Further Education (awarded by NCG).

What will I learn?

Stage 1:

Teachers and teaching (15 credits).
Learners and learning (15 credits).
Inclusive teaching (15 credits).
Understanding theories and frameworks for teaching learners with special educational needs (15 credits).

Stage 2:

Educational technologies (15 credits).
Professional practice (30 credits).
Action learning and teaching for students with special educational needs (15 credits).

How is the course taught?

Collaborative and reflective group sessions.
Modelling of activities and techniques.

How am I assessed?

Observations of teaching practice.
Teaching portfolios.
Written assignments.
Presentations.

Where can I progress?

This course prepares you for a post-16 teaching career in:

Further education colleges.
School sixth forms.
Higher education institutions.
Adult and community learning providers.
Private training companies.
Public services, prison services.
Sixth form colleges.

Course costs and information

Tuition fees vary depending on the course and mode of study. Read more about tuition fees and financial support.

Fees for international students vary depending on the course. Find out more about international fees and payments.

It's important that you know what your tuition fee includes and what other costs you'll need to plan for. Read what your fee includes here.

Dominic Taylor

Level 6 PgCE for Teaching Special Education Needs in Further Education

"My teaching course is amazing to put it bluntly! The teachers were really welcoming, they are really helpful. My assigned mentor is an amazing mentor, I couldn’t have asked for anyone better."

Anthony Mills

Level 7 MEd Education and Professional Development

"It's opened so many doors too. I always thought my career was sort of mapped out for me, whereas now I don't think it is... I think, and that's what this degree has done for me. I feel like it’s my calling."

Gail Keenan

Level 7 MEd Education and Professional Development

"I've developed my skills through my Masters, then that will continue to inspire and motivate me to be the best teacher as that can possibly be."

Leonardo Morantes-Africano

Curriculum Leader | Education

"I combine two of my passions in my job as teacher educator: research and the art of teaching. I teach across all programmes at the School of Education, including our Diploma in Teaching, PGCE and Masters in Education. My academic work is available online via Google Scholar, which focuses on social justice, queer and critical theory, as well as technology in education."