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Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Syllabus
A postgraduate teacher-training qualification taken by graduates entering the teaching profession, often awarded alongside QTS.. The complete Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) outline — 8 subjects, 33 chapters and 135 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
4 chapters · 20 topics · 17 sub-topics
Learning, Development and Educational Theory4 chapters · 18 topics · 6 sub-topics
Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy4 chapters · 17 topics · 6 sub-topics
Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice4 chapters · 17 topics · 6 sub-topics
Assessment, Feedback and Data4 chapters · 14 topics · 4 sub-topics
Inclusion, SEND and Equality4 chapters · 16 topics · 4 sub-topics
Safeguarding, Wellbeing and the Law4 chapters · 15 topics · 4 sub-topics
School Placement and Professional Practice5 chapters · 18 topics · 4 sub-topics
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) flashcard decks
405 question-and-answer cards across 8 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Professional Studies and the Teachers' Standards — 50 cards
- Learning, Development and Educational Theory — 50 cards
- Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy — 50 cards
- Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice — 52 cards
- Assessment, Feedback and Data — 50 cards
- Inclusion, SEND and Equality — 50 cards
- Safeguarding, Wellbeing and the Law — 52 cards
- School Placement and Professional Practice — 51 cards
How to work through the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Professional Studies and the Teachers' Standards carries 20 topics while Assessment, Feedback and Data carries 14. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
The ~110 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) syllabus?
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) covers 8 subjects: Professional Studies and the Teachers' Standards, Learning, Development and Educational Theory, Curriculum, Subject Knowledge and Pedagogy, Planning, Teaching and Classroom Practice, Assessment, Feedback and Data, Inclusion, SEND and Equality, Safeguarding, Wellbeing and the Law and School Placement and Professional Practice. Together they contain 33 chapters and 135 named topics.
How big is the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) syllabus?
The full Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) outline breaks down into 33 chapters, 135 topics and 51 sub-topics. Professional Studies and the Teachers' Standards is the largest single subject with 20 topics across 4 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) syllabus?
Roughly 110 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 5 weeks.
Are there Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) flashcards?
Yes — 405 question-and-answer flashcards across 8 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United Kingdom and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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