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Explore Our PGCE School Based Pathway
Get hands on experience when you train on a PGCE (School Based) course!
The University of Cumbria is one of the UK’s leading providers of teacher education, with a proud history of working in close partnership with schools to develop the next generation of outstanding teachers. We value and champion the vital role that schools play in teacher training, ensuring every trainee benefits from real-world experience and expert guidance from day one.
Through our extensive network of lead schools and delivery partners across the country, we offer a range of school-based routes into teaching, providing hundreds of training places in both primary and secondary settings.
On our PGCE School-Based course, your training is delivered collaboratively by University of Cumbria tutors and experienced classroom practitioners within our partner schools. This blend of academic insight and practical expertise equips you to become a confident, critically reflective teacher ready to inspire students and make a difference from your very first day in the classroom.
Delivery Partner Schools in the UK
The University of Cumbria is partnered with a wide selection of schools across the North, from the heart of Cumbria to Manchester and Merseyside. Our wide-spanning PGCE (School Based) region encompasses both our Carlisle Fusehill Street and Lancaster Campuses, so your placement school is never far from your on-campus learning hub. Take a look at our delivery partners below:
Why choose a PGCE (School Based) course at Cumbria?
Get hands on experience in one of our school partnerships across the North of England, boosting your employability whilst you train.
Our PGCE (School Based) places are offered based on a school's assessment of future employment needs, meaning that you may be considered for a vacancy within your partnership after your training.
Benefit from the support of experienced school mentors and expert university tutors.
Put theory into practice from the start of your course, with in-school placements as the foundation of your learning.
OFSTED 'Good' provider of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) for both Primary and Secondary phases.
University in the Northwest and in the Top 10 in the UK for Graduates into employment or further study within 15 months (97% of Graduates – Graduate Outcomes Survey, HESA 2025).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Our PGCE school-based programmes provide a unique PGCE experience, and differ from traditional Postgraduate Teacher Training courses. Learn more about what makes school-based teacher training distinctive and explore available routes below.
How do the PGCE (School Based) Programmes Differ From A Typical PGCE (Campus Based)?
Which PGCE (School Based) Routes are Available at the University of Cumbria?
What Our Students Have to Say
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![Lois Andrews]()
I landed a job back in April, before I had even finished the course, in an outstanding academy school in Blackburn. I will be teaching Reception children and I'm very excited to start my career as an NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher).
Lois Andrews
PGCE Primary Education with QTS - School-Based Route (PGCE School-Based)
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Resources
On-Campus Library
Our Libraries are well-equipped with all the books and journals you need to support your studies and development as teachers. We also hold a selection of tools, learning aids and teaching toys that you can use on placements.
Use OneSearch to discover resources in the library catalogue, consult your reading lists for recommended content and view the following pages for additional materials: Eresources, Resources for your subject, Journals.
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Resources
Department for Education
The Department for Education (DfE) is responsible for the training and development of the school workforce. Visit their website for more information about becoming a teacher.
Find out more
