Educational Leadership PGCert
Our PGCert is for practising educators in any educational sector, particularly those in leadership roles or aspiring leaders.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2023
- January 2024
Overview
On our Educational Leadership PGCert programme, you'll develop both 'know how' and 'know why' in relation to educational leadership.
On completing the course you'll have a good, critical understanding of:
- current thinking and key issues of leadership and strategic management of educational institutions
- relevant leadership theories and their significance for educational leadership
This course will help you to use approaches of practitioner enquiry as a means for:
- professional practice
- educational effectiveness
- improvement of educational organisations
At the beginning of the course, we'll ask you to complete a formative written task. This is to tailor the teaching and reading list to your development needs. This personalised approach has been identified by previous students and external examiners as a particular strength of the course.
Our Educational Leadership PGCCert course tutors are active scholars. They have had or hold leadership roles within the education sector. They all teach and supervise across a range of courses. This provides them with a wide knowledge base and a genuine concern for the challenges of educational contexts.
The course draws on the expertise developed in the:
- Educational Leadership Centre
- Research Centre for Learning and Teaching - based in the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences
The Educational Leadership Centre (formerly North Leadership Centre) is one of the seven founding partners of NETSP (North East Teaching Schools Partnership). This is the regional provider for:
- Early Career Framework (ECF)
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Executive Leadership
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Headship
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leading Behaviour and Culture
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leading Teacher Development
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Senior Leadership
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leading Teaching
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leadership of Literacy
- National Professional Qualification (NPQ): Leadership of Early Years
READ MORE
Important information
We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2022-23.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
What you'll learn
You'll be taught through a range of compulsory and optional modules.
If you have successfully completed an NPQ qualification you may be able to transfer credits into this qualification and therefore your module choice may vary. Please contact the team by email at pgteducation@ncl.ac.uk to discuss your individual prior learning achievements.
Modules
You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.
Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.
Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.
Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.
Optional modules availability
Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.
To find out more please see our terms and conditions.
Modules
Compulsory modules
You take the following compulsory modules:
Leadership and Strategic Management (20 credits)
Future of Educational Leadership and Practitioner Research (20 credits)
You also take one of the following modules:
Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment as foundations of teaching and learning (20 credits)
OR
Investigating Technology Enhanced Learning (20 credits)
Additional optional module information
You select optional modules based on your National Professional Qualification.
How you'll learn
To be awarded the PGCert, you will be studying three 20-credit modules.
The Leadership and Strategic Management module will be taught in eight afternoon/evening sessions (from 4.00pm to 6.30pm) during the autumn term. Four of the sessions will be delivered on campus, the other four sessions will be virtual seminar sessions.
The Future of Educational Leadership and Practitioner Research module will be taught in nine sessions. Four of these sessions will be online.
For the third module, you will be able to choose from a small selection of modules. Study mode may vary.
For all modules, you'll have the opportunity to engage with our academics through tutorials. Sessions are taught interactively. Weekly tasks are built into the course so that you actively contribute to each session. The learning from the modules extends into practical and reflective engagement with the workplace.
Conversion modules from National Professional Qualifications for School Leadership (NPQs) may also be transferred into the PGCert (see optional modules).
Modules can be combined with other Master's level credits (including the PGCE) to complete a full Master's with a dissertation.
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Essay
- Portfolio
- Reflective log
- Written exercise
Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:
- module handbooks
- course materials
- groups
- course announcements and notifications
- written feedback
Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:
- peers
- academics
- personal tutors
- our University Student Services Team
- student representatives
You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.
Our staff
The Educational Leadership PGCert course is led by René Koglbauer. René is a Professor of Professional Learning and Leadership and a Director of the Educational Leadership Centre.
Dr Lisa Ramshaw acts as module leader of the leadership modules in the academic year 2022/23.
Your development
Professional skills
The Educational Leadership course will help you to use approaches of practitioner enquiry as a means for:
- professional practice
- educational effectiveness
- improvement of educational organisations
Through your critical reflection of leadership literature in the field of education, you'll acquire a critical understanding of:
- current debates in the field
- research methodologies
- methods and theory of leadership research
This will prepare you for practical implementations of such approaches to encourage educational effectiveness and improvement.
Placement opportunities
You're expected to have experience working or volunteering in a professional educational setting. This provides the context for much of your critical reflections.
Your future
Our Careers Service
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.
Quality and ranking
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Facilities
You'll typically be taught in the King George VI Building. Subject to COVID-19 restrictions, you'll have access to the Education Resource Centre and associated borrowing rights.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2023 entry (per year)
If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.
Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.
EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.
If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.
Scholarships
We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.
What you're paying for
Tuition fees include the costs of:
- matriculation
- registration
- tuition (or supervision)
- library access
- examination
- re-examination
- graduation
Find out more about:
If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.
You can check this in the How to apply section.
If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.
For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.
Search for funding
Find funding available for your course
Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2023 entry.
Qualifications from outside the UK
English Language requirements
Admissions policy
This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.
Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB)
Other policies related to admissions
Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course
How to apply
Using the application portal
The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.
You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.
If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.
Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.
Apply Online
Open days and events
You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:
- campus tours
- on-campus open days
- virtual open days
- webinars
Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually
Overseas events
We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.
Get in touch
Questions about this course?
If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:
School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences
Telephone:+44 (0) 191 208 6799
Email: ecls.ppd@ncl.ac.uk
Online
For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.
Live chat
Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.
You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.
Keep updated
We regularly send email updates and extra information about the University.
Receive regular updates by email
Chat to a student
Chat online with current students with our Unibuddy platform.