PGCE Checks Primary Education – January start

LONDON APPLICANTS 

We must see your original degree certificate for entry to this programme. You can provide your original degree certificate to a member of staff at the London campus main reception, Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm. If you are unable to visit campus before January you can bring your original degree certificate to your registration session on your first day (6th January) or any time during that week, however please be aware that delays in the provision of your original degree certificate will inevitably delay access to student finance.

LANCASTER APPLICANTS 

We must see your original degree certificate for entry to this programme. Please bring your original certificate to the Library Reception STEP Desk at the Lancaster campus. The campus is open Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm. You may also bring your original certificate with you to your registration session on your first day (6th January), however please be aware that delays in the provision of your original degree certificate will inevitably delay access to student finance. 

You can post your original degree certificate to the following address (please remember to upload your GCSEs via the Applicant Portal):
PGCE Admissions, University of Cumbria, Bowerham Road, Lancaster, LA1 3JD.

Please ensure your original degree is posted to arrive with us no later than Wednesday 18th December to prevent delays to student finance applications (we strongly recommend that you do not post your certificate to us over the Christmas period, w/c 23rd December and w/c 30th December during which time our offices will be closed and staff will not be available to collect your certificate). Please include your name and applicant ID number.

You are strongly advised to post your original degree certificate to us by recorded delivery.

Lancaster students

Your degree certifcate will be kept safely in our offices and returned to you at registration on 6th January. 

London students

Your degree certificate will be returned to you by 2nd class post delivery.

We can accept certificates, candidate statement of results or a signed letter on headed paper from your school or college confirming the qualifications awarded to you. We can also accept an email from your school or college sent directly to pgadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk

You will be asked to provide copies of your GCSE certificates by uploading them to your applicant portal prior to the start of the course.

All students training to teach Primary must have, and evidence, a minimum grade C/4 in GCSE English Language, Mathematics and Science (or recognised equivalents).

All students training to teach Secondary must have, and evidence, a minimum grade C/4 in GCSE English Language and Mathematics (or recognised equivalents).

It is your responsibility to provide these prior to admission to your course and to check that these are acceptable. The university will accept a range of alternative qualifications to GCSE, please enquire with the admissions office. Qualifications are an OFSTED requirement and are not negotiable.

NB. The University does not accept Level 2 Adult Literacy or Numeracy or Key Skills as equivalent to GCSE English or Maths entry requirements for ITT courses.

Original degree certificates should be provided.

Where this is not immediately available, you may be permitted to provisionally register to start the course using another form of degree evidence (a signed letter on headed paper from your University or tutor confirming the qualification awarded to you, or an email from your University or tutor sent directly to pgadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk will be acceptable) however, the official certificate must be provided as soon as available (this is a DfE requirement).

All documents must be original.

Arrangements for providing original degree certificates:

IN-PERSON

LONDON APPLICANTS - We must see your original degree certificate for entry to this programme. You can provide your original degree certificate to a member of staff at the London campus main reception, Monday - Friday, 9am – 5pm. If you are unable to visit campus before January you can bring your original degree certificate to your registration session on your first day (6th January) or any time during that week, however please be aware that delays in the provision of your original degree certificate will inevitably delay access to student finance.

LANCASTER APPLICANTS - We must see your original degree certificate for entry to this programme. Please bring your original certificate to the Library Reception STEP Desk at the Lancaster campus. The campus is open Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm. You may also bring your original certificate with you to your registration session on your first day (6th January), however please be aware that delays in the provision of your original degree certificate will inevitably delay access to student finance.

BY POST

You can post your original degree certificate to the following address (please remember to upload your GCSEs via the Applicant Portal):
PGCE Admissions, University of Cumbria, Bowerham Road, Lancaster, LA1 3JD.

Please ensure your original degree is posted to arrive with us no later than Wednesday 18th December to prevent delays to student finance applications (we strongly recommend that you do not post your certificate to us over the Christmas period, w/c 23rd December and w/c 30th December during which time our offices will be closed and staff will not be available to collect your certificate). Please include your name and applicant ID number.

You are strongly advised to post your original degree certificate to us by recorded delivery.

Lancaster students

Your degree certifcate will be kept safely in our offices and returned to you at registration on 6th January. 

London students

Your degree certificate will be returned to you by 2nd class post delivery.

Please be aware that failure to provide your original certificate once we ask you to do so will risk your place on the programme.

It is vitally important that you obtain replacements as soon as possible. If you are unable to provide evidence of qualifications that meet the entry requirements by 6th January 2025, you may not be permitted to start the course and you may lose your place. Access to bursaries and loans will be withheld until you have completed all admissions checks for your course.

If you can’t find your official GCSE certificates, we can also accept a candidate statement of results or an original signed letter on headed paper from your school or college confirming the GCSEs or acceptable equivalent awarded to you. We can also accept an email from your school or college sent directly to the Admissions Office; pgadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk

If you have lost your GCSE certificates you must take steps to obtain replacements without delay (as these can take several weeks to arrive). Here are links to the most common examination board websites from whom you can order replacements.
• AQA
• OCR
• Edexcel

Information on obtaining replacement certificates can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Once you have received official notification of your result you will need to provide evidence no later than 2nd January 2025.

If you are due to take a GCSE equivalency test:
If you are due to sit a GCSE or equivalency exam, please contact us as soon as you receive your result and upload a copy of your certificate to your Applicant Portal.

I need to do a GCSE Equivalency Test
Acceptable GCSE equivalency test providers are:

• Equivalencytesting.com
• A Star Teachers

You can upload your GCSE certificates using your Applicant Portal.

We need to see your original degree certificate. Please refer to the email that directed you to this webpage for information about how to provide your original degree certificate.

The university has a responsibility to ensure that every student studying at the institution has the right to study in the UK. If your course requires a DBS check, we also need to check that you have the right to work in the UK.

Right to Work: If you are already resident in the UK, we will ask you to provide evidence of your right to work before you start your DBS application. Ideally this should be your original passport. Please see our DBS pages for further information about acceptable documents. 

Right to Study: your right to work check will also cover your right to study check.

If you are not already resident in the UK and will be joining us on a Student Visa, you will not be able to complete the right to work or study check until you arrive in the UK.