Primary Mental Health and Wellbeing Specialist with QTS PGCE
GOV.UK code: S648
Become a role model and leader for primary school mental health and wellbeing. Gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) on our PGCE programme. Take your specialist knowledge to lead mental health and wellbeing initiatives in schools.
Open to applications for September 2025, subject to validation.
Overview
| Course length: | 1 year full-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2025 |
| Location: | Edge Hill University (full-time) |
| Example offers: | 2:2 or above (or equivalent). No specific subjects required View full entry criteria |
| Subject(s): | Education and Teaching |
| Faculty: | Education |
| Department: | Primary and Childhood Education |
Successful completion of the programme leads to recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
If you have qualified teacher status (QTS), you’ll get a minimum starting salary of £31,650 (or more in London) as a primary or secondary school teacher in England, rising to £41,333 for more experienced teachers.
Every school needs teachers who can actively contribute to fostering a classroom and school environment that promotes positive mental health. That could be you. Our PGCE Primary Mental Health and Wellbeing Specialist with QTS course offers a high-quality teacher training experience while also developing your knowledge and expertise in mental health and wellbeing, with an additional nationally recognised qualification. You’ll learn to educate children aged 5-11 in all primary subjects and deepen your understanding of social, emotional, and mental health needs, enhancing your practice with practical, evidence-based strategies to support every child in your care.
You’ll spend significant time on placements in schools, where we’ll help you meet the teachers’ standards. You’ll acquire the essential professional skills and knowledge for a two-year induction as an early career primary teacher. Graduating with an enhanced awareness of mental health and wellbeing, you’ll set an example for teaching and learning in ways that are enriching, engaging, and inspiring.
Promoting mental health and wellbeing is a core feature of our internationally recognised, multi-award-winning research and knowledge exchange activities, which inform teaching in the Faculty of Education. Examples of our work supporting the mental health of children and young people in schools include our Tackling the Blues – Tackling the Blues programme, delivered in partnership with Everton in the Community – Edge Hill University (the official charity of Everton Football Club).
We collaborate with other organisations to improve mental health through preventative strategies such as social and emotional learning, de-escalating and supporting challenging behaviours, trauma-informed practice, and suicide awareness. This training offers professional development opportunities and resources for trainee and qualified teachers, partner schools, and colleges. Our staff and students also work with community and national partners across the sport, culture, and arts sectors to promote holistic well-being and support the management of mental illness.
Ofsted Outstanding Provider
Course features
-
Professional practice placements
-
Professional accreditation
-
International students can apply
What you'll study
The course is made up of four key elements. The first is academic study at Masters level. This will teach you vital academic and professional skills for teaching and exploring the principles of learning and curriculum design. You will develop your knowledge of evidence-informed practice, which you will be able to apply to your development as a teacher. You’ll also get to work on your specialist knowledge of primary mental health and wellbeing.
The next element is the development of professional curriculum subject knowledge. You’ll learn how to make sure children progress with, and enjoy, their learning, become familiar with the National Curriculum for England, and develop approaches for teaching each subject. Teaching workshops will boost your confidence in managing classrooms.
You’ll develop subject and teaching knowledge through professional placements. This is essential for achieving qualified teacher status, and will allow you to spend a significant amount of time in schools and other educational settings. You’ll also collaborate within your community of peers and tutors through online study.
Finally, there’s the mental health and wellbeing element. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with a nationally recognised qualification, undertake a specialist ITAP with additional time spent in school focussing on mental health and wellbeing whole school approaches and developing your skills to lead provision in this area. You will engage with sector experts and have the opportunity to become part of the Edge Hill community leading the way in working with children and schools to improve all children’s mental health and broader life chances.
How you'll study
Your learning experience will include lectures, seminars, workshop sessions and tutorials delivered using a hybrid blend of on-campus and online teaching. Independent study will be supported by materials provided through the virtual learning environment using a range of online teaching tools and applications. Your university-based experiences will be underpinned by reference to current research.
You will also undertake Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) as a specific and focused element of our teacher training curriculum. This is designed to consolidate your knowledge of effective teaching, and enable you to rehearse and obtain feedback from experts on your practice. Our ITAPs are designed to utilise the latest research and technology as well as draw on the outstanding mentors, tutors, and teacher expertise from across our partnership.
Over the course of your training, you will have the opportunity to participate in several days of Intensive Practice focusing on aspects of pivotal practice such as; behaviour management, scaffolding, professional behaviours and questioning. During periods of ITAP, your timetable may differ and you may be required to attend campus and/or a placement on days outside of the usual pattern.
As part of the Mental Health and Wellbeing specialist pathway you will undertake an ITAP focussed in this area. You will develop your knowledge gained from academic sessions and look at whole school approaches to Mental Health. You will be working at the University alongside time spent in school observing and working with Mental Health leads.
You will spend a significant amount of time undertaking professional practice placements, normally in key stages 1 and 2 in schools and other educational settings. During these experiences you will have opportunities to observe the work of expert practitioners. You will reflect on and discuss this practice with those practitioners and your trained school-based mentor. As you take on increasing responsibility for children’s learning and development, you will start by working with small groups under the direction of the class teacher, sometimes with a student teacher partner, and progress to planning for and working with the whole class for significant periods of time, managing the learning of every child.
How you'll be assessed
Assessment strategies will include presentations to different audiences, academic essays individually tailored around your own professional interests, and ongoing task submission.
During professional practice your school-based mentor will assess your development through reflective conversations, reviewing and discussing your planning and assessment records, observing your teaching, and gathering the perspectives of other adults and, of course, of the children who work with you.
In all cases, you will be given clear assessment guidance. The assessment criteria will be shared with you and you will be given constructive feedback to help you to set targets and identify actions to help you make further progress.
You will compile an electronic portfolio that brings together evidence to demonstrate your professional development and your ability to meet the Teachers’ Standards.
There are no formal written examinations as part of the current assessment methods on this programme.
Who will be teaching you
The Faculty of Education has been at the forefront of teacher education for 140 years and today enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of education, training and research for the children’s workforce.
You will be taught in University and on professional practice in schools by a range of highly qualified and experienced teachers and tutors who are dedicated to excellence in primary education and who will model high quality practice to enable you to develop your own teaching style.
You will also have the opportunity to engage with sector leads in the area of Mental Health and Wellbeing and experts from schools working with children and leading provision.
You will be supported throughout your programme by a personal academic tutor who will help you to manage your workload, engage with your academic studies, prepare for professional practice placements and secure your first teaching post.
The Edge Hill lead mentors and mentor leadership team play an important part in your teacher training as experts in their field. They have a deep knowledge of the trainee curriculum and support trainees and mentors to make progress providing guidance and support on aspects of the curriculum and assessment.
Entry criteria
When you apply, you are expected to have:
- A degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:2 or above). No specific subjects are required.
- GCSE English Language or English Literature at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or equivalent
- GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or equivalent
- GCSE Science at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or equivalent
- A commitment to, and understanding of, primary education, demonstrating the personal attributes, values and motivation required to train as a teacher.
Please note, for the purposes of initial teacher training, level 2 literacy and numeracy qualifications are not considered as equivalent to GCSE Grade C or Grade 4 in English Language or English Literature and Mathematics.
An interview forms part of the selection process, which can be conducted online or face to face.
If you accept a formal offer from Edge Hill University you will be required to meet the Department for Education’s standards for physical and mental fitness to teach and clearance to work with children. Further information, including a Declaration of Health questionnaire and details of how to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.
English language requirements
International students require IELTS 6.5, with a score no lower than 6.0 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.
- If your current level of English is half a band, one band, or one-and-a-half bands lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.
How to apply
Apply full-time
Read our guide to applying for PGCEs and Postgraduate Teacher Training to find out more about the application process.
International
Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.
Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.
There’s plenty of opportunities to come take a look around campus. Attend one of our open days to see what life at Edge Hill University is all about.
Book an open day
Facilities
The Faculty of Education enjoys the enviable position of being one of the country’s leading providers of transformative education, training and research for the teaching and education workforce. Housed in a state-of-the-art £9m building, the Faculty of Education enjoys a stunning setting from both its lakeside and piazza buildings.
Facilities in the lakeside building include a 300-seat lecture theatre, five well-equipped ICT suites, and 18 teaching rooms complete with the latest technology.
Our nearby piazza building houses our Research Hub and our Secondary and Further Education department including a lecture theatre and a number of seminar rooms.
Where you'll study
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
£9,535
a year
International
£17,000
a year
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.
Financial support
Please view the PGCE fees and funding guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.
Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional maintenance loan funding to help with living costs.
Scholarships
We offer a range of scholarships, which celebrate the determination, commitment and achievement of our students. Many of our scholarships are awarded automatically. There are some however, where you will need to be involved in an application or nomination process. To find out more about our scholarships and check your eligibility, please visit our dedicated scholarships pages.
Money Matters
Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students, together with details of how to apply for potential funding.
EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). If you are an EU student who does not have settled or pre-settled status, or are an international student from a non-EU country, please see our international student finance pages.
Your future career
This specialist PGCE programme is perfect for anyone wanting to become a primary teacher and take their first steps towards becoming a mental health and wellbeing lead in a school setting. If you are an aspiring teacher and want to become a primary mental health and wellbeing specialist this course is for you.
Successful completion of the programme will enable you to gain recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You will be well placed to progress into employment as an early career teacher within a primary school.
Our graduates work for schools in the UK and overseas. With your primary education knowledge and classroom skills, you’ll meet and exceed the national standards for Qualified Teacher Status. And you’ll be able to teach across the whole primary (5-11) age range in new and creative ways. With specialist knowledge of an aspect of education, you may progress onto a subject leadership role in a school.
You’ll complete a live exam called a VIVA at the end of the course. Your personal tutor will support you with this. It’s your opportunity to celebrate everything you’ve achieved throughout the degree. You’ll also take a professional portfolio out with you into your graduate career.
Course changes
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.
Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.
