Edinburgh teacher training: learn how to support, inspire and guide young people to reach their full potential

Edinburgh Napier University

Learn to engage the next generation with maths, English and science with a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) course at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) that’s designed by teachers, for teachers.

ENU offers courses to learn to teach Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics and Physics with the option to study full-time in one year, or part-time over two years. This flexibility means it’s easier to consider studying to be a secondary school teacher alongside work or other commitments.

Starting salaries for newly qualified teachers can begin at £38,000 and the Scottish PGDE is recognised around the world, opening up career possibilities as far afield as Canada, Dubai or Hong Kong.

Plus, with teachers in science and tech subjects in high demand, the Scottish Government offers financial support to applicants who are taking time out of work to retrain as a teacher.

You could be eligible for the £15,000 bursary if you decide to switch careers – for more details, visit www.napier.ac.uk/courses/study-areas/teaching/stem-bursary-information

Hear one graduate’s success story

The practical focus of the course, plus the specialist knowledge of her tutors, helped stand Erin Lowe in good stead in her first teaching role. Having completed her PGDE in English, she has now been teaching at Tynecastle High School in Edinburgh for two years – and has even returned to mentor other ENU students.

“When I went into teaching, in professional development sessions they were talking about topics that ENU had been teaching us about,” she says. “Even when I went on placement, they were talking about the learning that was really central to us. For some staff it was new, so knowing I was already trained in these areas made me feel much more confident with my new colleagues.”

Erin, 27, worked as a pupil support assistant in the same school before spending time teaching English in Spain: only then did she feel ready for her teacher training.

The supportive atmosphere at ENU really appealed to her and her tutors’ enthusiasm for their subjects was infectious, she recalls.

“I remember on my first day Colin McGill saying it was the best job in the world. They all very much love the classroom and think that teaching is important, plus they are all committed to social justice and equality.”

And she’s just finished mentoring a student on the current programme, explaining: “I had such a positive experience on placement that I wanted to be that positive support for somebody else.”

Erin says the training she received was “spot-on and up-to-date”, adding: “a lot of my confidence in teaching comes from the teaching we received at ENU”.

“I felt very supported by everyone; all of the lecturers wanted the best for all of us.”

Why choose ENU for teacher training?

The tutors on the PGDE courses have all had long teaching careers and are keen to show students what a fantastic job it can be, explains Dr Eric Easton who leads the PGDE programme.

He’s especially passionate about recruiting future teachers from a diverse range of backgrounds, which is why the courses are as flexible as possible – with the option to switch between full-time or part-time programmes if your circumstances change.

“Children need to be able to see themselves in the professionals who are teaching them,” says Eric. "We recognise that the model of a student coming in to become a teacher has changed a lot. We've got a wide diversity of people coming in here and that's one of the strengths of this programme.”

He’s keen to ensure more people know about the funding available: research in 2025 showed a third of potential teaching applicants were unaware of the bursary available in Scotland.

Train to be a chemistry, maths or physics teacher and you could be eligible for a £15,000 tax free bursary – plus all teachers are guaranteed a one-year training post in a local authority school. After that, it’s still good news as a shortage of teachers in those subjects means there are plenty of roles around.

And even for those training to teach English and Biology, 100 per cent of the last cohort found teaching jobs after their probationary year.

Part of their alumni’s success is down to the small teaching team’s great connections, adds Eric. "We've got really good professional networks: we know the schools in the local area so we're good at managing placements,” he says.

"We prioritise face-to-face teaching and we prioritise relationships. We interview in person because we want to see the individual, and we want to show them who we are. And we really work on that relationship aspect because we see teaching as essentially a really good deep communication between the teacher and the pupil, so we want to foster that in our student teachers as well."

‘I am so glad that I went to Napier’

Louise Cameron is currently studying for a PGDE in Chemistry and has finished her first seven-week placement in December.

“At uni, the lessons are so engaging and the support from the tutors has been amazing,” she says.

Louise, aged 27, started the one-year full-time course in August after working for a few years, and says the training she’s receiving at ENU has prepared her well for standing in front of a class. She praised the disability support team too, who helped her find ways to shape her learning around her dyslexia before she started the course.

So what made her choose to study at ENU? “I looked at the reviews of their teaching beforehand, and it was really positive. It’s easy to access and the campus itself is lovely.

“The other thing that appealed was that the class sizes are smaller than other unis so you are getting a lot of undivided attention from your tutor. I don’t think twice about going up to the tutor and asking them to clarify something. And there are always notes you can access to help you succeed.

“At uni, we have done practice lessons but there is a difference when you have a class of schoolkids! It was good that we had prepared beforehand, teaching a lesson to our fellow students and role-playing how to handle a disruptive student,” she says. “It gives you a bank of responses ready if you get into that situation. The more you do it, the better you get at it.”

Plus it has helped to have her tutors on hand if she’s needed them during her time in school. “I was lucky that I have an amazing mentor at the school, but my tutor has also helped me with any questions. He has replied so fast, so I felt very supported.

“Teaching was always at the back of my mind but I didn’t feel ready,” she adds. “I wanted to get industry experience first and explore different avenues. And now I am genuinely so glad that I went to Napier.”

To find out more about learning to be a secondary school teacher in Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics and Physics at ENU, visit here.