PGCE Award Ceremony celebrates newly qualified teachers

The event brought together the 2024-25 PGCE cohort, tutors, family members and friends at the historic Sheldonian Theatre for an afternoon of achievement, reflection and inspiration.

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education, Professor Jonathan Michie, delivered the keynote address, applauding the graduates for their hard work and intellectual endeavours throughout the year. He acknowledged the essential support offered by family and friends and highlighted the collective effort behind each student’s success, noting that “everyone stands behind the students, from the tutors to the professional services staff, to the gardeners.”

Dr Katharine Burn, PGCE Course Director 2024–25, said: “It was a delight to welcome the PGCE cohort back to Oxford, not only to celebrate their success, but also to share that celebration with the families and close friends who had supported them through a challenging, exhilarating and life-changing year. The speech to her peers, given by Lottie Walker, Chair of the Staff Student Liaison Committee, was truly inspirational and a powerful promise of all that we know they will go on to achieve.

“Holding this event in late November also meant that we could catch up on their new experiences as qualified teachers, learning about the professional relationships that they are building with staff and students, and the impact that they are already having on the lives of young people.”

Dr Judith Hillier, current PGCE Course Director, added: “The PGCE Award Ceremony was a joyous occasion, with 100 Oxford students now qualified as secondary school teachers, receiving their certificates in a simple but powerful ceremony. It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with and to support them through their academic journey with us and to catch up with them on Sunday with how their teaching careers are going so far. We look forward to seeing them thrive in the world of education in the months and years to come.”

Professor Velda Elliott, Director for Graduate Studies, also reflected on the significance of the occasion: “The PGCE is an incredibly intense year, and it’s wonderful to be able to reunite with former students, celebrate their achievements in the Sheldonian, and hear about how their post-course lives are going.”

The ceremony not only celebrated academic success but also offered a moment to recognise the early impact the graduates are already making in schools across the country. The Department looks forward to following their careers and the contributions they will make to the lives of students.

See our PGCE page for more information about the course.