PGCE Secondary (Music)

• Draw upon your own expertise in music and extend your own musical knowledge and understanding. 
• Build your confidence and gain practical teaching experience, with two main placements in local secondary schools and shorter visits to primary schools.
• Access a range of bursary and funding options to help ensure you’re able to focus on your studies and placements.
• Benefit from support throughout your training from both your faculty tutor and school mentors.
• Stand out as a subject specialist with the knowledge, personal qualities and standards of professional competence necessary to stimulate the imagination of children and to maintain and improve standards in schools.
• Learn about the latest curriculum developments, issues and innovations.
• Deepen your understanding of teaching, and learn about the opportunities for continued professional development and the relationship between educators and society.
• Make use of the latest technologies and developments in teaching and gain experience in developing multimedia resources for your subject.
• Hone your CV, interview and job application skills and attend events that will introduce you to potential employers.
• Leave with the skills, knowledge and experience needed to begin your career teaching music to children of all abilities from 11-18.
• Take advantage of free teacher training support from the Department for Education’s Premier Plus programme.

• Programme overview
• You’ll spend two thirds of your PGCE on placement with 24 weeks in secondary school and five days in primary school, supported and supervised jointly by a school mentor and a faculty tutor. In addition to this you’ll cover modules on planning, assessment and teaching and you’ll also focus on the teaching of music itself. You’ll maintain professional development and subject knowledge profiles enabling you to chart your development in meeting the professional standards required by the Department of Education. Assessments are based around school experience and are designed to be learning experiences shared with other students, mentors and tutors. You’ll learn to draw on your experience of teaching as well as provide evidence of reading and reflection.

  Core modules

  • EPGS413 Practical Teaching 1

    This module gives students a wide experience of working with pupils and a greater familiarity with the work of the subject teacher. It will enable students to try out ideas and approaches for planning, teaching and assessing pupils and to gain confidence in themselves as teachers.

  • EPGS615 Introduction to Professional Teaching and Learning

    Induction to Professional Teaching and Learning helps trainees reorientate their specialist subject knowledge towards the requirements of their subject curriculum as well as the gain a perspective of the wider role of the teacher, including the legal and statutory requirements, and on the structures of the wider school curriculum.

  • EPGS618 Practical Teaching 2

    This module gives trainees the opportunity to further practice and demonstrate their skills as a trainee teacher and to make the transition from 'trainee teacher' to 'beginning teacher' in a second school placement. School Practice will normally be for 17 weeks (five days in a Primary school and 16 weeks in a Secondary school) plus four Faculty days to review and share the experience.

  • EPGS710 Developing Subject Pedagogy

    This module develops the themes introduced in the Teaching & Learning module with greater attention to (i) structures for medium-term planning, and (ii) assessment within the subject curriculum, including the full range of external examinations, through a critical review of the research and literature in the learner's own subject area.

  • EPGS719 Professional Studies

    This module will introduce trainees to essential areas of knowledge and critique of professional values and school practice. It will inform and develop their capacity to reflect on key issues in education and classroom practice. It will also inform their thinking about particular issues that they will pursue in a written assignment.

  Optional modules

  • EPGS610 Developing Subject Pedagogy

    This module develops the themes introduced in the Teaching & Learning module with greater attention to (i) structures for medium-term planning, and (ii) assessment within the subject curriculum, including the full range of external examinations, through a critical review of the research and literature in the learner's own subject area.

  • EPGS619 Professional Studies

    This module introduces student teachers to essential to areas of knowledge of professional values and school practice. It will develop their capacity to reflect on key issues in education policy and classroom practice. It will also inform thinking about particular issues that they will pursue in a written assignment.

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

PGCE Secondary programme specification 3903

Your suitability for the PGCE Secondary programme is judged on a range of factors including academic qualifications, ability to work with other people and a real interest in learning and teaching.

When selecting applicants for interview the admissions tutor will consider all parts of the application including a personal statement and references. The UCAS website has useful information on how to provide these.

Academic requirements

• GCSE grade 4/grade C (or equivalent) in English and mathematics.
• 2:2 or above hons degree or equivalent in a music subject or subjects or 50% of degree if joint hons. Must be from a recognised university (masters and PhDs also count towards entry requirements.

For all other UK qualifications please refer to the UCAS website.

If you have overseas qualifications you can check how they compare with the UK equivalent through UK NARIC, who provide an advisory service.

English language requirements 

If English is not your first language then we’ll need evidence of your proficiency in English as follows: 

• IELTS at level 7 in all four components or GCSE in English Language at grade C or above.
• IELTS at level 6.5 provided that it was used to meet the entry requirement for a postgraduate degree completed in the UK.
• IELTS at level 6 provided that it was used to meet the entry requirement for an undergraduate degree completed in the UK.

For more information please visit the IELTS website.

Non-academic requirements 

• You'll be required to complete a satisfactory DBS (formerly CRB) Enhanced Disclosure, register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority and complete a criminal convictions self-declaration form.  Find all of the important documentation you'll need when applying for this programme.
• You must be deemed fit to teach.
• You must be able to reflect on some experience in relevant educational setting(s).

Professional Skills Tests and Qualified Teacher Status

You'll need to pass your Professional Skills Tests (PST) and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) tests prior to the start of the course. For more information please visit the Department of Education website.

Applications for this programme are made via the UCAS Teacher Training site.

Please ensure when submitting your application form through UCAS, that you are available for interview during the 40 day turnaround time following the submission of your application form. UCAS stipulate for all training providers to make a decision on applications within 40 working days. If you are not able to attend your interview during this period we will be unable to make a decision and therefore UCAS will reject your application by default. If you are unable to attend interview until after the 40 day period, and your application is rejected by default you will need to re-apply through Apply 2. If you have any concerns about this process you can visit the UCAS website or email us at educationinterviews@plymouth.ac.uk.

Interview guidance

All short-listed applicants are invited to an interview.  You will be asked to prepare a subject-based presentation and then engage in a discussion with other applicants before an individual interview with a PGCE tutor.  There will be a presentation to give you information about the PGCE programme and you will have the opportunity to ask questions. We are looking for people who can talk about educational issues and pupils' learning, drawing on their own personal experiences as learners and observations and experience in secondary schools. There is also an audit of your literacy and subject and curriculum knowledge. At the end of the process we want you to be clear about what the programme offers, what you can expect from us and what our expectations are of you.