About the course

This largely placement-based course gives you the practical teaching skills, understanding of educational theory and subject-specific knowledge to lead learning and teach drama in a creative and imaginative way. You spend 80% of your time in placement schools, gaining hands-on experience of teaching ages 11-16. In your University-based sessions, you explore areas such as professional issues, curriculum content, planning and assessment, and the role of technology in teaching drama. Underpinned by principles of equity and inclusion, the curriculum is designed to develop drama teachers who can be agents for change, building pupils confidence and empowering them to be creative.

There is the option to take this course part time over two years, making it easier to balance study with your other commitments.

What will you study?

Studying our Secondary Drama PGCE course will equip you with the in-depth knowledge and skills to effectively teach drama at secondary level. The Curriculum Specialist (Drama) is designed to develop adaptive, creative, inclusive, reflective and socially-just teachers, who view themselves as career-long learners. You will develop your knowledge of key theatre practitioners and explore aspects of the drama curriculum, such as Foundational components of Drama Education and Introduction to Physical Theatre. You will explore pedagogical approaches to teaching scripts and texts, and you will learn to teach a breadth of curriculum areas including teaching Shakespeare, directing, devising theatre, global theatre and critical analysis. Throughout the drama course, you will be supported in developing your own teaching practice through collaborative planning, peer teaching, weekly progress reviews and evaluations.

The Evidence Informed Curriculum Specialist unit builds on your understanding of current contexts in drama, as well as how to apply that knowledge into practice. You will have the opportunity to undertake a school placement where you will build your experience to independently plan and teach sequences of learning based on your observations and learning in our School Experience 1 unit. You will also explore new pedagogical ideas while learning to align with behaviour management policy in schools. In the second part of this unit, School Experience 2, you will continue to develop and apply your experience from the first unit while also learning strategies to adapt teaching, effective use of assessment and to promote good progress. This course is available as both a one-year full-time or a two-year part-time course.

Careers

On graduating you can apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) enabling you to work as a drama teacher in a secondary education setting. Many of our graduates go on to rewarding employment in local schools.

As well as Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) completing the course also offers you up to 60 Master's-level credits with opportunities for further study at MA/MSc MPhil PhD and EdD levels.