PGCE Secondary Music with Specialist Instrument Teaching with QTS

Our one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) prepares you to teach the secondary school music curriculum for the 11-16 age range.

This is a practical course where you will be immersed in music making, teaching and encouraged to use and develop your musical skills.

We teach you through practical sessions, and youll consider topics such as pop music, dance, gamelan, song writing and developing your subject knowledge. Youll explore immersive ways to teach music and how to encourage pupils to engage with musical experiences.

We have a partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and have some co-delivery with colleagues from RNCM.

To help you explore how trips can benefit your students, youll typically be encouraged to visit a variety of musical venues across Manchester. This includes theatre schools and music organisations with outreach programmes.

When youre at Manchester Met, youll mainly study with your PGCE Music group. They are one of your greatest learning resources. Youll consider how to plan lessons, reflect on your planning, learn how research can develop your teaching practice, and look at ways to develop your teacher persona.

Youll also learn through peer-collaboration, sharing knowledge with your fellow music trainees.

You will normally have a minimum of a 2:2 undergraduate honours degree awarded by a UK university, or an equivalent higher education qualification. In most cases your degree needs to support the subject knowledge requirements of the national curriculum for music. However, music is a unique subject and we have several high quality trainees who have had degrees in non-music subjects, but through professional work have shown the necessary skills to enter the course. For exceptional candidates, particularly those with substantial relevant work experience in schools or relevant occupations, we will consider applications from those who hold a 3rd class degree.
You will also need GCSEs at grade C/4 or above in English language and mathematics. However, you may be able to apply with GCSEs pending for this course as we can offer Manchester Met GCSE equivalency tests. This will be at the discretion of the admissions tutor, and only offered if considered appropriate after interview. We do not accept the following qualificationsas equivalent to GCSE: adult numeracy and literacy, functional skills or key skills.
You can apply with GCSEs pending for this course and in exceptional circumstances Manchester Met GCSE equivalency tests may be offered. This will be at the discretion of the admissions tutor and will only be offered if considered appropriate after interview.
Experience in educational settings
Successful candidateswill demonstrate a good understanding of teaching and learning within a secondary school setting.
You may wish to evidence your understanding by drawing on related examples or experiences, such as time spent in schools or other learning settings.

Other requirements

Appropriate post-16 qualifications.
An ability to communicate effectively in spoken and written English.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
An informed and realistic understanding of the complexities and challenge of teaching in a secondary school.
An understanding of how learning develops within an engaging rich and broad context, with recognition of the contribution made by parents and carers.
Personal qualities and abilities appropriate to becoming an effective teacher, including a strong motivation to teach young students, an ability to express personal views with clarity and conviction, to listen and respond appropriately to the views of others, awareness of, and commitment to, issues relating to equal opportunities and providing all students with an inclusive learning environment.
Intellectual capacity to critically reflect upon experience and personal challenges.
A Disclosure and Barring Service Check and DfE Fitness to Teach test are also required.
Overseas candidates should have Cambridge Proficiency in English orIELTS Band 7 with no less than 6.0 in any element.