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Download the Music information flyer - PDF format
The Music strand of our PGCE programme is now three years old. It is characterised by a focus on bringing a musical education to all children; starting from the experiences they themselves bring to school and then encouraging a broadening of experience, knowledge, skill and enthusiasm. We have 15 places on the programme.
Musicians from East London and south Essex frequently become graduates from the University of East London’s PGCE in Secondary Music Education and many of these can now be found teaching in East London schools as well as nationwide.
Owen Bourne, a recent trainee from UEL, now teaching music
in Stoke Newington, says:
“The University of East London provided me with an excellent graduate training in teaching music. The lectures were stimulating and the tutors instilled a professional discipline and enquiring attitude to music education which will affect me throughout my career. I highly recommend the University as a training ground for a new generation of teachers.”
Naomi West, one of the music programme’s first students, was offered a teaching post from a school she was training at. She said:
“I absolutely love my course. The tutors are really helpful and friendly, it’s a nice environment and I’ve learnt a lot of important things, including that, if you like kids and you’re prepared to respect them and let them be themselves, teaching’s the best job in the world... I come home every day happy and looking forward to going back to work.”
Richard Pope, teaching in London, has also commented:
“I hadn’t been finding my previous jobs very satisfying and was really attracted to the idea of using music as a way of earning a living. Every day is surprising; the highs are extremely high, the lows are pretty low, but I feel so much more alive, optimistic and enthusiastic about the future.”
Finally, this from Joe Stone: he talks of his…
“regard for UEL as an institution competent in preparing their trainees for the diverse experience of teaching. Uniquely, UEL fosters team work and pastoral skills by engaging trainees in ongoing collaborative projects based around Sim-Schools and online forums.”
UEL’s Cass School of Education is fast becoming one of the most highly successful providers of teacher education programmes in London, and was top rated for secondary teacher training in recent Ofsted reports.
For further details, contact our recruitment and placements advisor, Sara Smith on 020 8223 2782.
If you wish you may also contact Chris Dalladay, our music tutor, on 020 8223 4204 or c.dalladay@uel.ac.uk. He will be most happy to discuss with you aspects of the programme and any queries you may have regarding your musical background and qualifications.
For overseas qualifications, verify the equivalence through the National Recognition Information Centre for the UK (UK NARIC). For more information visit their site: www.naric.org.uk
If you do not have Maths or English an equivalence test can be arranged (fee payable).
Degree programmes vary considerably in content and we judge each application on its merits. It is important to give a breakdown of the content of your degree on the application form. If you have a degree in a subject other than Music and have additional musical experience, you may be considered for a place as long as you have a good musical knowledge and skills which you are willing develop. You will be expected to be able to read and write traditional music staff notation with fluency and to be able to play a music instrument (inc. voice) to an advanced level. You will also be expected to be willing to broaden your personal understanding, knowledge and skills in a wide range of musical genres and traditions.
This is a very intensive, full-time programme. It runs for 36 weeks, beginning in September with up to two weeks of subject support (attendance at this may be a condition for the offer of a place on the PGCE). Following that, you are at University for the first half-term, with weekly observation visits to schools.
The first school placement starts in October for four days a week; the other day is spent back at University for subject knowledge development and core issues. The placement continues after the Christmas break, with trainees in school five days a week.
There is a second school placement in a different school that runs from February half-term to the beginning of June. You will have experience in two different secondary schools and will also visit a Junior School to observe teaching and see the skills and knowledge that pupils bring with them to secondary schools.
Music is an important part of the school curriculum and has a vital role in the lives of young people. We start by looking at why music has this central position and consider how we learn music and foster pupils’ skills as musicians; from developing a motivated active engagement in musical activity to encouraging the more sophisticated skills of the highly talented and gifted. The idea is for you to look at music from the perspective of the learner, focus on the potential that pupils have and how they can realise that potential.
The Music programme covers aspects such as:
We will make regular visits to local schools to observe experienced teaching and, also, to make use of resources ‘in situ’ (eg. steel pans or music technology).
Throughout the year there are academic assignments to be completed and tasks that provide evidence against the standards required by the TDA. The school mentors and university tutors assess you against the standards and you are required to provide evidence that you have met each of them. For more details visit the TDA website.
We are fortunate to have exceptional resurces for the music programme at UEL which mirror and complement the resources which are available to you in our partner schools. This will include the use of music technologies which is an important part of the school curriculum. Please download the flyer attached to this page for further details (Go to top of page).
In the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), which has 24-hour access in semester times, we have course materials for the major elements of music taught in schools with the financial support of the Kleinwort Dresdner Wassertein Bank and various publishing companies.
You would also have access to satellite TV to make off-air recordings from the major terrestrial channels and there are digital editing suites which trainees can book for compiling resource material for use in schools. The LRC also subscribes to news magazines and web journals.
Please go to our Financial Support pages to find out about the benefits for Secondary Teacher on the PGCE Programme.
Applications for teacher training courses are not made at the university. You need to contact the Graduate Teacher Training Registry. Please see How to Apply for further information.
See HERE for the UEL full programme specification.
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