(Secondary) Dance PGCE

Course in brief

The University of Brighton is one of the UK's largest teacher training universities, rated ‘outstanding’ in our last Ofsted inspection.

This course leads to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for the 11–16 age range which enables you to be employed as a qualified teacher in secondary schools in England and Wales. The course also offers enrichment opportunities to teach the 16–18 age phase.

Studying with us, you will have access to excellent resources and gain practical experience in two contrasting schools. We have partnerships with over 600 schools and colleges in the south east offering opportunities in large, small, urban and rural settings.

You will be mentored by a successful teaching team with an outstanding national reputation and comprehensive research profile that informs course content.

Specialising in dance at PGCE level means that you will be able to take a role in the leadership and development of this subject area throughout your career.

Students on this course can choose to progress to one of our Education MAs after completing the PGCE.

How to apply for teacher training.

Key facts

Location Eastbourne

UCAS Teacher Training code W5X1

Full-time 1 year

Before starting this course you will need to have passed the Professional Skills Tests; if you have not already completed these you are advised to take them as soon as possible.

Train to Teach Event

Come to a Train to Teach event on 28 November to learn more about this course.

Apply now with UCAS

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2018. They should be used as a general guide.

We operate a flexible admissions policy – this means that you could receive a lower conditional offer than the typical offer, informed by our assessment of your complementary non-academic achievements and experiences. For courses that require interview or portfolio review, this may also be considered in the level of any conditional offer that follows if your application is successful.

Degree and experience
Normally an honours degree, or equivalent qualification, in the subject specialism or a subject that is directly relevant.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language and maths.

Professional Skills Tests 

You have to pass the professional skills tests in numeracy and literacy before you begin your teacher training. These tests are compulsory and it will not be possible to enter training without having successfully completed them. You are able to book these tests in advance. The Department for Education (DfE) strongly advises you to take the tests soon after you have submitted an application.

As of February 2018 new changes to these tests means that you can make unlimited attempts and the first three attempts are free of charge. The DfE has also removed the lock-out period that previously prevented you from re-taking tests for two years.

You do not need to have completed these tests prior to making an application or attending an interview however your offer will be subject to successful completion.

The University of Brighton recognises that these tests may present a challenge to some candidates and we recommend that you prepare before attempting them. Further resources to help you with the numeracy test can be found in the 'Course in detail' section below.

Find out more about the tests including how to register and prepare on the DfE website.

Experience

While experience in a school is not a condition of entry for initial teacher education courses we recommend that you take up opportunities to gain a realistic understanding of whether teaching is right for you. The Get Into Teaching School Experience Programme offers opportunities across the country to book a day’s worth of experience.

Other

Candidates are required to attend an interview in person at our Eastbourne campus.
All offers of places are subject to a satisfactory health check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check.
Applicants from minority ethnic and other groups under-represented in the profession are particularly welcome.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 7.0 in all elements.

Course in detail

Course structure

Two-thirds of your year will be spent teaching, under supervision, in schools. Our tutors and mentors will advise and support you throughout each placement. You will receive comprehensive feedback during this time, enabling you to see what you are doing well and where you might need to improve.

The university works in partnership with schools and colleges to provide a high quality programme of support, ensuring a sound relationship between theory and practice. You will benefit from undertaking two placements in two schools or colleges, with the opportunity to visit additional schools or colleges as part of the peer observation programme.

We have excellent multimedia training materials, giving you the opportunity to develop your confidence and competence in the use of ICT. Our multimedia suites are regularly updated to keep up with technological advancements in classroom teaching provision.

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Areas of study

There are four strands to this course: subject study/subject education, education studies, school placements and professional development.

Dance addresses the development of pupils' performance, choreographic and appreciation skills. The demands of examination syllabuses are studied in parallel with practical experience.

Course content is kept up to date with changes in local and national initiatives and legislation, so you will be confident that your working knowledge is based on current theory and practice.

The subject study/subject education strand builds upon your existing expertise in dance and provides you with the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of dance in the secondary school context. You will consider the learning and teaching strategies that are relevant to the specialist subject.

The subject education module is specifically related to teaching the specialist subject in school while the subject study module enables you to take your subject specialist studies to an increased depth. You can earn 20 masters-level credits through the assessment for the subject study module.

The education studies strand will give you a thorough understanding of the learning process itself, including an appreciation of individual differences. The study of the principles and practices of learning and teaching is through both school and university settings, allowing you to develop practical competency, supported by analytical skills. By the end of the course you will:

refine your understanding of pedagogy, including an appreciation of current and emerging educational theories and debate

understand how to use and adapt a range of teaching, learning, management and assessment strategies in order to meet the varying needs of learners

understand how the progress and well-being of learners is affected by a range of influences and know how to take account of the principles of equality, inclusion and diversity.

Professional development is intrinsically linked to all key strands of the programme and is designed to enable you to evaluate critically and reflect upon your learning in order to make improvements. You will be expected to gather and justify evidence of your achievements on a regular basis and develop and implement improvement plans.

Students use an e-portfolio to record their achievements and this is reviewed throughout the course. An action plan is used to support professional development during placements and makes up a significant part of the improvement planning process.

At the end of the course, the e-portfolio provides evidence that you have met the Teachers’ Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

Placements

Ofsted identify our approach to training in schools as a key strength of this course, with an excellent balance between university tuition and school-based training.

You will spend a minimum of 120 days on school-based activities, with your training shared between the university and the partner school.

Your school-based training will include observing teachers, working with individual pupils and groups of pupils, team teaching and independent teaching. Your training will also entail completing specific subject tasks and developing your knowledge of school policy and effective practices.

You will maintain a professional training portfolio and be supported to review your work critically and analytically as well as to set appropriately challenging targets. We will also develop an action plan with you to identify strengths, development needs and actions, so that your practice is continually developing.

Key aims of the school-based training:

advance the development of your professional attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding
provide practical and specific experiences that enable you to critically analyse your professional practice and take responsibility for your own professional development
enable you to work collaboratively with colleagues in order to develop an understanding of the ways in which the attainment, development and well-being of all learners can be achieved with a unified support and teaching system
provide opportunities that enable you to adopt a creative and constructively critical approach towards your practice, supported by appropriate reading and research.

During your school-based training, university tutors, school mentors and teachers will support you and take shared responsibility for your professional development.

Your progress will be observed and assessed throughout your placement by university and school staff, followed by feedback sessions to discuss your development. Your e-portfolio will also be evaluated as part of the overall assessment.

Organising your school-based training

Our Partnership Office will organise the school-based training for you. Each year we organise over 2,500 placements for our students. We work hard to ensure that you have placement opportunities that will give you valuable and varied experiences in the area of education in which you are interested.

How it works

We will ask you to complete a placement information form when you start your course, and will use this information to match you to a suitable placement. We will consider your previous experience, travelling distance, the age ranges you wish to teach, and your current needs.

Once we have matched you with a placement, the team in the Partnership Office will confirm the placement as quickly as possible with the school or organisation. They will then contact you with the placement details. Almost all of our placements will be with partner schools or organisations in south-east England, most of them in East and West Sussex.

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Ofsted

In our most recent Initial Teacher Education inspection report, the University of Brighton's School of Education was graded 'outstanding'.

Ofsted identified some of our key strengths as:

the very high attainment of the majority of trainees
the expertly designed and diverse range of programmes that respond to trainees' backgrounds, needs and interests as well as to national priorities
the outstanding progress made by trainees as a result of training, which enables them to fulfil their potential
inspirational teaching, tutoring and mentoring that model the best teaching and give trainees the ambition to reach the highest standards
highly reflective trainees who demonstrate good subject knowledge and a breadth of understanding of how to teach
an excellent range of training experiences that effectively prepare trainees to teach in a diverse society
the excellent resources available to trainees
leadership that is dynamic in its approach to anticipating change and solving problems
a visionary approach to innovation and change.

Staff profile

Lucy Pocknell Route leader: Dance (Secondary)

Lucy has a BEd(Hons) degree in physical education (University of Brighton). On graduating, Lucy's work in schools focused on physical education at KS3 and 4, and teaching GCSE and A-level examination work in dance and physical education.

In 2003, Lucy became an advanced skills teacher in dance, and as part of this role within West Sussex she offered CPD to departments establishing examination dance within their school, as well as providing support and training for dance provision at Key Stage 3. This was through either consultancy or curriculum development work, or through INSET training led by the local authority.

Lucy has been a GCSE dance moderator for AQA for the past eight years and is also an executive member of the National Dance Teachers' Association.

Over the past six years, Lucy has presented at a number of conferences around the country (AfPE annual conference, NDTA annual conference, West Sussex Physical Education Conference), and has also delivered numerous CPD training courses to non-specialist dance teachers, based on the resource A Practical Guide to Teaching Dance (Coachwise, 2007).

Professional Skills Tests

Support for the skills tests

You have to pass the professional skills tests before you begin your teacher training. The University of Brighton recognises that these tests may present a challenge to some candidates and hope these support materials will help you to be fully prepared before attempting them.

Department for Education Practise Materials – You will find a range of support materials on this official site, including online tests.

Passing the Numeracy Skills Test – Book by Mark Patmore, including one practice test . Published February 2018. ISBN-13: 978-1526419231

How to Pass the QTS Numeracy and Literacy Skills Tests: Essential Practice for the Qualified Teacher Status Skills Tests - Book by Chris John Tyreman. Published July 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0749478292

School Direct

School Direct is an alternative route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and the University of Brighton is working with a number of schools to deliver this programme across a range of secondary subjects as well as in the primary phase.

To train as a teacher through the School Direct programme you need to apply directly to a school for a School Direct training place, with schools advertising their vacancies on the UCAS Teacher Training website. The University of Brighton supports School Direct through providing training and assessment opportunities at the request of participating schools.

Find out more about School Direct and view vacancies.

Careers and employability

Graduates of the course are equipped with the skills and knowledge to become confident and competent secondary dance teachers.

As well as gaining a PGCE, you will be assessed against the national Teachers’ Standards in order to be recommended for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

Career prospects are good; most graduates gain their first teaching posts in secondary schools as soon as they qualify.

If you demonstrate a high level of understanding you may be eligible for masters-level credits.

If you are considering whether a career in teaching is for you, and you are a UK resident, the Department for Education’s School Experience Programme (SEP) offers 1 to 10 days’ classroom experience in a secondary school. For details, check www.education.gov.uk.

The teachers we train are:

highly committed to their pupils’ learning and ambitious in what they want to help them achieve
inquisitive, critically reflective and motivated to keep learning and improving their own practice
quick to adapt to different learning contexts and confident to challenge inequalities
an asset to the profession, willing to share their knowledge and experience and to collaborate with others
well-prepared for the realities of teaching, with the confidence, resilience and skills to be innovative, to take risks and be creative.

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 14,040 GBP

Bursaries and funding

Generous, tax-free funding is available to the best graduates training in a range of subjects. You could get up to £28,000 tax-free while you train, either as a bursary or prestigious scholarship. Early-career payments are also on offer for those choosing mathematics.Your eligibility for financial support, and the amount you can expect to receive, will depend on the subject you choose to teach and your degree classification or highest relevant academic qualification.

In addition, a small number of discretionary bursaries may be awarded to trainees who we identify as having outstanding potential, and who fall within the bottom and middle tier for core bursary payment purposes.

You don’t need to apply for a bursary – if you are enrolled on a non-salaried postgraduate course and meet the eligibility criteria, you will begin receiving payments automatically by your chosen teacher training provider. You will receive more information on the arrangements and how this is distributed prior to the start of your course.

Find out more about funding.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2018–19.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Eastbourne

Sunny, friendly and relaxed, there’s lots to do and enjoy in Eastbourne – music and arts festivals, theatre, galleries and sports – and all against the backdrop of the beach and the beautiful South Downs.

Eastbourne hosts some major sporting events, from Eastbourne Extreme – one of the biggest extreme sports festivals in the UK – to Eastbourne International, an annual tennis tournament where some of the world’s finest players prepare for Wimbledon.

Eastbourne has a close-knit community feel. From where ever you are on campus every place you need to go is around 15 minutes away on foot – the beach, the town centre and the South Downs. There is a great selection of clubs, pubs, restaurants and shops and always plenty of student-friendly deals on offer.

Campus where this course is taught

Eastbourne campus

Located in one of the sunniest towns in the UK, our Eastbourne campus sits between the hills of the South Downs National Park and the south coast.

The campus has extensive sporting facilities, including a sports hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, swimming pool, three gyms, a dance studio and an artificial training pitch. For sport and exercise students, there are also exercise physiology labs, a human movement laboratory and an environmental chamber.

Professional-standard facilities on this campus include the Leaf Hospital Clinic, specialist practical skills rooms, culinary arts studio and accredited sports science laboratories.

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Accommodation

Eastbourne

Our Eastbourne halls are in the residential Meads areas, close to the campus.

Welkin halls are catered and offer a choice of room types. The halls are across the road from Hillbrow and Welkin, and within walking distance of Darley Road. Public transport in the town is excellent.

You also have the option of Unihomes, student houses we rent out on behalf of private landlords. This option offers the most choice and flexibility and can work particularly well when you’re balancing learning with placements and other commitments.

There’s plenty of support if you choose private rented accommodation. We manage our own studenthomes database of available properties. And we run our housemates service over the summer for students, new and returning, looking for a place to live.

Find out more on our accommodation webpages.

Accommodation for Eastbourne is in the nearby Welkin halls

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Eastbourne campus map

Find out more

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Ask a question about this course

Read our application advice for postgraduate teacher training. The DfE has also produced useful two helpful short films on the benefits of university-led training and what to know when applying for teacher training.

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644
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Student Views

Steph Adams

I chose to study Dance PGCE at Brighton after a friend recommended the course and staff very highly. After attending an interview I immediately got a sense that it was a place where I would feel comfortable and able to achieve my career goals.

A stand-out highlight for me was the opportunities available throughout the course. As well as school-based training, there were other experiences that changed my perspective of dance in education. For example, a day spent with special needs children, offering workshops to boys interested in dance, visiting various schools of different standards and adapting ways to teach in these new environments.

The course is very full on, but gives you valuable knowledge and skills. It really opens your eyes to what education is all about. The course leader is extremely supportive and it was lovely to be taught by such passionate people who give you that fire to defend your subject.

Since graduating, I have been working in a secondary school where I am responsible for Dance. The school has seen an increase in the number of students opting for this subject and we now participate in a number of exciting projects including dance festivals and field trips.

Not only did the course help me become a brilliant teacher, it really changed me as a person and taught me the art of reflecting. I certainly owe a lot to the University of Brighton.