PGCE Drama QTS
Develop your teaching skills beyond the classroom with partnerships and practical theatre arts training to inspire pupils and their creativity
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Viewing course details for 2025-26 year of entry
- Attendance
- Full-time
- Start
- September 2025
- Fees
- £9,535 (UK)* £12,800 (INT)
- Duration
- 1 year full-time
- Course Leader
- Alexandra Suthern
- Study mode
- On campus
- Location
- Hendon campus
- School / Department
- Education
Overview
Why choose PGCE Drama (QTS) at Middlesex?
We know that drama is at the centre of a strong arts curriculum. It allows pupils to gain confidence in their personal skills as well as challenge their creative thinking through devising and performing physical theatre.
Teachers adept in drama are able to educate and inspire pupils, develop their creativity and shape vital skills that impact pupils' performance across a range of other subjects.
You will be assessed to meet the national standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with drama as the main subject. The course offers a bespoke pathway depending on your degree specialism and other related experience.
The PGCE Drama (QTS) course offers a diverse and inclusive research-informed programme that allows trainee teachers to thrive in a challenging learning environment. It draws upon vibrant experiences in both university and school-based training, that will prepare you to be a robust early career practitioner. You will be introduced to the broad scope of drama as a curriculum subject across the secondary age range.
We personalise the course based on your interests and needs. We strive to promote adaptive, critical thinkers who can respond to the needs of children in multicultural, multilingual and multi-faith settings.
The course structure facilitates enrichment opportunities to think and learn beyond the classroom and campus. This can include a special school, a theatre and more. Our partnership with Trestle Theatre Company allows trainees to explore their creativity and make strong links between their love of drama and the practical skills they need to teach this subject in school. Partnerships with the National Theatre and British Library enhance your professional practice and reflect our process-based training approach.
What you will gain
Graduates of the PGCE Drama (QTS) course are confident, inquisitive and dynamic teachers. They see their entry into employment as an opportunity to further develop and build on the skills acquired in their PGCE year.
As an enthusiastic drama teacher, you will facilitate a learning journey for pupils where progression is promoted through oracy and performance as well as written evaluation and analysis. Through sustained exposure to a classroom environment, you will learn to exercise initiative and sound judgement when confronted by challenging situations
The diverse teaching placements enable you to understand, critically evaluate and respond to the needs of children in multicultural, multilingual and multi-faith settings and schools in an international, urban environment. Many of our graduates have their first teaching job at their placement school.
In addition to developing the knowledge and skills required to teach your chosen subject, you will also be able to identify and evaluate effective strategies for assessing children's learning in the selected subject, through formative and summative assessment strategies. You will understand the importance of literacy, numeracy and ICT in delivering an effective, all-round curriculum.
"The highly aspirational and rich training programme, together with expertly led input from university staff, leads to trainees being fully ready for and confident about embarking on their career in teaching.
Secondary trainees are fulsome in their praise for their tutors at the centre and while on placements.
Secondary trainees develop an in-depth knowledge of their subject and how to teach it effectively. This is because subject tutors are experts in their field and the programmes build trainees’ learning sequentially."
Ofsted report 2024
3 great reasons to pick this course
About your course
The Drama PGCE with QTS offers an ambitious curriculum where you will deconstruct the effectiveness of a wide range of resources and your own lesson plans. You will analyse research data and critically evaluate how research has contributed to the knowledge and understanding of how to teach drama effectively. You will gain experience of teaching across Key Stages 3 and 4 with an overview of the Key Stage 5 curriculum.
The module enables students to develop and demonstrate their progress in the understanding and skills necessary to operate as an effective teacher within the Secondary age range. As such, it supports students in demonstrating they are making progress towards meeting current professional requirements under the Teachers’ Standards when teaching secondary aged pupils. This includes developing students’ knowledge and understanding of their secondary specialist subject curriculum alongside development of effective teaching, learning and assessment approaches.
Students will develop reflective perspectives on teacher identity and empowering pedagogies in practice. They will explore aspects of inclusive practices in the classroom, encouraging reflection on cultural responsivity.
This module introduces students to the role of research in developing best practice in teaching and learning drawing particularly on theories and ideas about how young people learn. Students will also develop knowledge, understanding and skills for effective teaching of their specialist secondary subject and the module content will contribute towards their development of deep subject and curriculum knowledge. It addresses the emphasis for trainee teachers to appreciate and understand the role of research-based practice for developing effective teaching and learning approaches. In addition, the module will introduce students to strategies to support their development as critically reflective specialist subject teachers in a secondary school setting.
The module is linked with using the best available research evidence to underpin an intensive focus on a particular teaching and learning approach.
This module develops further students’ subject and curriculum knowledge for teaching by exploring the principles of curriculum choice, sequencing and enriching learning. Students will draw upon literature from related disciplinary areas in addition to key education literature and develop specialist knowledge about curriculum planning and supporting progression for all learners. Simultaneously students will deepen their knowledge and understanding of English/Drama.
The module supports students to achieve the current requirements for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It enables students to deepen their understanding and develop the skills necessary to operate as critically reflective secondary teachers of their subject discipline in a school setting.
To find out more about this course, download the programme specification (PDF).
Register your interest
Sign up now to receive more information about studying at Middlesex University London.
Teaching
The course is designed to provide 120 days in schools with a minimum of two school placement periods. Each placement provides a sustained teaching experience over the complete teaching week.
The remaining 60 days of the course are university-based. The course will comprise a range of presentations, discussions and practical workshops where exemplar material can be selected from a specialised subject context.
You will be based at our north London campus in Hendon and your school-based placement.
Whether you are studying full or part-time – your course timetable will balance your study commitments on campus with time for work, life commitments and independent study.
We aim to make timetables available to students at least two weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.
We have a strong support network online and on campus to help you develop your academic skills. We offer one-to-one and group sessions to develop your learning skills together with academic support from our library, IT teams and learning experts.
The university-based modules are assessed by coursework. The Professional Practice is assessed against the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Each module is assessed on a pass/fail basis. All modules are compulsory and must be passed. You do not have an automatic right to reassessment for the Professional Practice module.
The Professional Practice module assess your ability to demonstrate you are able to apply the knowledge, understanding and skills of the ITE curriculum to your teaching practice, and fully meet the Teachers' Standards by the end of your training programme.
You'll evaluate your work, skills and knowledge and identify areas for improvement. Sometimes you'll work in groups and assess each other's progress.
Each term, you'll get regular feedback on your learning.
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North London campus
Our north London campus is just 20 minutes from central London, giving you easy access to everything this vibrant city has to offer. Make the most of incredible professional opportunities, cultural experiences, and more affordable living, all within a supportive and close-knit campus community.
Learn moreFacilities and support
Facilities
Students will use up-to-date technologies for teaching and learning including software and labs.
The Sheppard Library
Our library is open from 7am to 11pm Monday to Sunday during the term and includes:
- Over 1,000 study areas with rooms for group study and over 600 computer spaces
- 350,000 books and e-books and more than 24,000 online journals
- Free laptop loans, Wi-Fi and printing.
Student support
We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health and disability support.
Additional needs
We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.
Wellness
Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.
Work while you study
Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above.Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.
Financial support
You can apply for scholarships and bursaries and our MDX Student Starter Kit to help with up to £1,000 of goods, including a new laptop or iPad.
We have also reduced the costs of studying with free laptop loans, free learning resources and discounts to save money on everyday things. Check out our guide to student life on a budget.
Careers
How can the PGCE English (QTS) support your career?
Our university's postgraduate courses have been recognised for their ability to support your career.
Employment rates are extremely high. Typically over 95% of our PGCE graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduation according to Graduate Outcomes in 2022.
Career paths
After completing this course, you'll be able to apply for a position as an early career teacher (ECT) in a secondary school setting.
As a newly qualified teacher, your salary will start at £30,000 (or more in London).
Teachers can find career progression in both the classroom and the school's management structure. You might aspire to become the head of a department, age group or curriculum. By developing your leadership skills and experience, you could progress to a senior management position, such as deputy head or head teacher.
For more information on salary and career progression, visit the Department for Education's website.
MDXworks
MDXworks, our employability service, will help you make the most of your experience and connections to achieve your career goals. You'll have unlimited access to one-to-one advice and support from specialists in your sector plus 24/7 online support. You can also make the most of events and networking opportunities, on and off campus.
Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has been recognised with the following awards:
- The top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money, 2023
- A top 10 university for producing CEOs – Novuana, 2023.
Global network
Our London location helps us connect with over 1,000 industry partners to develop our students’ future employment prospects.
And we have unique work and study opportunities at our campuses in Dubai and Mauritius.
At Middlesex, you’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. After you graduate, we'll support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.
Qualifications
We welcome your application regardless of your background or experience.
For this course, ideally, we are looking for these qualifications:
- A 2:2 honours degree or above in a subject relevant to drama and/or theatre studies.
- Graduate-level professional qualifications.
An A Level (or equivalent) in Drama or a performance-related subject is preferred. This would be a requirement if your degree subject is less closely related.
If this is not the case, you’ll need to prove your subject knowledge in some other way. You may be asked to complete Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) training prior to starting the course.
Further requirements
The following requirements are set out in the Initial Teacher Training Criteria document. You must have:
- GCSE grade C / grade 4 or above in English and mathematics or be retaking them this year. We also accept the equivalency tests by Equivalency Testing, A Star Teachers or any other appropriately accredited provider. We cannot accept functional skills or key skills or IELTS
- Been subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure check and/or any other appropriate background check
To strengthen applications, it is recommended that you have obtained, or have set up to obtain, recent and relevant experience within state secondary school settings in England.
Safer recruitment
We are committed to keeping children and young people safe from harm. Our recruitment processes adhere to the principles of safer recruitment; we implement robust and safe recruitment practices which support the identification and rejection of any applicants who are unsuitable to work with children and young people. We will respond to any concerns about the suitability of applicants during the recruitment process.
We welcome students from the UK and all over the world. Join students from over 122 countries and discover why so many international students call our campus home:
- Quality teaching with top facilities plus flexible online learning
- Welcoming north London campus that's only 30 minutes from central London
- Work placements and networking with top London employers
- Career support to get you where you want to go after university.
Here are the qualifications relevant for this course:
- A 2:2 honours degree or above – all subjects considered
- Graduate-level professional qualifications.
Further requirements
The following requirements are set out in the Initial Teacher Training Criteria document. You must have:
- GCSE grade C / grade 4 or above in English and mathematics or standard equivalent
- We also accept the equivalency tests by Equivalency Testing, A Star Teachers or any other appropriately accredited provider. We cannot accept functional skills or key skills or IELTS
- Been subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure check and/or any other appropriate background check.
English language
You'll need good English language skills to study with us. We cannot accept IELTS on this course. Find out more about our English language requirements.
Visas
International students can apply for a student visa to train to teach in England if they are undertaking an unsalaried initial teacher training (ITT) course and:
- they have an unconditional offer from a licensed sponsoring institution
- they can financially support themselves in the UK and pay for their course
- they meet the English language requirements for the student visa.
Find out more about the student route visa.
Safer recruitment
We are committed to keeping children and young people safe from harm. Our recruitment processes adhere to the principles of safer recruitment – we implement robust and safe recruitment practices which support the identification and rejection of any applicants who are unsuitable to work with children and young people. We will respond to any concerns about the suitability of applicants during the recruitment process.
Entry onto this course requires an interview. We use the interview to find out more about you, to better understand your aspirations and interests, and to explore why you want to study with us.
At the interview stage, your suitability for teaching will be judged, including your subject knowledge for teaching and your potential to demonstrate proficiency with fundamental English and mathematics. If we identify any shortfall, you may be required to complete some additional work before starting the course.
During the course, your subject knowledge and fundamental English and mathematics will be developed and assessed to ensure you reach the required level.
We aim to arrange all interviews on our Hendon campus.
Find out more about how to apply for postgraduate taught courses and watch our step-by-step video.
How to apply
Apply as early as possible to make sure you get a place. You can submit your application before you receive your final qualification.
Lead Partner schools
We also have a small number of Lead Partner schools who recruit to PGCE programmes on behalf of Middlesex University. You can find schools offering these opportunities on DfE Find and Apply. If you are interested to apply via the Lead Partner route, you need to apply to the Lead Partner school via DfE and Apply. If you apply via the Lead Partner route, you would undertake your school-based training placement in the Lead Partner school or one of its linked schools. Otherwise the Lead Partner route provides access to the PGCE programme as described on this course page.
Personal statements
Make sure that you highlight your best qualities in your personal statement that are relevant to this course. Such as forward-thinking, creative and collaborative.
Personal statements
Make sure that you highlight your best qualities in your personal statementpersonal statement that are relevant to this course. Such as forward-thinking, creative and collaborative.
Exceptions
You can also apply through Department for Education’s Teacher Training website for:
Fees and funding
*The fees below refer to students commencing in 2025/26:
UK students
Full-time students: £9,535 (UK) *
International students
Full-time students: £12,800
Loans and Bursaries
UK students can apply for a tuition fee loan which covers your fees and is only repayable after your graduate. In addition, UK students may be eligible for additional grants and loans including those from:
The Department for Education - on the Department for Education website you will find a full list of designated ITT subjects and funding offers.
Additional costs
We cover your costs for the day-to-day things that you need to do well in your studies.
- Free access to the resources, learning materials and software you need to succeed on your course
- Free laptop loans for up to 24 hours
- Free printing for academic paperwork
- Free online training with LinkedIn Learning.
Financial support
We offer lots of support to help you with fees and living costs. Check out our guide to student life on a budget and find out more about postgraduate funding.
Loans and bursaries
UK students can apply for a tuition fee loan which covers your fees and is only repayable after you graduate. In addition, UK students may be eligible for additional grants and loans including those from:
- The Department for Education - on the Department for Education website you will find a full list of designated ITT subjects and funding offers.
Postgraduate scholarships
You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:
- The Alumni Postgraduate Award – for all UK/EU Middlesex alumni a 20% fee reduction
- The Commonwealth Scholarship – full course fees, airfares and a living allowance
- The Chevening Scholarship – full course fees
- The European Academic Awards – £1000 to £7000 for students showing academic excellence
- Regional or International Merit Award –up to £2,000 towards course fees.
Find out more about our postgraduate scholarships.
Fees disclaimers
1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.
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View our range of student ambassadorsWe’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.