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PGCE English with Drama (QTS)

Engage and inspire on this combined teaching course with a focus on both language and literature, expression and performance with strong placement links in London
Code
Q583
Start
September 2024
Duration
1 year full-time
Attendance
Full-time
Fees
£9,250 (UK) *
£12,600 (INT) *
Course leader
Alexandra Suthern

Why choose PGCE English with Drama at Middlesex?

Language is at the heart of everything we do. It sustains thought, it provides clarity of instruction and it develops community. As an excellent communicator, this is your chance to strengthen young people’s English skills through writing, reading, and spoken language. Whether chairing a lively debate, navigating a class through a complex Shakespeare extract, or developing authentic writing for real audiences, you will become an inspiring influence for all pupils.

On the PGCE English with Drama (QTS) course, we are passionate about language and literature in all its forms. We will equip you with the skills and experience necessary to both educate and inspire secondary English and drama pupils. In English, you will explore language, literature, expression and the role of communication. In drama, you will learn how to engage pupils through both the practical and theoretical nature of lessons.

Our ambitious curriculum has fully embedded the Core Content Framework for Initial Teacher Training to develop strong English subject knowledge and pedagogy – with the additional experience of teaching drama at KS3. Through interactive workshops, tutorials and seminars this one-year full-time course enables you to meet the national Teachers’ Standards for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with English as the main subject and drama as a second subject area.

This is an alternative pathway for training teachers who wish to teach both English and Drama. If you are interested in doing one subject in isolation read more about PGCE English (QTS) and PGCE Drama (QTS).

What you will gain

By joining us on this course, you'll have the opportunity to:

  • Learn from experienced tutors who are subject specialists in their field, as well as other experts in our partner schools
  • Explore English and drama pathway sessions which are varied, engaging and offer both theoretical and practical approaches to teaching English and drama in the secondary classroom
  • Take advantage of the excellent Professional Studies offered at Middlesex University.

You'll also gain an understanding of English across all key stages and Drama in Key Stage 3 (KS3) including:

  • Teaching literature
  • Learning theory and cognitive science
  • Promoting effective reading strategies
  • Supporting and developing writing
  • Spoken language
  • Creative approaches to English teaching
  • Theatre practitioners
  • Physical theatre
  • Stimulus and devising.

3 great reasons to pick this course

  • Excellent reputation
    Top 2 university in the UK – Times Higher Education Young Universities, 2022
  • Strong links with schools
    We are partnered with many secondary schools that contribute to the development of our courses, provide school placements and frequently employ our graduates
  • Job satisfaction
    Working as an early years teacher is a rewarding and challenging career and you can make a real difference to young children’s development and life chances

About your course

You will critically evaluate 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 English and drama effectively.

How we'll teach you

The course is delivered by our experienced academics and industry partners in person and online.

The course is designed to provide 120 days in schools with two school experiences. 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 consist of a range of presentations, discussions and practical workshops where exemplar material can be selected from a specialised subject context.

Where will you study?

You will be based at our north London campus in Hendon and your school-based placement.

Timetable

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 at least two weeks before the start of term. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Teaching vs independent study

In a typical year, you’ll spend about 1200 hours on your course.

Outside of these hours, you will be expected to do independent study where you read, listen and reflect on other learning activities. This can include preparation for future classes at university in addition to preparation for your teaching responsibilities whilst on school placement.

Typical weekly breakdown

A typical week looks like this:

Learning

Hours per week

On-campus

5

Online learning

0

Independent study

10

For placement, there may be additional hours.

Learning terms

On-campus: This includes tutor-led sessions such as seminars, lab sessions and demonstrations as well as student-led sessions for work in small groups.

Online learning: This is teaching that is delivered online using tools like Skype or Zoom, as well as work that you do yourself using online teaching resources.

Independent study: This is the work you do in your own time including reading and research.

Academic support

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.

Coursework and assessments

There are no exams but your coursework will be assessed.

The two school placements assess your ability to demonstrate you are able to apply the knowledge, understanding and skills of the ITE curriculum to your teaching practice.

You'll be able to fully meet the Teachers' Standards by the end of your training course:

  • Professional Knowledge and Pedagogy is assessed through coursework by undertaking a small-scale research assignment
  • English is assessed through coursework, by undertaking an assignment about monitoring and assessing students.

Feedback

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.

The Sheppard Library

Our library is open 24 hours a day 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.

How can the PGCE English with Drama (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, 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 be between £25,714 and £32,157, depending on where you teach.

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.

  1. UK Entry
  2. How to apply

*The fees below refer to students commencing in 2024/25:

UK students

Full-time students: £9,250 (UK) *

International students

Full-time students: £12,600 (INT) *

For more information and to answer your frequently asked questions, please visit our postgraduate funding page.

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

The following study tools are included in your fees:

  • 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

For international students, we also have a limited number of other awards specific to certain regions, and work in partnership with funding providers in your country to help support you financially with your study.

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.

Alexandra Suthern
Programme Leader for PGCE Drama (QTS)

Alexandra is a Senior Lecturer and her other responsibilities also include PGCE well-being tutor and oversight of students registered with the dyslexia and disabilities unit at Middlesex University.

Gareth Evers
Programme Leader English and Professional Studies

As a former Professional Coordinating mentor at a London school, Gareth is very familiar with training programmes and the needs of both schools and trainees.

Other courses

PGCE English (QTS)

Start: September 2024

Duration: 1 year full-time

Code: Q3X1

PGCE Drama (QTS)

Start: September 2024

Duration: 1 year full-time

Code: 2N9G

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