Code

Q583

Start

September 2026

Fees

£9,790 (UK)

Duration

1 year full-time

Location

Hendon campus

Why study PGCE English with Drama at Middlesex?

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.

A dynamic subject - 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.
Strong course structure - 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.
Dedicated tutors - Learn from experienced tutors who are subject specialists in their field, as well as other experts in our partner schools
A wide range of skills - 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. You can also 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

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 Drama (QTS) or PGCE English (QTS).

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Strong links with schools

We're partnered with secondary schools that contribute to the development of our courses, provide placements and frequently employ our graduate

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Employment rates

Employment rates are very high, typically between 97 and 100%. PGCE graduates typically gain employment in an Early Career post in one of our Partnership schools.

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Outstanding

Ofsted rated our initial teacher training courses for secondary age as ‘outstanding’ in their 2024 report

Student stories and experiences

Student life

MDX launches new teaching degree apprenticeships to help primary schools meet skills needs and teacher shortages

Researchers’ work informs United Nations discussions on children’s right to education

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.

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).

Your opportunity to positively impact lives: Teacher training at Middlesex

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 consist of a range of presentations, discussions and practical workshops where exemplar material can be selected from a specialised subject context.

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.

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

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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Careers

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.

Our employability service Careers and Futures 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.

As an alumni, we offer you lifetime career support so we can help you as you progress.

MDXcelerator student start-up support

We can help you bring your business idea to life with our MDXcelerator programme which includes masterclasses with high-profile entrepreneurs, workshops, mentoring opportunities and competitions to secure seed funding.

Students at Middlesex span 122 countries and you will be part of our thriving global network. After you graduate, you'll join our alumni network. You will get access to:

Lifetime careers support from the Careers and Futures employability service;
Raise your personal profile as one of our featured alumni;
Continued limited usage of the Sheppard Library;
Exclusive MDX alumni networks to connect with your peers.

Entry requirements

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 and two or more years of relevant experience
Graduate-level qualifications.

If you have relevant qualifications or work experience, we may be able to count this towards your entry requirements.

Your graduate-level qualification or degree subject should ideally be in English with a background in drama. For example, a Drama A Level or experience of using drama in work-based settings.

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.

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.

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.

Personal statements

Make sure that you highlight your best qualities in your personal statement that are relevant to this course. Such as your ability to be forward-thinking, creative and collaborative.

Interviews

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.

Exceptions

You can also apply through Department for Education’s Teacher Training website for:

Find out more

Find out how to apply for postgraduate taught courses and watch our step-by-step video.

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"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

Fees and funding

The fees below are for the 2026/27 academic year:

UK students¹

Full-time students: £9,790*

*Changes to regulated tuition fees from the 2026-2027 academic year for UK students

For the 2026/27 academic year, the maximum annual regulated tuition fee applicable to UK students for approved providers will increase to:

£9,790 for standard full-time courses
£11,750 for full-time accelerated courses
£7,335 for part-time courses

Maintenance loans will also rise each year in line with inflation.

Accordingly, these are the regulated fees that will be charged by the University for UK students in the 2026/27 academic year subject to parliamentary approval taking place in early 2026.

UK Government information on regulated tuition fees for UK students in the 2027/2028 academic year

The changes below will apply from 1 August 2027. The government intends to lay regulations implementing these changes in early 2026 and will be subject to Parliamentary procedure. Further information can be found at GOV.UK's tuition fee changes webpage.

For the 2027/28 academic year, it is anticipated that the maximum annual regulated tuition fee applicable to UK students for approved providers will increase to:

£10,050 for standard full-time courses
£12,060 for full-time accelerated courses
£7,530 for part-time courses

This means that if you start your studies in September 2026 on a standard full-time course, you will pay an annual tuition fee of £9,790 for your first year which will then rise to £10,050 for your second year of study starting in September 2027.

Subsequent regulated tuition fee rises for UK students

Depending on the duration of your study, your tuition fees for subsequent academic years beyond the 2027/28 academic year may therefore be subject to further inflationary increases by the UK government in due course. This means that the fee set out above is likely to be increased again for the 2028/29 academic year.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students directly in writing at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which the rise may apply.

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

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

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 specialist software for your course;
Free printing for academic paperwork.

You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:

The Alumni Postgraduate Award: a 20% fee reduction for UK/EU Middlesex alumni who studied eligible undergraduate courses;
The Chevening Scholarship: full course fees;
The European Academic Awards: £1,000 to £7,000 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.

Help from your employer

Your employer can contribute towards the cost of your postgraduate study as part of their staff development programme.

Work while you study

If you are not currently working, we can 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.

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.

2. International fees: Tuition fees 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.

Important information

We’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.