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Secondary Music with QTS - PGCE

Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.

Do you believe that music has a key role to play in every young person’s education? Are you determined to bring the subject alive for pupils? If so, our PGCE Secondary Music course will provide you with access to becoming an inspiring teacher.

  • Level Postgraduate Taught
  • Study mode Full Time

This course is:

Open to International Students

Overview

Do you believe that music has a key role to play in every young person’s education? Are you determined to bring the subject alive for pupils? If so, our PGCE Secondary Music course will provide you with access to becoming an inspiring teacher.

This course is open to International students.

What's covered in this course?

If you’re passionate about young people and want to introduce them to the exciting world of music and music making in all its forms then we’re excited to train you to ensure you excel as a teacher.

You’ll explore the skills and knowledge that music as an art form offers at secondary education level; and to train to become a confident, dynamic and creative teacher with the ability to make music accessible to all. You’ll discover how pupils learn and explore ways in which you can plan musical activities that will ensure they progress and develop their musicality.

Exploring an inclusive and rich approach towards music, you’ll prioritise active music making to promote musical thinking and learn how to inspire and enthuse your pupils by taking them on an exciting and stimulating musical journey. Techniques used include links many different forms of music and music making.  These can be used to help pupils to become more self-confident, informed and culturally aware.

This course has strong links with local musical organisations such as the largest Music Service in the country run by Services for Education in Birmingham. The course provides the opportunity to experience music education from a variety of perspectives, including organisations that form part of the Birmingham Hub for Music Education like Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) and mac Birmingham.

A key feature of the course is how we promote technology enhanced learning both in terms of developing beginning teachers and also how music technology can support teaching and learning in schools.

Taught modules, assignments and School-Based Training are structured around the development of your Progress Journal which demonstrates your progress against the our ITE Core Curriculum. Our ambitious curriculum incorporates the ITT Core Content Framework (DfE, 2019) and the nationally agreed competences - the Teachers’ Standards,  which all teachers must meet throughout their career. 

The Progress Journal also maps your development as a subject specialist with reference to identified subject priorities appropriate to the needs of secondary teachers entering the profession. A system of continuous review and assessment of progress within the Progress Journal will support your growing ability to take responsibility for your own professional development and ensure that you approach QTS with a sound understanding of research-informed pedagogies and practices. 

Instrumental route

On the PGCE Secondary Music course there is the option to take the instrumental route. Supported by Birmingham Music Hub, the instrumental route enable you to spend part of the course teaching instrumental lessons supported by specialist instrumental teachers. By following this route, your placements will be split between time spent in a secondary school music department developing your classroom teaching skills and time spent with Birmingham Music Service developing your instrumental teaching skills.

If you are offered a place on the PGCE Secondary Music course, you will have the opportunity to audition for the instrumental route in September. A minimum of grade 8 performing standard is expected for the instrumental route.

Why Choose Us?

  • We are a key source of new teachers to schools across the West Midlands region; a destinations survey of our 2021/22 Secondary Teaching graduates showed they were employed in nearly 100 West Midlands schools as Early Career Teachers.
  • Our curriculum is designed by research-active subject experts to be integrated between university and school-based training with input from our partnership schools, ensuring you’re equipped to meet the needs of the teaching workforce now and in the future.
  • We have partnerships right across the West Midlands and beyond so you can benefit from training in a range of schools and early years settings, preparing you for work in a wide variety of schools when you qualify. A destinations survey of our 2021/22 Secondary Teaching graduates showed that 76% of their employing schools were from within our BCU partnership.
  • You will complete at least 120 days across a minimum of two placements, in line with Department for Education (DfE) requirements, supported by a subject mentor in your school and a personal development tutor at the University.
  • Should you wish to take your development further, you'll gain Master's level credits gained as part of this course that you can then use towards a full Master's degree.
  • We meet the Department for Education's (DfE) Criteria for Initial Teacher Training and successful candidates on our Initial Teacher Training courses will be recommended to the DfE for Qualified Teacher Status.

OPEN DAY

Join us for a Virtual Open Event where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, meet our subject academics and learn more about postgraduate finance, all from the comfort of your own home.

Next Event: 5 February 2025

Book your place

Entry Requirements

Essential requirements

Applicants are normally expected to have a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree or a Master’s degree in a relevant subject from a UK higher education institution or equivalent.

Applicants will also need to complete the relevant safeguarding checks for this course.

All applicants will be interviewed; see 'interview arrangements' below.

Applying with international qualifications

See below for further information on applying as an international student.

If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: PGCE

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees

(Back to price) *

The Government is proposing to increase the cap on full-time regulated tuition fees to £9,535 for 2025/26 and the University is planning on increasing fees to that maximum level once legislation is enacted. Part-time fees are charged pro-rata, where applicable.

International students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: PGCE

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 1 year
  • £17,690 in 2025/26
  • Apply

Access to computer equipment 

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms. 

Printing 

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment. 

Field trips 

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees. 

Access to Microsoft Office 365 

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation. 

Key software 

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research. 

Key subscriptions 

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library. 

DBS check 

If you are required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for this course, the cost for your first DBS check is included in your fees. 

Occupational health assessment 

You will need to complete an occupational health assessment. The cost for this is included in your course fee. 

Placement expenses (mandatory) 

Placements are a compulsory element of this course. You'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst living or working away from home. 

Excess printing (optional) 

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet. 

Personal stationery and study materials (optional) 

Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £30 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. 

Memberships (optional) 

You may wish to join a union or professional body related to this course, such as Subject Association Memberships (see individual association websites for cost)  and Charted College of Teaching Membership (student membership is free)  

Subscriptions (optional) 

You may wish to purchase subscriptions to additional journals and websites connected to the above memberships.  

Accommodation and living costs (optional)

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

The way you apply for teacher training is has changed. The Department for Education (DfE) has developed a GOV.UK application service for postgraduate teacher training called ‘Apply for teacher training’ which you have to use to make your application.

Course code: 3CGM

We would like all applicants to make a fully informed decision about joining the teaching profession. As part of that decision making process, spending sometime in a school and considering the role of the teacher will prove to be invaluable.

Personal statement

You’ll need to submit a personal statement as part of your application for this course. This will need to highlight your passion for postgraduate study – and your chosen course – as well as your personal skills and experience, academic success, and any other factors that will support your application for further study.

If you are applying for a stand alone module, please include the title of the module you want to study in your Personal Statement.

Not sure what to include? We’re here to help – take a look at our top tips for writing personal statements and download our free postgraduate personal statement guide for further advice and examples from real students.

Financial support

You may be able to obtain financial support to help you during your studies. For more information visit the Department for Education's Get Into Teaching website.

Course in Depth

Modules

In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 60 credits):

Download course specification

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Course structure

This postgraduate course takes place over one year full-time. Note that all PGCE with QTS courses commence teaching in the first week of September.

You’ll find that the Secondary Music PGCE is an intensive and demanding course which challenges people who are highly committed to teaching young people. It is an excellent way to prepare for a career within the profession.

We’ll deliver the course using a combination of workshops, lectures and seminar groups, and by encouraging individual study. There are also opportunities to work with the Birmingham Music Service as an instrumental teacher for part of the course. The instrumental enhancement part of the course is optional and involves a secondary selection process once you’ve been accepted on the course.

The main thrust of the curriculum involves the study of education, pedagogy and professional practice, from both generic professional educational and subject-specific perspectives.

At least two-thirds of this course takes place off campus within schools. This means you have the opportunity to gain valuable ‘hands on’ experience in at least two different schools. In most cases you’ll also have the chance to visit other schools, including a primary school.

Trainee teachers are expected to take significant responsibility for their own progress and development. This type of professional development encourages the development of independent, creative practitioners who will be able to take the lead in the future.

Examples of classroom activities

The course links directly to national music education research projects such as Exchanging Notes with Youth Music and Listen, Imagine Compose with Sound and Music.  We also explore cutting edge material produced by organisations like Musical Futures; Music Mark; The Incorporated Society of Musicians; Charanga and Sing Up.  Regular music education workshops feature active music making from a variety of starting points.

Accreditation or professional associations

As a provider of Initial Teacher Education, you can be reassured that we are regularly inspected by the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted).

Ofsted reports directly to Parliament and is independent and impartial. It inspects and regulates services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and skills for learners of all ages.

Ofsted inspections of ITE providers provide an expert and independent assessment of how well a university is performing and the quality of teacher training offered. Information in the inspection report can help you to decide which university best suits your career needs.

Employability

Enhanced Employability Skills

Ofsted inspections have confirmed that our trainees “leave their courses with a wide range of knowledge and skills that make them highly employable.

We believe that this is due to the strong sense of belonging to a genuine learning community, which results in the development of professional confidence. This is enhanced with our excellent school partnerships.

This is an 11-16 years course, with post-16 enhancement, which offers a high degree of employability within secondary teaching.

The high demand for our trained teachers and our consistently high employability scores mean that trainees who successfully complete the course to a high standard have very good employment prospects.

Placements

Two-thirds of your course takes place in school and we ensure that you are offered a number of placements in a wide range of educational establishments.

You will do work placements in at least two different schools and also visit others – including a primary.  This all helps you to see how teachers are working in practice and gives you a wealth of experience.

You will have the opportunity to do serial and block placements and you will also have trained mentors, who will guide and support your studies and provide you with feedback.

More about our placement opportunities

Links to industry 

Whilst working with a range of schools and music teachers across the city we are also developing and strengthening links to Birmingham Music Service, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG), the  City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) and mac Birmingham. We realise the importance of industry links to music in education as a way to broaden the experience of teachers, pupils and schools.

International

Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.

The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.

Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:

Facilities & Staff

Benjamin Zephaniah Building Level 2 classroom

Our facilities

This course is primarily based at our City Centre Campus, in the Benjamin Zephaniah Building (formerly University House), however, for some practical activities, such as sport, cookery or science lab sessions, you may be based at our City South Campus in Edgbaston, or the Alexander Stadium and Doug Ellis Sports Centre in Perry Barr.

About Benjamin Zephaniah Building

This freshly renovated building provides a dedicated teaching and learning space for our Education and Communities students and staff.

Spaces in the building include:

  •        Primary and secondary science labs 
  •        Innovation and Lego teaching room 
  •        Flexible space for Design and Technology
  •        Art room

As well as general teaching rooms.

Our staff

Dr Ian Axtell BA (Hons); PGCE; DPSE; PG Cert; PG Dip; MEd

Senior Lecturer in Education Leadership

Ian has been working in education since 1984. He began his teaching career in Coventry working in arts education, mainly teaching music and music technology. In 1989 Ian moved to Birmingham to become a Head of Music in a school near the city centre. In 1993 he moved to Hereford, becoming a Curriculum Area Leader for Arts and Physical...

More about Ian

Kelly Davey Nicklin

PGCE Secondary Course Leader and Senior Lecturer in Music Education

Kelly has previously been a Head of Faculty for Performing Arts and taught music across three key stages in a secondary school where she was judged ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted for Key Stage 3 music teaching. During her time as a secondary school teacher, Kelly was also an international links coordinator and she organised a partnership with Mungu Basic...

More about Kelly