
Opleiding: PGCE Secondary Art and Design
Learning purpose
The course aims to develop
Qualities
- The confidence and ability to embody and promote risk taking and personal enquiry through creative action throughout their career
- An understanding that art is empowering, offers choices and helps both student and teacher to reflect upon and make sense of what they createand what they experience visually
- An openess to the diversity of art through a range of social, cultural and political contexts
- Reflective engagement with the ongoing development of pedagogic rationales for art and design education
Knowledge
- The role of language, literacy and numeracy in art and design education - a working understanding of the role and assessment framework of the National Curriculum for Art at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5
- An understanding of issues relating to assessment and evaluation in art and visual culture
- The practices and processes that can form the basis for art and design education - critical and cultural pedagogies in theory and practice
- An understanding of the needs and approaches to Art & Design at Key Stage 2
Skills
- A practical understanding of a wide range of visual media including digital technologies
- The ability to plan, teach and critically evaluate schemes of work in art, design and visual culture
- The ability to explore the interdisciplinary nature of art and design
- An ability to plan and work collaboratively
Target audience
The course is designed to prepare students for a career as a specialist teacher of Art and Design working in secondary education in the 11 to 18 age range. The courseis based on the concept of learning through making, and critiquing. This is developed through an integrated programme of workshops, seminars and lectures. Students address issues raised in the programme through student-led workshops exploring a wide range of 2D and 3D media including digital formats. The student tutor group provides the main forum for exchange of ideas including reviewing of projects, teaching strategies, classroom management, and professional development.
Programme
Subject studies A structured programme of subject teaching methodology and application workshops and seminars.
School-based studies You are required to spend two-thirds (120 days) of the programme in school. We have developed a partnership scheme with 150 participating secondary schools situated throughout the North London boroughs, Essex and Hertfordshire. In each school you will be assigned a personal mentor who is a subject teacher. You will experience two consecutive secondary school placements. The objective of the school experience is to develop your generic and subject teaching skills to at least the level of competence expected of a newly qualified teacher.
Professional studies This is a programme of lectures and seminars focusing on contemporary issues in education and professional development. This part of the programme takes place partly at the University and partly at school by lectures, workshops and seminars to mixed subject groups.
The programme complies fully with the current requirements of the Training and Development Agency.
The programmes are based at Trent Park and in schools. You will find this an intensive 36-week, five-days-a-week programme, during which you will also have directed work to carry out during the Christmas and Easter holiday periods.
Subject studies are assessed by a portfolio of coursework and a school-based special study (a teaching resource). Progressive developments of teaching skills are recorded using criteria referenced assessment proforma. Professional studies are assessed by a range of written tasks. Observation of the students, teaching and evaluative discussions with course tutors and school based mentors and teachers.
Completing the PGCE does not lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You can only achieve this after a successful probationary period as an employee in a school, combined with the Training and Development Agency (TDA) tests in Numeracy, literacy and ICT.
Entry Requirements
You need a good first degree in a subject relevant to your chosen specialism. You are also required to have qualifications in English and mathematics equivalent to GCSE grade C. For specific requirements, please see under each subject description on the following pages.
Professional perspective and employment market
Art and Design Secondary Teacher
Our Careers Service offers you a range of support both while you're studying with us - and after you've graduated.
Placements
Work placements are integral to the PGCE Secondary Art and Design degree. Our course is well-known for having a strong and committed partnership with local schools, whose mentors and class teachers train with the University. As a student, you will have the opportunity for rich and varied placements in the multilingual, multicultural and multifaith schools.

