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Course information

Teacher Training Code

W1X1

Length

1 year full-time

Course overview

This teacher training programme prepares you to teach art and design in secondary schools. You are shown how to plan, resource, and organise art lessons, as well as how to monitor, record, evaluate, and assess students’ art practice.

Why study PGCE (Secondary) Art & Design at Goldsmiths

  • We'll give you the tools you'll need to become a confident and committed Art and Design teacher. You'll learn how to make your classroom an inclusive space where you can support young people in developing their own forms of artistic expression and knowledge of art, craft and design.
  • You'll get to grips with current theoretical, ethical and political issues affecting Art and Design education and engage critically with them.
  • As well as developing your students, we want you to continue to engage with your own practice, whether that is as an artist, designer, curator or art historian. You’ll participate in practical workshops, lectures, seminars and tutorials.
  • You'll complete a variety of placements. During the autumn term, you’ll be placed in a secondary school’s Art and Design department to observe, participate, and teach alongside experienced teachers. You'll also visit a primary school to develop an understanding of younger children’s work, and how the Art and Design curriculum is taught. During the Spring and Summer terms, you’ll be placed in another secondary school, where you will build up your teaching experience.

School Direct

It is also possible to study this course via our School Direct programme. Please visit our School Direct page to see which schools offer this subject.

 

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Neil Walton .

What you’ll study

College-based work

There are practice-based Art and Design workshops, lectures and seminars and individual and group tutorials, which are conducted by Goldsmiths lecturers, artist teachers and gallery/arts educators.

The content of the lectures and seminars focus on current issues including:

  • contemporary art and design practices
  • learner identities
  • visual and place-based pedagogies
  • inclusive strategies for learning
  • political and conceptual issues in art and design
  • artist teacher identities
  • assessment and evaluation of Art and Design
  • designing and developing opportunities for learning

School-based work

During the Autumn Term you are placed in a secondary school Art and Design department to observe, participate in and teach alongside experienced teachers.

You'll visit a primary school to develop an understanding of younger children’s work and how the Art and Design curriculum is taught.

During the Spring and Summer terms you are placed in a second school, where you will experience a sustained experience of teaching in which you develop competence in the Professional Standards.

Throughout the course you will develop and implement Art and Design practices in all Key Stages of the curriculum including post-16.

Download the programme specification. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.

Between 2020 and 2022 we needed to make some changes to how programmes were delivered due to Covid-19 restrictions. For more information about past programme changes please visit our programme changes information page.

How to apply

You apply for this PGCE through the Department for Education’s Apply for Teacher Training website. More information about the process can be found on the Get into Teaching website.

Please take a look at the information on applying, including the specific qualifications or experience you need for this course.

There's no closing date for primary or secondary applications, but we advise you to apply early to avoid disappointment.

Learning & teaching

A range of teaching methods is employed across all our PGCE programmes, including:

  • Taught subject sessions
  • Practical workshops
  • Compulsory lectures
  • Seminars
  • Group and Individual tutorials
  • Individual and group presentations
  • Supported self-study

Course requirements

You'll need:

  • to meet our fitness to train requirements
  • a GCSE Grade C/4 or above in English and Mathematics. Please note, we can only accept some UK and international GCSE equivalent qualifications. A complete list of accepted UK GCSE equivalencies can be found here: link. If you have a non-UK qualification that you believe is GCSE equivalent, you must check this with the Admissions team.
  • an undergraduate honours degree, at 2:2 or above from a university in the United Kingdom or an international equivalent in a related subject, such as fine/visual art, graphic design, illustration, architecture, filmmaking, animation, ceramics or textiles.
  • The ability to demonstrate drawing skills

Fees, funding & scholarships

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2023/2024 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £9250
  • International - full-time: £18790

Get into Teaching Funding

The Department for Education offers tax-free scholarships and bursaries to trainees on eligible PGCE programmes. Bursary amounts vary depending on your previous qualifications and the subject in which you're training to teach.

For more information about PGCE funding visit the Get into Teaching website.

Please note: These bursaries are not controlled by Goldsmiths and are subject to change.

If your fees are not listed here, please contact the Fees Office - fees (@gold.ac.uk).

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

Funding opportunities

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries for prospective students, and our careers service can also offer advice on finding work during your studies. Find out more about funding your studies with us.