Music

The OAKS Partnership School Direct Music course attracts Trainee Teachers from a wide variety of backgrounds. You may be a recent graduate in Music or you may have worked in a range of occupations prior to commencing the course which will have provided you with an opportunity to develop your subject knowledge and wider experience of education and work. Whatever your background, you will have a love of music and an enthusiasm for performance and a passion for conveying this to pupils and students.

Music is an universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to the best in the musical canon.

Having an identity as a ‘musician in the classroom’, and the ability to aid creative music-making, are essential to a successful Music teacher. You will build on your existing skills as a musician and develop your subject knowledge in areas of weakness. You should be open to experiencing different styles and genres of music, and be prepared to broaden your musical horizon.

A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians.

An important part of the course is learning to create a stimulating and caring environment. To help create such an environment, you need to be enthusiastic and lessons need to be well planned and related to the needs of pupils. They need to be conducted in a well-organised way with a positive approach to control. You will be able to prepare in advance for handling different situations, develop strategies for maintaining discipline and managing the learning in a practical musical environment.

Key models for the teaching of Music are analysed and different styles of teaching are explored. You will be encouraged to read widely and to employ Information and Communication Technology (ICT), role-play and audio-visual aids such as electronic whiteboards in the classroom.

While the course aims to help you meet the Standards which qualify you to teach, it also has wider horizons which encompass the Induction (Newly Qualified Teacher) Year and the early years of teaching. Many of our ex-Trainee Teachers progress rapidly through the profession so we provide you with an appropriate foundation in knowledge, skills and understanding for meeting the teaching, administrative and management demands which lie ahead.

To sum up, the course aims to help you become a competent, professional and, above all, creative teacher, capable of developing the imaginations and abilities of the young people with whom you have the privilege of working.

Music trainee teachers are eligible for tax-free bursaries. Click here for further details on funding.