Making, performing and responding to drama and theatre helps us understand and make sense of the world. In drama lessons in the secondary school context, children and young people develop knowledge, skills and experience as performers, designers, critics and audience members. It is a rich, challenging and engaging subject which offers distinctive ways of working and learning. Pupils collaborate, think critically, create and share in theatrical experiences which in-turn develops subject-specific and transferable skills crucial to careers in and outside of the creative industries.

As a drama teacher, you’ll share your passion for drama and theatre with young people and nurture their creative talents so that they too can reap the immense benefits the subject has to offer. You will also work with pupils in extra-curricular contexts, watching them thrive as they contribute to and perform in whole-school productions, and witnessing their reactions to unforgettable theatrical experiences.

Key Information

Available to study in English and Welsh

1 year full-time

For entry requirements, pre-entry tests and how to apply, visit the PGCE Secondary course page.

About PGCE Drama

When you study Secondary PGCE Drama at Cardiff Met you will receive expert tuition and support to develop your drama pedagogy and practice. You’ll learn how to translate your own knowledge and skills as an artist into high-quality learning experiences for a new generation of drama and theatre goers/makers. Furthermore, we will teach you how to harness the wider learning benefits of the subject: how pupils learn about life and self through drama and how drama can enrich and enhance other areas of the curriculum.

Reputation & Teaching Excellence

On campus, you will engage with experienced tutors and guest speakers in specialist drama spaces where you will practically explore and develop drama pedagogies. Specialist tutors have extensive knowledge and experience as teachers and leaders of drama, you will work closely with them to develop your practice. You will learn how to plan, teach and assess all aspects of the subject, from honing pupils’ performance skills, to supporting budding young production designers.

Research and enquiry activities are an integral part of the PGCE at Cardiff Met. You will develop the academic skills to conduct your own research and enquiry, expanding and deepening your thinking about the subject. You will also benefit from clinical practice experience in our Partnership Schools. There you will work closely with experienced and dedicated drama mentors, many of which are Cardiff Met alumni; they will help you hone and develop your teaching practice and encourage you to consider how theory informs your practice.

Employability & Careers

Cardiff Metropolitan University has a long history of teacher education in secondary drama. Career prospects following successful completion of the programme at Cardiff Met are extremely positive. Almost all graduates of the programme seeking full-time employment have secured teaching posts and many quickly progress into positions of responsibility, such as head of department.

What’s the best way to prepare for studying a PGCE in Drama?

Consider why you want to be a secondary drama teacher; what do you have to offer young people and the wider school community? We are looking for applicants with a passion for their subject in possession of a wide range of existing knowledge and skills to offer schools and young people. Spend some time developing your subject knowledge and reading up on the GCSE and AS/A level drama and theatre syllabi to get a sense of the common curriculum content covered from years 10-13 in the UK.

We also recommend that you gain classroom experience before applying to the course. Ideally, this experience would be gained in a secondary drama context (experience in a primary school will also help you decide the context you’re most suited to). This will provide invaluable insight into a living, breathing drama department and the role of the drama teacher; an opportunity for you to witness first-hand how drama teachers work with learners. We recommend you draw upon this experience in your application and at interview, reflecting on what you learned and the implications for the future.

“I wanted a work-based and university-based learning experience and Cardiff Met offered this to a high standard. It is also a really exciting time to study in Wales because of the new 2022 Welsh Curriculum which has an emphasis on the Expressive Arts. This is an important aspect of the curriculum as it provides a great opportunity for learners to express themselves in ways they perhaps otherwise would not. I secured a permanent drama position at a secondary school in London after my first interview. I will be the only drama teacher in the department, so I am looking forward to this and having the West End on my doorstep.”

Bianca Alfieri, PGCE Secondary (Drama)

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Contact Us

For further information about the programme please contact Emma Thayer, PGCE Secondary Drama Programme Leader at ethayer@cardiffmet.ac.uk.