We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2026/27 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2025/26 courses.
Develop your teaching skills, and qualify as a secondary arts and design teacher, with our PGCE Secondary Art and Design course at the Institute of Education.
To find out more visit the Institute of Education website.
You’ll develop your teaching skills throughout the programme, enabling you to share your love and knowledge of art and design with the children you'll teach.
You'll develop the professional skills to respond flexibly to changing circumstances:
You'll gain the expertise to:
The Institute of Education is a high-quality teacher training facility with extensive support, pastoral care, and excellent employment rates for graduates.
Our distinctive secondary PGCE courses are planned and delivered in collaboration with partner schools, other child-based settings and the local community.
At the Institute of Education, we have created an open, inclusive environment that promotes a sense of wellbeing and belonging. You’ll benefit from an experienced community of academics, with a breadth of expertise and experience of influencing education policy.
We pride ourselves on creating and nurturing a community where students are recognised and valued as individuals.
How we support you
You’ll learn through a series of lectures, practical seminars and workshops, where interactive and discussion-based techniques will encourage you to engage, reflect and challenge.;
Sessions may include:
Alongside University of Reading tutors, you will be taught and guided by a team of committed and experienced University-trained school mentors.
Subject Lead Mel Jay, and trainee teachers Lauren and Giovanna speak about the Secondary Art and Design programme at the Institute of Education.
Placements enable you to develop the skills and knowledge valued by employers. You'll build your confidence in the classroom and gain practical teaching experience.
Placements also provide you with the opportunity to connect with potential employers and build your professional network.
On your secondary PGCE course, you'll carry out school placements in contrasting educational contexts, ensuring you receive a broad range of experiences. Your placements will cover the full 11–18 age range, and you will visit at least one primary school as part of your studies.
In your school placement, you will:
We offer a flexible and broad range of educational environments. You'll have the opportunity to gain experience in:
You will benefit from our collaborations with a range of arts organisations such as Freelands Foundation and the National Society for Education in Art and Design (NSEAD). We regularly invite visitors from examination boards to talk about working with exam boards, marking and moderating. We also have strong links with the University's School of Arts and Communication Design.
We work closely with our partnership schools, and have alumni regularly bringing school groups in to take part in activities such as The Big Draw, or practical workshops led by our PGCE Art and Design cohort
At the University of Reading, we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone's responsibility. You will be given access to training that enables you to incorporate climate education into your teaching, as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan.
You will learn about:
Visit our Partnering for the Planet site to find out more about the University of Reading’s world-leading work in climate science.
The University of Reading's Institute of Education is rated in the top quartile of education departments in the UK. 98% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Education).
Discover more about research being carried out:
