There are many ways to become a dance teacher. Some people go on to teach after having had a successful career as a performer; while others see teaching dance as their primary vocation and therefore wish to train quite specifically as a teacher from the outset. The information given below is aimed particularly at the latter.

Teachers working in the private sector are usually self-employed, based at leisure centres, or own small local dance schools. Private dance teachers usually hold qualifications from one or more Dance Awarding Bodies. These offer a range of examinations for children and young people as well as teacher training programmes which lead to teaching qualifications. Only teachers registered with the relevant awarding body may enter children and students for examinations.
CDET has approved the registration schemes of four Dance Awarding Bodies. The Council also has ten Corporate Members. Teachers registered with those awarding bodies and corporate members may be listed in CDET's UK Directory of Registered Dance Teachers and UK Database of Dance Teachers online.
Each school and each Dance Awarding Body has its own method of teaching. Prospectuses can be obtained for vocational training courses which lead to teaching qualifications. These schemes only qualify to teach in the private sector.

Applicants for teaching posts in all maintained (state) and direct grant schools must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is awarded by the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE).

At present, only those professionals who have achieved QTS are allowed to teach dance in state schools as a permanent member of staff. However, other professionals may be invited to teach classes or workshops as a guest artist providing a teacher is present.

This is normally a Bachelor of Education degree, but can be a Bachelor of the Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree with QTS or a post graduate course, normally a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE).

There are two institutions offering dance with QTS.

Bath Spa University College
Newton Park
Bath
BA2 9BN
01225 875 875
www.bathspa.ac.uk

University College Chichester
Bognor Regis Campus
Upper Bognor Road
Bognor Regis
West Sussex PO21 1HR
01243 816 000
www.ucc.ac.uk

An undergraduate degree is usually the minimum pre-requisite for a PGCE in primary teaching. Teaching dance in primary schools is not usually possible with a degree in dance alone owing to dance not being a National Curriculum subject. It would be possible to be accepted for a course if half of an undergraduate course had been in a National Curriculum subject; so for example, a joint Honours degree in Dance and English.

All institutions offering Secondary teaching qualifications seek applications from those who hold a degree in the chosen teaching subject. There are two institutions offering PGCE in secondary dance teaching and one offering a PGCE DT.

University of Brighton* (PGCE)
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT
01273 600 900
www.brighton.ac.uk

De Montfort University (PGCE)
The Gateway
Leicester
LE1 9BH
0116 255 1551
www.dmu.ac.uk

Royal Academy of Dance (PGCE DT)
Faculty of Education
36 Battersea Square
London
SW11 3RA
020 7326 8000
www.rad.org.uk

*With Reference to University of Brighton only:
Whilst a degree would be the usual requirement expected for PGCE entry, in exceptional cases, the University of Brighton might consider an individual's experience and personal profile where a degree is absent.

This may be obtained from:

The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)
151 Buckingham Palace Road
London
SW1W 9SZ
Teaching Information Line:0845 6000 991
www.tda.gov.uk


Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
Rosehill
New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire GL52 3LZ
01242 222444
www.ucas.ac.uk

Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR)
Rosehill
New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire GL52 3LZ
0871 468 0 469
www.gttr.ac.uk

It would be possible to teach in further education (eg. colleges/evening courses) without having a degree. The work would be mainly of a part-time nature and it would be necessary to hold or pass a teaching/learning certificate.

Some vocational schools (see Information Sheet 2) run their own teacher training courses for dance.
These courses and others are accredited by CDET.

For information about the Criminal Records Bureau and Disclosures, visit the CRB website at www.crb.gov.uk or www.disclosure.gov.uk or call the helpline on 0870 909 0811.
For information about the Disclosure Service offered by the Foundation for Community Dance, contact their offices on 0116 253 3453 , or email info@communitydance.org.uk.