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Dance Teacher Training

There are several routes into becoming a dance teacher depending the sector you intend to work in. The information below outlines the various routes available.

Teaching in the Private Sector

  • Teachers working in the private sector are usually self-employed, based in places like leisure centres, village halls or in private premises.
  • Private dance teachers typically hold qualifications from one or more Dance Awarding Organisations. 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 five Dance Awarding Organisations. The Council also has ten Corporate Members. Teachers registered with those Awarding Organisations 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 Organisation has its own method of teaching. Prospectuses can be obtained for vocational training courses which lead to teaching qualifications. These schemes only lead to qualifications for teaching in the private sector.
  • Some vocational schools run their own teacher training courses for dance. These courses may be accredited by The Council for Dance Education and Training.

Teaching in the State System

Qualified teacher status (QTS) is the accreditation that enables you to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales. Anyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained school in England or Wales needs to gain qualified teacher status (QTS). To achieve this award, you need to complete a period of initial teacher training (ITT), which will enable you to meet the professional standards for QTS; a formal set of skills and qualities required to be an effective teacher. There are a number of different forms of ITT, and many more individual courses for you to choose from. You can complete your training at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and even take an employment-based route. You may already have been teaching for some time; in the independent sector, or as an overseas teacher but regardless of experience you will still need QTS before you can teach as a qualified teacher in a state-maintained school. You can find out more about QTS at the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)

If you would like further information about teaching in the state sector you are advised to consult the National Dance Teachers Association website.

  • The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA)
  • Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
  • Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR)
  • National Dance Teachers Association

Further Education

Recent legislation has changed the requirements for teaching in further education. You can find out more about these changes in the following document Reforms to the training, qualifications and continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers, tutors, trainers, and instructors published by Lifelong Learning UK.

Criminal Records Disclosure Service

For information about the Criminal Records Bureau and Disclosures and the new Vetting and Barring Scheme, visit the CRB website at www.crb.gov.uk or
www.isa-gov.org.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.