Secondary school dance teachers teach dance to pupils aged 11 to 18 years. The majority of their work involves preparing their pupils to sit examinations leading to qualifications in dance.
Secondary school dance teachers require GCSEs in English and maths and a bachelors degree in dance or physical education. Once they have gained their degree, they must go down one of two routes. They may take a postgraduate teaching qualification that confers Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or enter into a Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), which offers an employment based route towards gaining QTS. All dance teachers must have a Criminal Records Bureau clearance and experience of teaching dance to young people.
Dance teachers must have an interest in all forms of dance. They should be able to successfully inspire their pupils to partake in dance and be dedicated to helping to strengthen the place of dance in high schools. In addition to teaching dance as part of the school curriculum, dance teachers must also be willing to teach dance as an extracurricular activity.
The main employers of secondary school dance teachers are state-maintained high schools and colleges. Independent schools and colleges also require dance teachers. Full-time, part-time and temporary dance teacher jobs are readily available, with many of these jobs being publicised through specialist teacher recruitment agencies.
Newly appointed dance teachers receive starting salaries of around £20,000 a year. With experience, dance teachers may progress into senior staff roles.
