Become a music teacher

As a music teacher, you’ll inspire pupils to unlock their creativity and express themselves through performance. You’ll foster a lifelong appreciation of music, enriching their lives beyond the classroom.

Tax-free bursaries of £10,000 are available for eligible trainee music teachers.

Why teach music

Through teaching music, you will share your passion and encourage pupils to discover theirs. From composing and performing to being a critical listener, you'll give pupils the chance to have fun and develop their appreciation for different types of music.

In addition to the personal rewards of teaching music, there are practical benefits too, including:

a competitive salary starting at £31k (or higher in London)
a generous and secure pension
more holiday days than people in many other professions
opportunities for progression

People may not realise how much potential there is for progression in teaching. They think they go into the world of the classroom and that's it. Lots of teachers have added responsibilities they enjoy doing and find fulfilling.

Chris Farr, teacher training adviser

Shape your pupils' futures

Teaching music opens the door for your pupils to pursue exciting careers. From music producers and sound engineers, to musical artists and composers, you may just inspire the next big thing.

Your pupils will learn more from you than you might think. As their music teacher, you'll guide your pupils through the skills they need to develop their appreciation of music and how it's constructed. You'll teach them valuable life skills such as reflective listening and how to make considered choices.

What you'll teach

Music is in the current national curriculum, which is compulsory in all maintained schools from the age of 5 to 14 years (key stages 1 to 3).

This means that when you teach 11 to 14 year olds (key stage 3), you will teach pupils the national curriculum for music including how to to:

play and perform confidently
improvise and compose
use staff and other notations in a range of musical styles, genres and traditions
listen to a wide range of composers and musicians
develop a deeper understanding of music and its history

Explore what teaching a key stage 3 music lesson would be like by visiting the Oak National Academy website.

When you teach 14 to 16 year olds (key stage 4), pupils can study music through GCSE, vocational and technical qualifications or through graded music exams, developing a deeper understanding of the subject.

Skills you'll cover when you teach GCSE music could include:

performing music
composing
recognising contrasting genres, styles and traditions
analysing and evaluating music
making critical judgements about music

At A level and AS level (key stage 5), you’ll help pupils to gain a range of skills, which could include:

appraising contrasting genres, styles and traditions of music
developing an awareness of music technologies
critically evaluating the work of themselves and others
developing and refining musical ideas

Teaching pupils at different ages and abilities means you'll always be expanding your knowledge and approach to meet pupils' needs. Once you have qualified teacher status (QTS) you can also teach any other subject, as long as you can show you have enough expertise.

Start your journey into teaching music

Check your qualifications

To train to teach music in England, you'll need:

GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths (and science if you want to teach primary)
a bachelor's degree in any subject

Having relevant A levels can show your subject knowledge, if you do not have a degree in music.

Music teacher training courses have had successful applications from candidates with a range of degrees, including drama, media and graphic design.

Find out more about what qualifications you need to train to teach.

Non-UK citizens: check your qualifications

If you have qualifications from outside the UK, you'll need to show that they meet the standards set for teacher training in England.

You can get help comparing English and international qualifications.

Fund your teacher training

Tax-free bursaries of £10,000 are available for eligible trainee music teachers.

You can get a bursary alongside a tuition fee loan and maintenance loan.

Even if you've had financial support for a previous course, you could still be eligible for funding to support your teacher training.

You may also be able to get extra funding and support if you're:

a parent or carer
disabled
a veteran

Find out how you can fund your teacher training.

Non-UK citizens: funding your training

If you do not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, you're unlikely to be eligible for funding.

Find out more about fees and financial support for non-UK trainee teachers.

Support with teacher training

Throughout your initial teacher training, you'll have the support of a mentor.

Your mentor will:

guide you through your training, sharing learning and career development opportunities with you
meet with you regularly to make sure your training is a positive experience

You'll also be part of a welcoming school community where you'll learn from fellow teachers through taught sessions, seminars and workshops.

Once you've completed your initial teacher training, you'll continue to be supported during your first 2 years of teaching. Find out what support you'll get as an early career teacher.