Masters Degrees in Wood Crafts, United Kingdom

Over the last 15 years, art practice across the globe has experienced a significant shift as artists have sought to work in the wider public sphere in support of social and environmental change. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and participatory engagement, this course will support you in forging your own artistic route built around your interests, networks and communities. New creative and social skills together with enhanced critical understanding will help you develop a practice that is effective, meaningful and relevant for your society.

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Our approach to Visual Cultures frames it in terms of what it can do alongside what it can know. Be inspired by a team of world-renowned teaching and research staff, who will challenge you to explore existing paradigms, develop an individual approach to visual culture research, and articulate your thinking as you develop your 'manifesto' and portfolio.

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Sunderland has a national and International reputation for training high quality subject specialist teachers. Trainees who successfully complete the programme are recommended to the NCTL for Qualified Teacher Status

Course overview

This initial teacher training course equips you to share your passion in a creative subject and inspire young people to fulfil their potential. D and T is a core subject in the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 and there will always be a need for good D and T teachers.

Currently (2015) there is a national shortage of D and T teachers, so this provision fills an essential gap in the shortage of training providers across the country. PGCE Design and Technology is a 36-week Post-graduate programme which prepares trainees to teach in an 11-18 education environment. Recent developments in the past year have resulted in an innovative programme which is at the cutting edge of ITE.

This programme is also offered as part of our School Direct route.

University-based subject academics have extensive experience in school and have published and exhibited their work internationally and had influence in developments in the subject both on a national and international level.

The course has two strands. The first strand is based at the University and provides a solid grounding in theory and practical issues. The second strand is based in partnership schools.

The trainees spend a TDA specified minimum of 120 days on placement in partnership institutions. Theory informs practice and pedagogical knowledge is developed alongside subject specialisms. The Teaching Experience(s) with an emphasis upon a Partnership between the University course and the school further develops the concept of putting theory into practice whilst gaining confidence through increased contact with the school environment and facilitates progression towards the ITT professional standards. Many partnership schools employ trainees after successful placements.

It is expected that trainees, on being awarded QTS should offer at least one specialist field of knowledge to key stage 5 and a second specialist field of knowledge to key stage 3. All trainees are specialists in ‘Core’ design, regardless of their specialist field of knowledge. Fields of knowledge include Textiles, Food, Resistant materials and Electronics with Graphics throughout each area.
D and T at Sunderland adhere to the Design and Technology Association (DATA) subject related guidelines. As the professional body of Design and Technology, their requirements and benchmark statements are strictly adhered to within our programme and practical teaching experience is gained.

The University of Sunderland has a heritage of teacher training which dates back to 1908 so you can be confident that our courses are excellent preparation for a teaching career in which you can inspire young people to realise their potential.

Course content

This course blends academic studies at the University with hands-on experience at our partner schools.

PGCE Course content*
September – January
-Full-time teaching practice placement (school or college)
-Master's Module 1: Development of Learning: A Case Study – you will identify an educational intervention and explore its use, impact and influence upon the learning of one or more pupils
-Subject Studies related module

January – June
-Full-time teaching practice placement (school or college)
-Master's Module 2: Negotiated Individual Study in Education – you will undertake a piece of action research into an educational issue
-Subject Studies related module

*subject to validation

Teaching and assessment

We use a variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, seminars, tutorials, project work and group work as well as placements and work-based learning.

Assessment methods include written work, evidence profiles and assessment of your teaching practice. Within the subject application aspects of the programme, students will have the opportunity to work with education teams from Art Galleries; Museums; Practicing teachers in both mainstream and SEN schools and receive specialised training in the use and application of Smart materials and relevant Design Software.

Students will all have the opportunity to follow an accredited Design and Technology Core Health and Safety Programme which on successful completion will lead to Certification in the Core.

Students will all have the opportunity to follow a Food Safety Course which on successful completion will lead to an ICSET Level 2 Food Safety Certificate.

The most recent Ofsted report on our Initial Teacher Education (secondary phase) states: “Subject tutors are skilled practitioners and make excellent contributions to training that help to develop trainees’ strong subject knowledge and awareness of related teaching skills. They are highly informed of best practice in their subjects.”

Facilities & location

The University of Sunderland has excellent facilities on-campus and strong links with schools and colleges in the area.

Course location
The course is based at the Forster Building on City campus and at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. Sunderland is a very vibrant and supportive environment with excellent resources for teaching and learning.

Secondary partnership
The University of Sunderland forms part of a secondary partnership that includes more than 230 schools and colleges. This means that there are wide opportunities for placements during the professional year. Ofsted also noted “high levels of coherence in training between the schools and the University, and between the generic and subject training, that contribute to trainees’ progress”.

University Library Service
We’ve got thousands of books and e-books on education topics, with many more titles available through the inter-library loan service. We also subscribe to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals. Resources include the EBSCO Professional Development Collection, which is a specialised collection of over 500 education journals.

Employment & careers

Everyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained school in England and Wales needs Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This course leads to QTS and, on successful completion; you will become a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT).

The starting salary of an NQT is over £22,000, with extra if you work in London. Teachers see their salaries rise by an average of 30 per cent after their first four years in the job.

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This is an intensive, vocational course with strong professional links to the industry, offering a maximum of four students, with high levels of painting and drawing skills, the opportunity to develop their careers as scenic artists. The skills and techniques acquired on this course are to the level necessary for theatre, television, film and animation industries..

During the year students acquire an understanding of professional practice and standards, and gain in-depth skills and experience in scenic art techniques and their application, combined with the practice of managing a scenic art department.

The Course has 3 very intensive terms during which students paint the sets for the School’s six main house public productions, offering them the opportunity to see their finished work used on stage in a wide range of public performances and venues. Teaching is led by the School’s Head of Scenic Art in collaboration with visiting industry professionals who provide master-classes in a range of skills and techniques that include; life drawing, portraiture, perspective, marbling, wood-graining, polystyrene carving and painting for animation. The scenic art students work collaboratively with the School’s other production departments, and most especially with design students. Furthering their introduction to the industry, work placements with principal companies are arranged during the course; particular attention is placed on students developing their own professional portfolio. Upon graduation students will showcase their work in a public exhibition and be interviewed by some of the UK’s leading industry practitioners. In a freelance industry most of our graduates begin working as assistants for scenic artists, scenic workshops and large theatre companies, eventually becoming supervising scenic artists themselves.

Recent graduate employment; The Royal Opera House, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Cardiff Theatrical Services, The Royal National Theatre, Northern Ballet, TR2 Plymouth, Richard Nutbourne - Cool Flight Ltd, Cameron Macintosh's National Tour of ‘Mary Poppins’, Disney's ‘Aladdin’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ for Warner Brothers. Film work includes; Wes Anderson's ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ and ‘Isle of Dogs’ (still in production) Tim Burton's ‘Frankenweenie’, Aardman Animations' ‘Shaun the Sheep’, ‘Pirates’ and ‘Early Man’ (still in production). TV work includes 'Will' for TNT and ‘Crazy Face’ for Netflix.

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