Primary Education with Music

Primary education with a specialism in music prepares you to become a primary school teacher who brings particular depth of musical knowledge and expertise to the classroom. Music plays an important role in children's development, fostering listening, creativity, self-expression, teamwork and cultural understanding, and a teacher who can deliver music with confidence and skill makes a significant difference to children's musical education and their broader relationship with the arts. At the University of Reading, this three-year full-time degree integrates the study of primary education with a genuine engagement with music as a discipline.

You will develop your understanding of child development and learning, the national curriculum, approaches to teaching core subjects including English and mathematics, inclusive education, assessment and behaviour management, alongside a deeper engagement with music education, musical pedagogy, the history and theory of music and your own musical practice. The degree involves substantial time in primary schools, developing your teaching skills in real classrooms and building the professional confidence you need to work effectively with children across the full primary age range. The qualification you work towards enables you to apply for teaching posts in maintained primary schools.

Graduates from primary education programmes typically enter the teaching profession, taking up posts as class teachers in primary schools and often developing a leadership role in music or the arts within their school over time. Many also go on to coordinate music across a school, work with music education hubs or develop specialised careers in music education, curriculum development or teacher training. The combination of qualified teacher status and musical expertise opens opportunities across education and the arts, and teaching remains one of the most professionally rewarding and socially important careers available to graduates.