Postgraduate courses in Religious Studies Teaching

Do you have a desire to teach? Do you have excellent interpersonal skills and want to inspire generations of students? Are you confident, organised, welcoming and passionate? These are just some of the required skills and qualities needed by a teacher of religious studies. 

If you are sure you would thrive as a teacher, and in turn, allow your students to thrive, then have a look at the information below. There are a number of postgraduate courses available for you to choose from. 

What is religious studies?

Religious studies is a field that is devoted to studying different world religions, beliefs, behaviours and institutions. It allows us to understand, compare and interpret different aspects of religion and engage in your own critical thinking skills. 

As a religion teacher your main role is to carry out effective religion classes, plan lessons and apply teaching concepts and methods in order to help students to gain an understanding of the subject while applying their own critical thinking and inquisitive mind. You will provide students with guidance while supporting their education, social and emotional needs. 

A large part of the role of being a teacher is to keep up to date with new concepts, teaching methods and styles as wella s changes to the curriculum. You will also keep up to date with student progress and build relationships between parents and keep them informed through parents teacher meetings. 

As a secondary teacher you will work normal school hours, Monday to Friday and if you are a temporary or substitute teacher you will be expected to be more flexible with your hours and be on standby and may have to work with short notice. 

Courses

There are quite a number of music courses to choose from across the UK. Some courses offer the opportunity to study part time and full time and under current Covid-19 restriction, some universities may have their own plans. It is important to research a specific course in full.

PGCE Secondary Religious Education with QTS

A postgraduate course in this area will give you the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge to become a teacher in this subject. You will learn a variety of pedagogical approaches in teaching and learning while covering modules such as The Learner – who am I teaching?, Researching the learning – what, why and how am I teaching?, Learners, schools and communities – where am I teaching?, Leading the Learning – what, why and how am I teaching? 

Pastoral Care, Guidance and Pupil Support

Postgraduate courses in Pastoral Care, Guidance and Pupil Support aim to help develop and increase skills in the area of pastoral care. This course is ideal for those who are passionate about having a caring role for young people. Modules in this course include Care and Support in Action, Counselling and Mentoring Approaches in Educational Settings, Critical Approaches to Academic Literature, Managing Personal Supports in Schools and carrying out your own research reports and dissertation. 

There are a number of courses available under the title of PGCE Secondary Religious Education Teaching. All courses will be very similar however they may slightly differ in exact course content. Be sure to research in depth to find the right course for you. 

Entry requirements

Each course may differ in their specific entry requirements, however, most require an honours  degree (2.2 or above). Some courses may prefer a 2.1 honours degree while others require a 2.1. Some will also request an honours degree in a relevant field such as religion or specific areas of religion while others will accept any form of an honours degree. 

Salary 

Your salary as a religious studies teacher is dependent on your experience, your employment type and often location can play a role in teaching salaries also. In this role, you may earn around £36,400 on average. The hourly rate is £18.67. At entry level, salaries are much lower and will be closer to the £32,000 mark and rise with experience. All figures are based on estimates and are intended to be used as a guide only. 

Related Jobs

• Religious Studies Teacher
• Primary school teacher
• Chaplin
• English teacher 
• Secondary teacher (variety of subjects)
• Tutor

Skills and requirements

Skills and requirements helpful in this area include:

Postgraduate courses in Religious Studies Teaching

• An interest in religious studies
• An open mind 
• Accepting of all cultures and religions
• Confident in own ability
• Strong communication skills
• Critical thinker 
• Work well with others
• Good planning skills
• Organisation skills
• Leadership skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Welcoming and warm