ESTA Postgraduate certificate – Vocal
About the course
The ESTA Education Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Practical Teaching is a master’s-level (Level 7) qualification designed for instrumental and vocal teachers who wish to deepen their understanding of how people learn music and to enhance their own professional practice.
Delivered in partnership with the University of Chichester, the course provides a structured, research-informed pathway for teachers seeking formal recognition of their skills and experience. Study takes place mainly online, supported by one-to-one mentoring, webinars, and collaborative discussion, with a compulsory one-week residential summer school at the University of Chichester.
Who is this course for?
This programme is ideal for teachers who:
- Already teach an instrument or voice and wish to reflect critically on their own practice.
- Seek a validated postgraduate qualification to support career progression or further study (e.g. ESTA MA in Practical Teaching)
- Wish to combine flexible online study with a vibrant community of peers and mentors.
- Are committed to developing an investigative, reflective, and research-informed approach to their teaching.
Applicants typically include studio teachers, peripatetic teachers, ensemble directors, and community musicians working across age groups and contexts.
Course content
The PG Cert comprises four core units (each 15 credits at Level 7, total 60 credits). All units are compulsory and are supported by an additional short, non-credit-bearing element covering safeguarding, equality & diversity, and promoting positive behaviour.
Study is part-time over 10 months (August – June). Most teaching takes place online, supported by individual tutorials and mentor-led study groups. The one-week residential provides intensive, practical training and peer exchange.
Course content by unit
Unit 1:
Teaching vocal technique to children and young people singing
- Posture and Alignment
- Breathing & Breath Management
- The Larynx & Phonation
- Vocal Tract & Resonance
- Registration & Voice qualities
- Articulation
- Vocal Development through the lifespan
- Singer’s Hearing
- Warming up and Cooling Down
- Maintaining vocal health
Unit 2:
How children and young people learn to sing
- How learners learn
- Simultaneous Learning
- Learning spiral
- My learners now
- Understanding, assimilating and consolidating
- Skills, knowledge and understanding
- Learning music musically
- Developing aural awareness/perception and acuity
- Pupil/teacher relationships
- Learning scales and studies
- Starting a lesson
Unit 3:
Teaching strategies for vocal teachers working with children and young people
- Understanding my teaching now
- Preparation for teaching
- Expectation of teaching outcomes
- Diagnosis of learners’ needs
- Audio-Visual-Kinaesthetic learning
- Aptitude for learning
- Motivation for learning
- Simultaneous learning (P Harris)
- Assessment
- Exams/Festivals/Competitions
- Tutors/methods
- Teaching whole classes/small groups/individuals
- Proactive and reactive teaching
Unit 4:
Developing a vocal teaching curriculum for children and young people
- Understanding what is meant by a curriculum and a syllabus
- Preparing and implementing schemes of work
- Short/medium and long term planning
- Personalising learning
- Becoming a reflective practitioner
- Communicating as a musician
- Playing and performing
- Chamber music
- Special Needs
- Alexander Technique
- Schools of singing including classical, MT, CCM and Jazz
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of music teaching and learning processes.
- Apply reflective and research-based approaches to improve your teaching.
- Plan, deliver, and evaluate effective learning for students at different stages.
- Communicate clearly and professionally with learners, parents, and colleagues.
- Design curricula and materials that respond to individual learners’ needs.
- Act autonomously in planning and implementing teaching at a professional level.
Successful completion leads to the award of Postgraduate Certificate in Vocal Teaching by the University of Chichester.
Who teaches the course
Heads of Department – Vocal
Janet Munro MA (Music Education) BA (Music Education) DRSAM (Singing Teacher) Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, is a soprano and singing teacher who was educated at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now RCS), Royal Academy of Music , Middlesex University and the Institute of Education.
After many years as a professional singer, Janet’s focus is now on Music education, teaching singers of all ages and in a number of different genres as well as mentoring singing and instrumental teachers. Janet is a module and component leader at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance on the post-graduate course The Teaching Musician and under-graduate and post-graduate courses in instrumental and vocal teaching.
In addition Janet gives individual singing lessons to Musical theatre students on the under-graduate BAMT and at Junior Trinity. Students have gained places at all the UK conservatoire as well as wining major prizes and scholarships. She is also a teaching mentor for the Association of Teachers of Singing on their Pathways Programme and has worked as a mentor for the CTABRSM.
Janet has a number of research interests including all aspects of vocal pedagogy. As part of the Musical Impact Project she did a research study Investigating awareness and incidence of acid reflux among UK conservatoire student singers with Dr Patricia Holmes and presented a paper on it at the International Symposium on Performance Science in Reykjavik in 2017. She also presented a workshop Adapting Repertoire for Male Students during Voice Change at the Pan-European Voice Conference in Copenhagen in 2019.
Teaching and assessment
Learning takes place through:
- One-to-one mentoring and tutorials
- Online seminars and discussion forums
- Independent reading and reflective study
- Residential workshops and peer presentations
Assessment
Assessment is by written assignments, videoed lessons, presentations, and curriculum design projects – all focused on your own professional practice. There are no written exams.
Progression routes
PG Cert Graduates are eligible to advance to the MA ESTA MA in Practical Teaching. The PG Cert forms the first 60 credits of the full MA pathway.
Entry requirements
Applicants should normally hold:
- An undergraduate degree in music or a related subject OR
- Equivalent professional experience as a teacher or performer.
You must be currently teaching (or able to access learners for teaching observation and video assignments). Reliable internet access and the ability to record video are essential.
Course fees
- £4,250 UK resident
- £6,250 Overseas Resident
*Fees include full board and accommodation at the ESTA Summer School.
** Travel costs from the student’s location to Chichester are not included in the course fee.
*** The summer school is a mandatory element of the course.
Applications are open for the August 2026 intake. To apply, please complete the online application form and upload:
Applicants will be invited to an informal online interview.