Helen Dromey – Course Leader & Mentor (PGC)

Helen Dromey is Course Leader for the ESTA PG Cert, having been involved with the course since its inception in 2017.

She is Principal Teaching Fellow in Music Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Southampton, supports UK Music Masters teachers through observations and consultancy, and continues to teach the violin and viola herself.

Previously, Helen was Lead Teacher for Strings for West Sussex Music, where she established String Start, a group violin-with-musicianship programme for children aged 4–7, and delivered a series of CPD programmes for instrumental teachers. 

Helen is currently completing doctoral research at the University of York, examining pupils’ progression beyond whole-class instrumental learning, and designing new pedagogies to improve engagement. This research draws on Helen’s wealth of experience of teaching the violin and viola in individual, small- and large-group settings, including Whole-Class Ensemble Tuition (WCET).
A qualified primary school teacher, she has also worked as a Music Coordinator, delivering classroom Music across Key Stages 1–2.

Helen graduated from King’s College London in Music and, later, in Historical Musicology, gained her PGCE at the University of Chichester, and attained her LRAM at the Royal Academy of Music.