The Art of Teaching Piano Course (ATP)
The ATP Course is a certified qualification, designed to establish then enhance the skills of impending and current piano teachers. Explore the techniques, strategies, and insights necessary to inspire students and maximise teaching effectiveness based current best practice and pedagogical approaches.
​
The ATP Course spans 36 weeks (9 modules) divided into 12-week blocks. The course offers a flexible, hybrid learning format with a mix of self-paced learning, online study and in-person live-streamed sessions. The ATP Course has been accredited for delivery, structure and content source by the CPD Standards Office (CPDSO). For more information on what CPD Accreditation means, visit https://www.cpdstandards.com/become-accredited/what-is-cpd-accreditation
Developing this course and resources has been a thorough process involving various contributors and participants from 2020 to 2024. This course is the final product of intensive testing and refinement over the last four years.
​
By the end of the ATP Course, students will have studied the essential aspects of piano teaching, including lesson planning, student engagement, and skills such as:
​
-
Psychology of music learning
-
Lesson planning for different ages and stages
-
Stages student of growth and development
-
Teaching methods and method books
-
How to teach technique, aural, rhythm, listening, repertoire
-
How to develop your own curriculum
-
Pedagogical techniques
-
Performance skills
-
How to assess and give feedback
-
Mentorship and mentoring
-
Music and theory examinations and examination bodies
-
Sample lesson plans, templates, outlines, integration
-
Student engagement
-
Recommended resources
-
Technology integration
​​
The objective of the ATP Course is to equip aspiring piano teachers with knowledge of current best practices and pedagogical approaches, as well as to guide them in creating effective lesson plans tailored to learners of all ages and abilities. This will be achieved through:
​
-
Pedagogical Techniques: Providing teachers with the tools to develop and/or analyse effective teaching methods and strategies based on emerging research.
-
Curriculum Development: Guiding teachers in creating curricula and then structured lessons plans that align with educational standards and student goals.
-
Music Theory and Practice: Assessing then enhancing the teachers’ own understanding of music theory and how to teach it.
-
Performance Skills: Helping teachers develop their own fundamental then advanced performance skills to ensure that when passing on these skills to their students, their students can perform pieces with stylistic and expressive accuracy.
-
Student Engagement: Understanding the stages of children’s growth and development and therefore offering strategies to motivate and engage students, fostering a positive learning environment that encourages engagement and improvement.
-
Assessment and Feedback: Training teachers on how to assess student progress effectively and provide constructive feedback to support their development, as well as strategies on how to address progress deficits.
-
Technology integration: Familiarising teachers with modern teaching tools and technologies that can enhance the learning experience, such as digital pianos, music apps, online resources, and record keeping.
​​
Students are assigned a mentor to monitor and guide them through the course and various assessments. One-on-one sessions with their assigned mentor will occur as needed.
​
At the end of each module there will be an online seminar for all participants via live video. There will also be a closed Facebook group available to mentors, students and tutors to pose and answer questions, and give additional guidance as needed.
​
The course is delivered in English via blended learning (worksheets, research, video tutorials, quizzes, online sessions) and experiential learning (residential weekends for face-to-face and/or live practice).
​
Overall, the ATP Course aims to enhance the quality of piano education, ensuring that teachers are well-prepared to inspire and guide their students in their musical journeys.
​
​
Download our Prospectus here
OR
Register your interest here
We look forward to supporting your development as an effective, professional and inspiring piano teacher!
Talking about CPDSO Accreditation
Firstly, what is CPD?
​
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) involves intentionally developing your knowledge and skills to ensure you keep up to date and complete your professional responsibilities to the highest standard.
​
Across the UK workforce, CPD is expected of most individual professionals in most sectors. CPD is generally governed by sector-specific professional bodies or regulators. Employers also increasingly expect their staff to undertake CPD, and may even measure them on it.
​
However, it can also be undertaken independently by professionals who don’t belong to an institute for personal career development. CPD activities can range from formal educational activities such as instructor-led training courses, to work-based learning such as mentoring, or self-directed learning such as elearning courses or structured reading.
What does CPD accreditation mean for you?
It’s important that your potential clients know that you have studied a course that have been reviewed by a third party. The process examined your course content, instructors, supporting documents and delivery processes.
​
The CPDSO accreditation has also reviewed various policies for health and safety, data protection and discrimination, which shows them that you are aware of and implement current legislation as part of your training.
​
The accreditation means that your learning provision has been confirmed as:
-
High quality across both content and delivery
-
Based on accurately developed and responsibly sourced information
-
Delivered in an engaging way for participants
-
Relevant to your target audience’s needs
-
Delivers retainable skills that can be actively implemented