Course Requirements

Candidates for admission must be of good health, character and education. Since Alexander teachers are often called upon to work with people of widely differing ages, needs and interests, almost any form of previous training and experience can be an advantage; but none is essential.

A thorough course of instruction in the Technique however, on a basis of individual lessons is presumed.

Candidates may be admitted to the Course for a Probationary Term, during which their suitability for the training can be assessed.

Upon completion of the Probationary Term, successful candidates will be accepted for the course of training which normally last for 3 years.

Students are required to register as Student Members of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique and are required to give an undertaking that they willl not teach without authorisation.

There is a new student intake at the beginning of each term.

35 students are currently enrolled on the course.

Opportunities for postgraduate terms of study are available to qualified teachers.

The tuition fees for the training course are currently £1,400 + VAT per term.

For information on Career Development Loans go to www.direct.gov.uk/cdl

back to Top

Daily Timetable

During the first four terms, the hours of instruction are from 9:30am to 12:30pm daily from Monday to Friday. (Students may be required to start at 9:00am or finish at 1:00pm from time to time in order to facilitate their weekly private lessons, but this is normally negotiable with their private course teachers).

For the remainder of the training, the hours are from 11:30am to 3:30pm. There is a break for lunch from 1:00pm to 2:00pm.

In addition to the hours spent under direct supervision in class, considerable private study is expected of the students in their own time.

back to Top

Course Structure and Instruction

Throughout the three years of training, the work is mainly of a practical nature and this practical instruction is usually given individually or in small groups. Time is provided each day for lectures or discussions in which all of the students can participate.

The study of Alexander's own writings is, naturally, essential to the course as well as the study of other literature in the field, including basic relevant anatomy and physiology. A wide course of reading is recommended according to the particular needs and interests of the individuals concerned.

John Brown supervises the students' first four terms of training in the traditions so firmly established by Dilys Carrington. Dilys summed up her aims as a trainer when she said, "I consider that most of the time, I am teaching people to think; to change the way they think so that they can direct and use their thought to work out what they should do. It is no use to tell people what to do and how to do things - you have to teach them how to think so that they can use that in any situation."

The remaining five terms are supervised by Ruth Murray. The course is staffed daily by a number of teaching assistants with wide-ranging experience. With, currently, 22 assistant teachers on the staff, students enjoy an excellent staff : student ratio.

During their final term on the training course, in addition to their normal class work, graduating students have the opportunity to begin to gain valuable practical experience by returning to the morning class as teachers for one morning each week. Each successful graduate has the further opportunity to return for a postgraduation teaching term.

Considerable private study is expected of the students in their own time; and since they have to master the application of the Technique personally in daily life, they need to be able to organise their routine of work and practise without undue stress and fatigue.

It is essential for students to know how to employ the Technique personally before they can learn to teach it to others.

back to Top

Post-Graduation

After graduation, students are encouraged to remain for a post-graduate teaching term for which they receive a nominal fee. This term affords a priceless opportunity for newly qualified teachers to gain further teaching experience in the supportive environment of the training course.

The essence and the nature of the work of an Alexander teacher demands continuous personal and professional development and this is supported and encouraged by regular Teachers' Workshops. The workshops which are supervised by Ruth Murray are provided free of charge and are open to all our graduates.

More intensive Teachers' Refresher Courses are offered during training course vacations.

There are limited places available to any suitably qualified teacher for postgraduate study at the Centre as a full-time postgraduate student. Such places are available for whole terms only during which postgraduates can enjoy the same benefits and timetable as our more advanced teacher trainees. The tuition fees for postgraduate terms of study are the same as for ordinary students undergoing training, currently the tuition fees are are £1,400 stg. + VAT.

Contact the Centre for more details.