Certification in the Roskell Method

Certification
in the Roskell Method

Benefits of certification
Successful teachers will receive:
• A certificate verifying that you are a ‘Certified Teacher in the Roskell Method for beginner, intermediate or advanced technique’
• Personalised feedback
• Your details, qualifications and website link included on the Roskell Academy Certified teachers list.
• Certification Badge for use on your own website and marketing example
Certified teachers will also have the option to work towards Instructor status.
Cost of the certification process: £180 Elementary or Intermediate £220 Advanced

Teachers applying for certification need to be members of the Roskell Academy. Membership includes access to at least five support webinars on relevant topics for each level of certification.
After successful completion of two Certification levels, teachers will be eligible for a 50% reduction in membership of the Roskell Academy.

Mode of Preparation

You can prepare in one of two ways:
• 1) Self-directed: Study and prepare in your own time using available resources (Essential Piano Technique, Foundations in Piano Playing. Teaching Healthy Expressive Piano Technique, The Complete Pianist). Submit the assessment resources when ready. Elementary self-guided option available from April 2026, Intermediate available from September 2026.

• 2) Join the relevant training course with a cohort of teachers starting November 2025 (Elementary teaching), March 2026 (Intermediate) or September 2026 (Advanced).

All teachers are strongly encouraged to join the annual three-day teacher training course in the year of, or prior to certification.

Elementary and Intermediate certification requirements

To be completed in your own time and submitted at least one month in advance of the assessment:
1) A video recording of part of a lesson (or up to two lessons) with a student or students in which you teach a relevant technique for the certification level (approx. ten minutes in total). For Elementary level, aim to include at least one of ‘bobbing’, ‘parachute touch’ or scale technique from Essential Piano Technique. For Intermediate level – aim to include one aspect of technique based around chord playing, rotation, agility, or expressive playing.
2) A video recording of two students, each playing a piece from Essential Piano Technique or a piece of equivalent difficulty, including one final ‘encore’ duet from Essential Piano Technique.
3) A video recording of yourself playing a piece or pieces of the appropriate level (Elementary or Intermediate) lasting around 7-10 minutes. The piece(s) should demonstrate a range of different techniques.
Written permission for use of videos signed by the student or care-giver will be required.
The assessment interview:
The online assessment with Penelope can take place at any time, at a date and time to suit both (at least one month’s notice is required).
The interview is an opportunity for Penelope to assess your work and your suitability as a Roskell method certified teacher. During the 30-minute interview you will receive feedback on your submitted material. Penelope will ask you questions about aspects of teaching at the appropriate level:
• Understanding of the concepts of healthy piano technique relevant to the level of certification
• Reflection on your teaching methods, especially regarding the two students videoed.
Candidates will be expected to have print copies or access to online copies of each Essential Piano Technique book available during the interview.

Advanced level certification requirements

Applicants for advanced level will normally be expected to have passed the assessment for Beginner and Intermediate levels. Contact [email protected] if you only teach advanced students.
To be completed in your own time and submitted at least one month in advance of the assessment):
1) A video recording of part of a lesson (or up to two lessons) with a student or students of advanced level (approx. fifteen minutes in total). Aim to include some of the key techniques for this level, such as octave playing, voicing or agility.
2) A video recording of two students, each playing a piece (or section of a piece) at advanced level (approx. 10 mins total).
3) A video recording of yourself playing one or two pieces of advanced level which demonstrate contrasting skills, such as the first movement of a Beethoven Sonata and a Chopin Nocturne. The video should last around 15 minutes and demonstrate a variety of techniques.
Written permission for use of videos signed by the student or care-giver will be required.
The assessment interview:
The online assessment with Penelope will take place at a date and time to suit both (at least one month’s notice is required). Recordings and other materials will need to be submitted at least one month prior to the assessment date.
During the 40-minute online live interview you will receive feedback on your submitted material. You will then be asked to answer questions on aspects of teaching at advanced level.
Candidates will be expected to have a print copy or access to an online copy of The Complete Pianist available during the interview.

Support for Teachers

You can prepare for certification in your own time, or follow our supported training courses. The Roskell Academy offers:
• Support and training webinars included within your Roskell Academy annual membership
• admin support
• personalised feedback after the assessment
• Access to the Roskell Academy forum and teachers’ meet-ups
If you have any queries about your suitability for this process, please contact [email protected]

Training Courses and support webinars

All teacher training webinars are included in the price of membership, except the Annual three-day training event, for which Roskell Academy members received a 30% discount.
Specific tasks will be assigned between webinars. All webinars will be recorded.

Elementary certification course dates: November 30th, January 11th, February 1st, February 15th, March 1st

Intermediate certification course dates: March 29th, April 12th, May 10th, June 14th

May 23-25 Annual three-day teacher training event

Advanced certification course dates: September 13th 2026, October 11th, November 8th , December 6th, January 10th 2027, February 7th, March 14th, May 16th

Results

A written report will be sent within one month of the final assessment. Successful candidates will be sent a certificate and Certification Badge to use on your website and marketing.

Resits
If it is considered that any part of a submission is not considered of a sufficient standard for certification, constructive feedback will be given and the candidate will be given the opportunity to resubmit that section for a reduced fee.

Continuing professional development:

Certificates are renewable every two years. To maintain certified status, teachers are required to continue their membership of the Roskell Academy
Teachers who have successfully completed two levels of certification will be eligible for half-price membership of the Roskell Academy.

FAQs

Find answers to the most common Certification Questions here

What’s the best way to prepare for Certification?

• Join the Roskell Academy

• Apply for the Certification level course within the Roskell Academy

• Choose three students (this is better than two in case of dropout). Ideally these would be of contrasting ages and learning styles. They don’t need to be your most talented students. Ask for written permission to record parts of lessons.
• Start a log book/journal for each student.
• Sign up for the training events which will be most useful for you (they do have to sign up for webinars, yes?
• Select additional resources which will be useful for you (see Recommended reading and pre-recorded courses)
• Participate in the Roskell Academy forum – ask questions and support each other.
• Come along to a Network and Natter session to ask questions you may have

What performance pieces are most appropriate?

Choose piece(s) for your own performance well in advance and plan a date for the recording. Consider booking some piano lessons or a mentoring session from a certified teacher.
There is a free choice of piece, but preferably choose pieces which demonstrate an understanding of a range of different techniques, such as:
• Elementary: A selection of pieces from Essential Piano Technique, movements from a Classical Sonatina eg Clementi Sonatina In C, 1st or some of the recommended pieces from Level 1 or Level 2.
• Intermediate: A selection of pieces from Level 3 or from the recommended pieces, movements from a Classical Sonata eg Mozart Sonata in C major K545
• Advanced: A first movement of a Beethoven Sonata eg Sonata in C minor, Op 10 No 1, a Chopin Nocturne or a selection of pieces demonstrating techniques from The Complete Pianist.

Why should I create a logbook? Will this be assessed?

The logbook will not be assessed, but this is a good way to plan and reflect on your teaching. It will also help you prepare for the assessment, in which Penelope will ask about your students’ overall progress.

How should I prepare the logbook?

Firstly, reflect on your students’ needs:
• Have they already studied earlier levels of EPT books?
• Are they transfer students?
• What are they most in need of technically at the moment?
• Do you intend to use the Roskell method alongside other method books or theory or sightreading books? How will you go about that?
• What do you hope to achieve this year? What are your long-term goals?
• Will the student also be preparing for an exam or other performance?
Make notes after each student’s lesson – what worked and what didn’t. What could you improve on in the next lesson?

How can I prepare for the assessment?

• Agree a time which is mutually convenient to you and Penelope
• Submit the recording of lessons and performances at least one month in advance
• Revise your logbook

Our live training courses are strongly recommended for all teachers. However, if you are already very experienced in teaching the Roskell Method and have been teaching students with this approach for some time, you may prefer to prepare in your own time and in your own way. There are many online self-directed resources already available (and more to come), including Teaching Healthy Expressive Piano Technique and Foundations in Piano Technique. Do also check out the teacher notes and videos in all of Penelope’s books.

Do the recordings need to be of a professional standard?

• The recording does not need to be of professional quality. Ensure that the hand and keyboard can be seen clearly when demonstrating a technique and that the sound quality is adequate.
• The purpose is not to show your best student performing perfectly, but to show how you can express concepts clearly and help a student learn a particular technique in an effective and supportive way.

Does the recorded lesson need to be in English?

Ideally the recorded lesson will be in English, French or Italian. Please tell us on the application form if the recording will be in a different language.

Will the assessment be in English?

The interviews are usually conducted in English. Extra consideration will be given for candidates whose native language is not English. Please let us know if English is a problem for you.

How do I submit the recordings?

You will be able to use your phone/tablet/laptop to record, and you can then submit the recording using our submission service.

Enquire About Certification