Information correct as of 25/09/14 and applies solely to teaching in England.
Here’s What You Need To Know.
What are the different ways of training to become a teacher?
There are two main options:
1. University led training
2. School led training – which can be either:
- School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
- School Direct School Direct salaried (for experienced career changers)
- Teach First
How Much Does it Cost?
How and When Do I Apply?
Usually fees
are around the £9,000 mark depending
on the provider. You should not have
to pay anything up front. You should
have access to a Student Loan for fees
and/or perhaps a grant depending on
your financial and personal
circumstances In addition some
training courses attract a training
bursary (see table opposite) which
ranges from £4,000 to £25,000. If your
course attracts a training bursary you
do not have to pay this back and it is
paid to you in instalments throughout
your training. Funding for international
students is different, please ask for details.
How and When Do I Apply?
Applications for post graduate teacher training courses are made
through UCAS – Teacher Training. You can make up to three applications and the system is scheduled
to open mid to late October 2104. You can apply to both University led and School led courses on the
same system. The only exception to this common application system is the Teach First route which will
continue to be a separate application process. To apply on UCAS you will need to have an excellent
personal statement which is used in the selection process. For help with this ask at the Careers and
Employability Service and see our separate hand-out.
What Do I Need Before I Start?
Qualifications: An honours degree. You can apply in the final year of your degree (with predicted grades), or after you have graduated, you will need to have been awarded your degree before you begin the training. To teach a subject at secondary level you will usually need at least 50% of your degree to be in that subject. It is sometimes possible to complete a subject knowledge enhancement course (SKE) if you do not have enough subject knowledge to teach your subject of choice, although this is likely to be for subject areas where there is a shortage of qualified teachers, such as Physics, Maths and Modern Languages.
Qualifications: An honours degree. You can apply in the final year of your degree (with predicted grades), or after you have graduated, you will need to have been awarded your degree before you begin the training. To teach a subject at secondary level you will usually need at least 50% of your degree to be in that subject. It is sometimes possible to complete a subject knowledge enhancement course (SKE) if you do not have enough subject knowledge to teach your subject of choice, although this is likely to be for subject areas where there is a shortage of qualified teachers, such as Physics, Maths and Modern Languages.
To train as a teacher, on any programme, you must have a grade C in GCSE English and mathematics.
If you want to teach primary or key stage 2/3 (ages 7-14), you must also have a grade C in a science
GCSE. In an increasingly competitive application process some providers may only take candidates with
a B grade in their GCSEs and may also want to select only those with a 2:1 or a first class degree. Some
providers, but by no means all, will accept equivalents to GCSEs (such as Key Skills level 2) if this
affects you, then check with your chosen course/s.
Experience: It is likely you will also need some recent experience of working in a classroom
environment with the age group of children you would like to teach, and if secondary in the subject area
you want to teach. The amount of experience required will vary from course to course and it is probably
true to say that the more competitive the course the more experience the course provider is likely to ask
for.
Other Things You Need to Know...
Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE): Most teacher training courses lead to a Post/
Professional Graduate Certificate in Education with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Some will just
award QTS – so do check carefully. The PGCE is the academic and theoretical part of the qualification
to teach, and it is often this qualification that will allow you to teach in other countries. A PGCE can be
focussed on Early Years, Primary, Secondary or Tertiary stages of education. If secondary/ tertiary it will
be based on the subject of your degree, for example a PGCE History for History graduates.
School Direct was a new teacher training route from 2013. There is no set model for the delivery of this
route and each can vary considerably. If you want to apply for a place you will need to research each
option in order to ensure you are applying for the route most suitable for your needs. Things that
candidates should research when choosing a training provider include:
- What will my training package look like?
- Where will my main place of work be – at which school?
- Where will training take place?
- Am I getting a PGCE qualification?
- Which university accredits the course, and will I need to visit? How often?
- Is the delivery face to face or on line?
- How many trainees will there be in my school and in the consortium?
- What is the expectation of employment after the training?
Teach First This highly competitive training route attracts a salary and puts you in the classroom from
day one. To apply you will need a 2:1 degree and at least 300 UCAS points (excluding General
Studies). Selection is via an Assessment Centre – just like other graduate recruitment schemes. There
is plenty of information on the web site so do your research to check if this route would be right for you.
What’s this I hear about professional skills tests? You will need to complete Skills Tests in Literacy
and Numeracy before you begin a teacher training course. It is possible that some course providers will
only interview candidates who have already passed their skills tests so it is important that you get this
done sooner rather than later. Providers will be able to see whether you have passed or failed and your
score. It is vital that you practise using the online examples prior to taking the tests. Google
‘professional skills tests for teachers’ to locate instructions to register and practice tests.
E-mail: careers@hud.ac.uk
Web: hud.ac.uk/careers
