Activity 2: Routes into Teaching in the UK.

 

All candidates for postgraduate initial teacher training need to have a degree and at least a grade C in English and maths GCSE, or demonstrate that they have reached an equivalent standard. If you want to teach primary or early years you will also need a grade C or equivalent in GCSE science.

 

If you want to teach at secondary or post-compulsory level, your degree should be in, or relevant to, the subject you want to teach.

 

To teach in the UK you need to gain qualified teacher status (QTS).

You will obtain this status on an initial teacher training (ITT) programme which takes approximately one year to complete.

On completing the course, assuming you meet the standards, you will be awarded QTS and become a newly qualified teacher (NQT) ready to undertake your induction year.

The main route into teaching in England is through an ITT course, this can be either school or university led. Applications for most teacher training programmes in England and Wales are made through UCAS Teacher Training in the autumn prior to starting training.

 

University-led training Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

Offered at a range of institutions, entry onto a PGCE is generally competitive but less so for shortage subjects.

A PGCE takes one year to complete full time and two years part time. It focuses on developing your teaching skills, so you are expected to have a good understanding of your chosen subject, usually to degree level, before you start training.

If your degree subject does not link closely to the subject you intend to teach you may be offered a subject knowledge enhancement course as a part of your application, for some secondary level subject areas. Find out more about Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) .

School-led training

Opportunities for school-led training include:

• School Direct, salaried or unsalaried; and

• Shool-centred initial teacher training (SCITT).