Routes into teaching 2012/13

Routes into
teaching
2012/13
Teaching Task
Group
Contents
Thinking about becoming a teacher
3
Training to teach in schools
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Getting started
Subjects
Types of schools
Work experience
Entry requirements
University-based PGCE
School-centred initial teacher training
School Direct
Teach First
Assessment routes to QTS
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11
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Training for post-16 education
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Funding
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Jargon buster
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Further information
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Further education (FE)
Lecturing in higher education (HE)
Bursaries
Support for tuition fees
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15
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Routes into teaching
Thinking about becoming a teacher
Getting started
How do you become a teacher?
To work as a teacher in state-maintained schools (excluding academies) in England and
Wales you need to have professional qualified teacher status (QTS). For further
information on teaching in other areas of the UK see the AGCAS publications Teaching in
Scotland, Teaching in Wales and Teaching in Northern Ireland.
To be awarded QTS by the Teaching Agency (TA) you must complete a period of training,
such as a one-year Professional or Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course,
which recommends you for QTS. This is known as initial teacher training (ITT).
Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) then complete a period of induction, which is the first
year of employment as a teacher in a school. NQTs are encouraged to start their induction
as soon as possible after gaining QTS but there is no set time limit for starting or
completing the induction.
Teachers in independent schools are not required to have QTS, but most do. Many
independent schools do not offer an NQT induction year.
If you want to work as a teacher with the full range of responsibilities in further education
(FE) colleges or sixth form colleges, you need qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS)
status or QTS.
What age range?
All school teachers are trained to teach across two key stages (KS). The key stages
include:
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early years foundation stage (EYFS): 3-5 year olds; nursery and reception;
KS1: 5-7 year olds; school years 1-2;
KS2: 7-11 year olds; school years 3-6;
KS3: 11 to 14 year olds; school years 7-9;
KS4: 14 to 16 year olds; school years 10-11.
Although you can apply for training in several different age ranges, it can be difficult to be
convincing in your personal statement about your motivation for more than one age
group. Find out which age range you feel most comfortable with by getting some work
experience in a school.
Once you have achieved QTS, it is legal for you to teach any age range, although it is not
easy to move from one to another. Most teachers stay within the age ranges they trained
to teach. If you want to change once you are qualified, you will need to build up a
portfolio of evidence to persuade the head teacher you are able to teach a different age
range.
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Subjects
The information in this section only applies to England. See the AGCAS publications
Teaching in Scotland, Teaching in Wales and Teaching in Northern Ireland for specific
information on the other parts of the UK. To teach students with special educational needs
(SEN) see Special educational needs teacher.
The national curriculum
Pupils aged 5-16 in most maintained schools must be taught the national curriculum. The
national curriculum states the subjects children must study according to their age groups,
called key stages (KS). Pupils are assessed at the end of each key stage, primarily by
their teachers but with the addition of national standardised attainment tests (SATs) at
the end of KS2. Academies and free schools must provide a balanced curriculum for
mathematics, English and science and make provision for religious education, but beyond
this they have freedom to design their own curriculum.
What subjects will I teach at primary level?
Primary schools cover KS1 (5-7 year olds) and KS2 (7-11 year olds). In general you will
need to feel confident about teaching the wide range of national curriculum subjects which
include:
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English;
mathematics;
science;
design and technology;
information and communication technology (ICT);
history;
geography;
religious education;
art and design;
music;
physical education.
In addition to this, it is advised that primary schools teach citizenship, at least one
modern foreign language, and personal, social and health education (PSHE).
Few primary initial teacher training (ITT) courses as yet offer a specialist area, but this is
likely to change with the government’s increasing emphasis on subject specialism at this
level. Currently a number of courses include a specialism in a language (mostly French,
German or Spanish) to accommodate the moves toward making it compulsory for all
primary school children to study a modern foreign language.
What subjects can I teach at secondary level?
ITT in secondary teaching entails a specialist subject but once you have gained qualified
teacher status (QTS), you are legally qualified to teach any subject. It is common to find
teachers in schools teaching subjects other than those they specialised in during their
teacher training.
Secondary schools cover KS3 (11-14 year olds) and KS4 (14-16 year olds), and
sometimes post-16. The compulsory subjects required by the national curriculum are:
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English;
mathematics;
science;
design and technology;
information and communication technology (ICT);
history;
geography;
modern foreign languages;
art and design;
music;
citizenship;
physical education.
Schools must also provide religious education, careers education and guidance, and sex
and relationship education (SRE). Some schools additionally offer personal, social and
health education (PSHE).
Schools also offer subjects outside this core list, e.g. drama, dance, and media studies,
and ITT courses exist to accommodate them.
There are a number of vocational subjects taught in schools preparing students for applied
GCSE, BTEC, City and Guilds and the 14-19 diploma qualifications in subjects such as
leisure and tourism, business, engineering and manufacturing. See Directgov Qualifications Explained for more details.
Types of schools
The information in this section applies to England. For variations in the other parts of the
UK, see the AGCAS publications Teaching in Scotland, Teaching in Wales and Teaching in
Northern Ireland.
Education in the UK falls into two sectors: state maintained and independent. An
understanding of the system will help you to decide where you would prefer to work.
State maintained
Within the maintained sector there are different types of schools which can be defined by
who employs the staff, controls admission and owns the land and buildings. Combinations
of local authorities (LA), school governing bodies and charitable trusts or religious
organisations might be involved. The main types of maintained school are:
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community schools – wholly LA controlled;
foundation and trust schools – controlled principally by a trust and governing
body;
voluntary aided and controlled schools – mainly religious or ‘faith’ schools run
by a charitable foundation, often a religious organisation;
academies – set up by businesses, faith groups or voluntary groups in partnership
with the Department for Education and local authorities. They are publicly funded
and have some freedom from the national curriculum;
free schools – not-for-profit, government-funded schools which have some
freedom from the national curriculum;
city technology colleges – focus specifically on mathematics, science and
technology.
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Most state-maintained secondary schools are all-ability comprehensive schools, but a few
are grammar schools, which select pupils according to ability. Any maintained secondary
school can apply to become a specialist school in a certain area, e.g. sports, arts, science,
etc.
Independent sector
The independent sector includes:
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Independent schools - no direct income from the state. These schools are
sometimes called public schools or private schools and there are about 2,500 in the
UK. They do not have to teach the national curriculum or employ teachers with
qualified teacher status (QTS), although most do. Information about independent
schools is available from the Independent Schools Council and the Independent
Schools Directory.
Montessori schools - follow their own teaching method and in the UK cater for
children mostly from the ages of three to six though there are some primary
schools. For more information see Montessori.
Steiner Waldorf Schools - part of an international movement with a particular
philosophy of education. Find out more at Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship.
Work experience
Why do you need work experience?
To ensure teaching is the right career choice for you, it makes sense to get some
classroom experience. Training providers want to know that you have the skills and
motivation to teach, and you will usually be required to have experience of working with
children of the relevant age - preferably in a school environment.
Some institutions only interview candidates with recent observation experience in a state
school. For primary Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses, many
institutions stipulate that you should have completed a minimum of two weeks’ schoolbased observation before your interview. Some institutions require 30 days or more.
If you are not able to complete the experience quickly, do not delay sending your
application, but state in the application that you have experience arranged in the near
future.
How do you get work experience?
Use your contacts through family and friends. You can also contact schools directly to ask
for work experience or to observe classes or shadow teachers. EduBase has a list of all
schools. Work experience in schools is popular and it may take time to arrange a
placement so try to plan in advance. There are also a number of formal schemes which
can help:
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School Experience Programme (SEP): This is a programme for final year
students and graduates interested in gaining experience in the classroom and
considering teaching mathematics, physics, chemistry or a modern foreign language
(MFL) at secondary level. See Teaching Agency - School Experience Programme for
further details.
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Primary Experience Programme (PEP): This is a programme for male applicants
with a 2:2 degree or higher, who intend to start primary school initial teacher
training (ITT) in 2013. It offers the chance to spend ten days finding out about the
job and gaining valuable experience before applying for primary school teacher
training. See Teaching Agency - Primary Experience Programme for further details.
Student tutoring programmes: Some institutions offer student tutoring
programmes through which you go into schools to help with classes. These
programmes are often available through university careers services or students'
unions.
Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS): If you are a mathematics,
science, technology or engineering undergraduate, your department may offer a
classroom-based module. This would involve spending around 40 hours working in
schools. See Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme for more information. It may
also be possible for students of mathematics, science, technology or engineering to
become STEM ambassadors, which involves enthusing school students about these
subjects and the careers they open up. See STEMNET for more information.
Taster courses and open days: These are organised by universities and colleges
offering PGCE courses to provide an insight into teaching and teacher training.
Taster courses tend to be targeted at shortage subjects or candidates from underrepresented groups.
Paid work: You may be able to obtain paid work in schools as a cover supervisor,
teaching assistant, laboratory technician or learning mentor, for example. These
posts are usually advertised on local authority (LA) websites or through recruitment
agencies.
Voluntary work: Most LAs run schemes for voluntary mentors to work with pupils
on a one-to-one basis. Contact your LA for more information. Many universities
work closely with local schools to encourage pupils to consider higher education
(HE).
Work experience tips
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Keep a diary of any work experience you do; this will be invaluable when it comes
to writing your applications or preparing for interviews.
Write notes about anything that you experience. For example, if a lesson did not
work, think about how you would do it differently.
Think about classroom control, different teaching styles and effective uses of
technology.
Training to teach in schools
Entry requirements
To qualify as a teacher in England you must meet the following requirements:
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GCSE grade C or above in mathematics and English - for primary teaching you
also need GCSE science grade C or above.
QTS Skills Tests - in literacy and numeracy (if training in England). Anyone
applying for an ITT course which starts after 1 July 2013 must have passed the
skills tests before starting the course. Candidates need to apply for an ITT course
and then sit the skills test, though you can book your test date before making your
ITT application. Further information and advice on the tests can be found online at
Teaching Agency - Professional Skills Tests.
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A degree - for primary teaching some ITT providers prefer you to have a degree in
a national curriculum subject. If you don’t, you should talk directly to the training
provider to see if they will accept your degree. For secondary teaching you will need
a degree in, or closely related to, the subject you would like to teach. Examples of
how degree subjects relate to the national curriculum can be found at Teaching
Agency - Teaching Secondary. If you studied abroad you can get advice on the
equivalency of your qualifications from overseas from UK NARIC (National
Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom).
Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses - if you want to teach a
shortage subject and your degree is not closely linked to it, your training provider
may decide that you need to take an SKE course to boost your subject knowledge.
These courses comprise the equivalent of between two weeks’ and six months’
study but may sometimes be done over a longer period through part-time study or
distance learning. Find out more at Teaching Agency - Subject Knowledge.
Fitness to teach - all candidates must by law, pass a fitness to teach test before
acceptance onto a course. Medical fitness it assessed initially via a declaration of
health questionnaire which is completed by all students. In exceptional cases, or if
doubts are raised about their ability to teach, students may subsequently be
required to have a formal medical examination. If you have a disability, you are
strongly advised to make early contact with the training provider before submitting
your application. Employers can make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled
people to carry out their duties effectively.
Declaration of criminal convictions - the provisions of the Rehabilitation of
Offenders Act 1974, which allow convictions for criminal offences to be regarded as
‘spent’ after a period of time, do not apply to the teaching profession. You are
required to declare any previous convictions. All trainee teachers undergo a
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check before starting school-based training.
If you have a Higher National Diploma (HND) or foundation degree, you could:
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top up your HND or foundation degree to an honours degree and then apply for a
postgraduate teacher training course such as a PGCE. Check the suitability of your
degree subject and top-up modules for entry to PGCE courses.
complete a two-year degree in secondary education which leads to QTS. Courses
are mainly available in shortage subjects such as ICT, mathematics and science for
those with a relevant foundation degree or HND. Apply through the Universities and
Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
University-based Postgraduate or Professional Certificate in
Education (PGCE)
A PGCE is usually a one-year, full-time course based in a university with substantial school
placements. Courses are offered at two levels: Postgraduate Certificate in Education and
Professional Certificate in Education. The Postgraduate Certificate offers optional Masters
level credits but both certificates lead to the same qualified teacher status (QTS). Search
for courses and apply through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR).
More flexible PGCE courses are also available with part-time study, modular and/or
distance-learning options. Training offered through these routes can be applied for
through GTTR or directly to the institution.
Where to train
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All Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses include placements in schools to
develop your teaching skills to professional standards set by the government. A minimum
of 18 weeks of classroom-based training is required for primary initial teacher training
(ITT) courses and 24 weeks for secondary - usually in two schools. Because of the need to
meet these requirements, ITT courses tend to be similar to each other, and it may be
difficult to choose where to apply. Research the institutions via their websites and open
days. Discuss your ideas with your careers adviser or with other people you trust.
When choosing your course, you should consider:
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Type of institution: Be realistic about your choices. If you only choose prestigious
institutions or those where there are very few places, you may be unsuccessful.
When it comes to getting a job afterwards, the institution you attended is less
important than how you performed on teaching practice and on the course. Schools
now play a much larger part in teacher training, with students spending more time
in schools during their courses.
Quality of the course: You can get a flavour of the course, including the
qualifications that admissions tutors are looking for and the quality of the course,
by checking the ITT Performance Profiles at Teaching Agency - Compare Training
Providers.
Geographical location: If you want to get a job as a teacher in a particular area,
it makes sense to train there. Think of the school placements as both window
shopping for possible future employment and an extended interview. If your
geographical mobility is limited, mention this in your application as some
institutions may take it into account when considering your place.
How do I apply?
Applications for most university-based PGCE courses are made through the Graduate
Teacher Training Registry (GTTR).
You can apply to a maximum of four different training providers for secondary teaching
and your choices should be made in order of preference. If you wish to teach in primary
schools you can apply to a maximum of two providers in order of preference. In both
cases, if your application is unsuccessful with your first choice of training provider, it will
be passed on to your next choice.
What is the application process?
The GTTR is accepting applications from mid-October 2012 for courses that start in
September/October 2013. For primary teaching, you must apply by 1st December to
ensure that your first choice of provider will consider you. For secondary teaching, GTTR
accepts applications until 30th June, but it is advisable to submit your application as soon
as possible, as training providers often fill their places early. This is especially important
for popular subjects such as history and physical education where there is a high level of
competition for places.
In order to apply you need to register with the GTTR and complete an online application
which includes a personal statement. This is a crucial part of the application process as
you have a limited space in which to persuade the ITT providers to offer you an interview.
Your personal statement should show your commitment to the age range and subject you
wish to teach. See GTTR - Help with Applying and Teaching Agency - Application Tips for
advice and tips on making your application.
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If you are successful at this initial application stage you will then typically be invited to an
interview or assessment day with the course provider. These assessments will vary from
institution to institution and, given the competition for places, you will need to prepare
thoroughly. It is worth contacting the course provider in question to gain more detail on
what will be required of you on the day. Generally, assessments may include English and
maths tests, an individual interview, presentation, taking a mini lesson or a group activity.
Your university careers service will be able to help you prepare and tips on the interview
can be found at Teaching Agency - Help with Your Interview.
School-centred initial teacher training (SCITT)
SCITTs operate in England and are usually a full-time, one year programme. A group of
schools designs a training programme with partners including higher education (HE)
institutions and the local authority (LA). Although these schemes include significant
academic study, they are highly practical and most of your time is spent in a base school.
Successful completion leads to qualified teacher status (QTS) and possibly a PGCE.
How do I apply?
Applications for SCITT courses are made via the Graduate Teacher Training Registry
(GTTR) although some SCITT providers ask you to apply directly to them. A complete
listing of school consortia taking part is available online at Teaching Agency - SCITT
Providers. Applications through GTTR enable you to apply to a maximum of four different
SCITT providers or a mixture of SCITT and university providers, with your choices in order
of preference.
Training commences in September or October so applications need to be made to the
GTTR, or directly to the provider, during the academic year before. Applications may be
accepted up until the end of June but in general you should apply as soon as possible, as
places can fill up quickly in some regions, particularly for primary teaching.
What is the application process?
The application form includes sections for your personal details, academic qualifications, a
personal statement in support of your application and references. If you are applying
directly to individual SCITT providers there may be additional criteria to help shortlist
applicants for interview. Interviews are a requirement for all initial teacher training,
including the SCITT. SCITT providers may have further exercises in addition to the
interview as part of their selection process, which is likely to take place within the base
school. This can include presentations, written English and numeracy tests, subject-based
assessments, reading exercises, and activities where applicants are interacting with pupils
or each other.
School Direct
School Direct provides an opportunity to train within a school, with the prospect of being
employed within the school or partnership of schools once qualified, though this is not
guaranteed. The schools select their trainees and offer training in partnership with an
accredited teacher training provider, which leads to QTS and in some cases also a PGCE in
one year. There are two differently-funded programmes:
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The School Direct Training Programme. Open to all graduates and funded in the
same way as a PGCE or SCITT. Trainees pay tuition fees and may be eligible for a
bursary and/or loans for fees and maintenance.
The School Direct Training Programme (salaried). For graduates with three or
more years’ career experience. The trainee is employed as an unqualified teacher
by the school and schools receive funding from the Teaching Agency which they can
use to subsidise the trainee’s salary and/or training.
See Teaching Agency - School Direct for more information.
How do I apply?
Students and graduates will be able to apply for the School Direct Training Programmes
through the School Direct portal on the Teaching Agency website. In mid-October 2012,
schools will be able to announce how many places they can offer and applications will
open soon after this. It is important that you keep checking online at Teaching Agency School Direct for up-to-date information. A list of all the schools participating in the
programme will also become available on the portal, including those schools which will
offer the salaried routes.
It is advisable to register your interest with the Teaching Agency as soon as possible so
you can receive alerts once the list of schools and places have gone live - see Teaching
Agency - sign up. Some schools may accept direct applications for both the salaried and
non-salaried routes so check for this information.
What is the application process?
The School Direct application method, like other ITT programmes, will initially consist of
an application form with a personal statement followed by an interview (if successful at
the application stage). Interviews are likely to take place in the school and could include
extra assessments. They may also involve extended time in the school to see how you
interact with the children and/or participate in lessons. Interview procedures can vary
from school to school so check with the course provider to see what will be expected of
you.
Teach First
The Teach First Leadership Development Programme is an employment-based two-year
programme completed in primary and secondary schools that are in challenging
circumstances. These are schools that experience high levels of poverty or
underachievement amongst their pupils. Successful candidates start as unqualified
teachers, working toward a PGCE in the first year and completing a newly qualified
teacher (NQT) induction in the second year, combined with leadership development
training, coaching and the opportunity to work towards a Masters qualification. The
programme is available in London, the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the
Humber, North West, North East, South West, and Kent and Medway regions.
How do I apply?
Applications to the Teach First Leadership Development Programme are made online
through the Teach First website. Applications generally open in June each year and close
for each subject as places are filled. It is therefore advisable to apply as early as possible.
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In order to apply you need to make sure you meet certain entry requirements. As well as
the standard requirements for all ITT courses, these include having a 2:1 degree or above
300 UCAS points (or equivalent, not including general studies), the flexibility to work in
any of the seven Teach First regions and the ability to show commitment to the
programme and its aims in developing leadership potential in candidates, as well as to
teaching.
The subject that you will be able to apply to teach will be dependent on the schools’ needs
and your eligibility. For primary teaching you must have a degree in one of the primary
national curriculum subjects - or have A-levels at grades A*-B in two of the subjects. For
secondary, there are several secondary national curriculum subjects that your degree can
cover and A-levels at grades A*-B can also be accepted for certain subjects. See Teach
First - Teaching Subject Requirements for more details.
The online application process through the Teach First website includes sections to record
academic information and asks six competency based questions.
Within your application, it is important to evidence all of the eight competencies that
Teach First specifically look for. These are:
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humility, respect, and empathy;
interaction;
knowledge;
leadership;
planning and organising;
problem solving;
resilience;
self-evaluation.
Be specific and provide sufficient detail in your answers, and try to give recent examples
where possible in evidencing these eight criteria.
What is the application process?
Applicants who are successful in their initial application to Teach First are invited to attend
an assessment centre day. At the assessment centre, applicants are asked to deliver a
sample lesson, take part in a case study exercise and have a competency-based interview
with one of the assessors.
Depending on how you perform at the assessment centre, you may be made an offer of a
place, conditional on the successful completion of a Subject Knowledge Audit (SKA) and
the Summer Institute. In the SKA, your suitability to teach your nominated subject will be
assessed and they will look to see if there are any gaps in your knowledge of the subject
that need to be addressed before commencing the programme.
Teach First representatives can be contacted for support through any stage of the
application process and further hints and tips on applying are available at Teach First Recruitment and Selection.
Assessment routes to QTS
Experienced teachers who hold a degree but not QTS can gain QTS by following one of the
assessment routes.
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The assessment only (AO) route is for teachers who already meet the requirements for
QTS and do not require any further training. The assessment includes presenting detailed
evidence of your experience and skills and your teaching will be assessed by an accredited
and approved provider. To apply for the AO route you need to contact one of the approved
providers directly. See Teaching Agency – Providers of AO Route for contact details.
The assessment-based (AB) route is for those who have experience of working as an
instructor, unqualified teacher, or a teacher in an independent school or FE institution in
the UK. If you are in this situation it is possible to gain QTS with a minimal amount of
training. The University of Gloucestershire administers the AB route for England. It is
currently accepting applications from teachers of mathematics, physics, modern foreign
languages (MFL) and information and communication technology (ICT). Applications
should be made directly to the University of Gloucestershire - Assessment Based Option.
For further information see Teaching Agency – Assessment Routes.
Training for post-16 education
Further education (FE)
There are two teaching roles in the FE sector - full and associate. Full teachers undertake
the complete range of teaching and planning tasks while associate teachers have more
limited responsibility. For full teaching roles, you are required to obtain qualified teacher
learning and skills (QTLS) status (similar to qualified teacher status (QTS) in compulsory
education). See Further education lecturer for more information.
Anyone gaining a lecturing job without a relevant teaching qualification has to obtain a
minimum of the Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) award within
the first year. Those who are in a full teaching role then need to work towards one of the
following qualifications:
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PGCE or Cert Ed in post-compulsory education;
Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning sector (DTLLS).
The PTLLS requirements are covered in the first part of these courses. New entrants have
five years to gain full qualification, although it is advantageous to hold one of the
qualifications before applying for a job.
The full-time, one year PGCE is the most usual route for new graduate entrants to the
profession. There are also part-time PGCE programmes for which it is likely that you
would already be in some type of teaching role. You will need a degree in the subject you
wish to teach. You can also take additional qualifications to enable you to teach Skills for
Life (literacy, numeracy and English for speakers of other languages).
Courses can be found by searching the Talent Database - in most cases you will need to
apply directly to the training provider. A small number of PGCE courses are also included
in the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) and can be found by selecting the
Further Education age range on the course search.
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For the DTLLS course, you typically need to hold at least a level 3 qualification. This can
vary between course providers though so you should contact them directly to find out
exact requirements. DTLLS courses can be found through the Talent Database.
It is also possible to train in secondary teaching and then apply for work in the further
education sector, as teachers holding QTS are currently eligible to teach in the FE sector.
QTS qualified teachers working in FE will need to gain QTLS within five years.
Those who wish to work in an associate role should complete the Certificate in teaching in
the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS).
See the Institute for Learning (IFL) for more information.
Lecturing in higher education (HE)
To become a university lecturer, you normally need to study for a Masters or PhD
qualification in the specialist subject area you want to teach. It is possible to be
considered without a PhD or if you have not yet completed your research degree, but this
is decidedly difficult. In some cases, such as more vocational or specialised courses,
experience in the relevant field can be viewed as equally valuable as a PhD.
Whilst teaching is an important activity for HE lecturers, a formal teaching qualification is
not essential. It is possible to study for teaching qualifications once in post and the Higher
Education Academy accredits university teaching and learning courses. The PGCE courses
that offer higher education as an option are usually taken by those who intend to work in
further education colleges on degree-level courses such as foundation degrees or HNDs.
There are a number of job websites that advertise lecturer job vacancies including
Guardian Jobs, the Times Educational Supplement (TES) Jobs and Jobs.ac.uk. Within your
application for a lecturer role, you should be able to demonstrate the following:
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experience of, or clearly show your capability for teaching;
enthusiasm for your specialist area and producing original research;
having academic work published and speaking at professional conferences and
seminars.
For more information see Higher education lecturer.
Funding
This section covers funding in England. For information on funding in other parts of the UK
see the AGCAS publications, Teaching in Scotland, Teaching in Wales and Teaching in
Northern Ireland.
Bursaries
Non-repayable bursaries are available for trainee teachers on some full and part-time
primary and secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses, schoolcentred initial teacher training (SCITT) schemes and School Direct programmes. The
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amount you receive depends on your subject area and degree class. From 2012/13
trainees will need to have gained at least a 2:2 in order to be eligible for a bursary.
For 2012/13, bursaries are as follows:
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Secondary shortage priority subjects (chemistry, mathematics, physics,
modern foreign languages) – ranges from £12,000 to £20,000 depending on degree
classification.
Other secondary priority subjects (art and design, design and technology,
economics, engineering, English, dance, drama, geography, history, information
and communications technology (ICT), computer science, classics, music, biology,
physical education and religious education) – £5,000 or £9,000 depending on
degree classification.
There are currently no bursaries for other secondary subjects.
Primary – £5,000 or £9,000 depending on degree classification.
Trainees with School Direct places may be eligible for an additional payment
worth 25% of their standard bursary. To qualify for this payment, trainees will need
to be based in a school where more than a quarter of pupils are eligible for free
school meals.
Support for tuition fees
Primary and secondary education
Tuition fees have to be paid for postgraduate ITT courses and the amount of these will
vary depending on the course and institution. Home and EU students on full-time and
part-time courses may be eligible for a loan to cover tuition fees. This will not have to be
repaid until you are working and earning over £21,000 a year.
Home students may also be able to apply for a student maintenance loan to help with
accommodation and living costs. Some may also qualify for a non-repayable maintenance
grant that will be means tested.
Other support is available for certain groups of students, e.g. students with disabilities and
students with dependent children. If you are in financial hardship, you can also apply to
your university for help from the access to learning fund.
See Direct Gov - Student Finance and Teaching Agency - Funding for Teacher Training for
further information on all of the loans and grants available.
Post-16 education
For those training to work in further education an award of £1,500 may be applied for if
specialising in numeracy or literacy, or £1,000 for other subjects. This sum is received by
the training provider and is offset directly against the course fees. Applications are made
through the training provider.
For more funding information on teaching courses in FE, see Excellence Gateway Fee
Awards.
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Jargon buster
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AB - Assessment-based
AO - Assessment Only
BIS - Department for Business Innovation and Skills
CRB - Criminal Records Bureau
CTLLS - certificate to teach in the lifelong learning sector
DfE - Department for Education
DfES - Department for Education and Skills (Wales)
DENI - Department of Education for Northern Ireland
DTLLS - diploma to teach in the lifelong learning sector
FE - further education
FEI - further education institution
FHE - further and higher education
GTTR - Graduate Teacher Training Registry
HE - higher education
HEI - higher education institution
ISC - Independent Schools Council
ITT - initial teacher training
KS - key stage
LA - local authority
LSIS - Learning and Skills Improvement Service
NQT - newly qualified teacher
OFSTED - Office for Standards in Education
PCE - post-compulsory education
PCET - post-compulsory education and training
PGCE - Postgraduate Certificate in Education or Professional Graduate Certificate in
Education
PTLLS - preparing to teach in the lifelong learning sector
QTLS - qualified teacher learning and skills
QTS - qualified teacher status
SATs - standardised attainment tests
SCITT - school-centred initial teacher training
SKA - subject knowledge audit
SEN - special educational needs
TA - Teaching Agency or teaching assistant
UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
Further information
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Department for Education
Graduate Teacher Training Registry
National curriculum
Schools Web Directory
Teaching Agency (TA)
Teach in Scotland
Teacher Training & Education in Wales
Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI)
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
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Teaching post-16:
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TALENT (Training Adult Literacy, ESOL and Numeracy Teachers)
Excellence Gateway
Institute for Learning
Learning and Skills Improvement Service
Written by Margaret Evans, Northumbria University, Richard Wilcock, University of
Leicester and Lucy Ellis, University of Leicester, July 2012
© Content copyright of or licensed to AGCAS (www.agcas.org.uk)
To view the terms and conditions for the material provided in this publication, please see:
www.agcas.org.uk/disclaimer
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