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Routes into Teaching
TSR Wiki > Careers > Career Options > A-Z of Careers > Teaching > Routes into Teaching
There are many routes you can take to become a teacher. Most will involve studying for a degree as well as some time spent on school placements. Below you can discover the different options and see what is best for your own personal circumstances. Whatever they are there will be a route in to teaching suitable for you. Degree in TeachingEntry Requirements: A Levels or equivalent. GCSE grade C or above in maths and English. GCSE grade or above in science for primary or KS2/3 teaching. Length: 3 years/4 years (some universities offer an extra year) Funding Available: Yes, normal undergraduate degree funding. Qualified to Teach: Either KS1/2 (Primary) or KS3/4 (Secondary) or KS3/4/5 (Secondary and Sixth Form) – depending on the course you apply for. Confers QTS? Yes, after an NQT year Notes: This is an undergraduate degree. Most undergraduate degrees in teaching are in Primary Education. There are a few subject-specific secondary undergraduate teaching degrees out there as well. The courses are normally 3-4 years in length and award a BA (Hons), BSc, or BEd with recommendation for QTS. Some Primary courses allow you to choose a subject specialism, such as English, Mathematics or Early Years. Pros and Cons:
PGCEEntry Requirements: Undergraduate degree in a main subject or joint degree in education and a subject or a degree education (suitable for Primary school teaching only). GCSE grade C or above in maths and English. GCSE grade or above in science for primary or KS2/3 teaching. Length: 1 year Funding Available: Tution fees and loan, like for undergraduate degree funding. Additional training bursary of up to £9000 (dependent upon subject and key stages teaching). Qualified to Teach: Either KS1/2 (Primary) or KS3/4 (Secondary) or KS3/4/5 (Secondary and Sixth Form) – look carefully at the PGCE specification. Confers QTS? Yes, after an NQT year (done when you get your first real job) Notes: This is, by far, the most popular way of entering teaching. Get your degree first, and then apply through the GTTR to a university for a place on their PGCE. You'll then typically do two "blocks" of teaching (the university will find your placements) and three blocks of lectured input, where you'll complete assignments and learn about teaching approaches, planning, implementation and assessment and the legal and political frameworks which shape education. Pros and Cons: PGCE (Further, Higher and Adult Education)Entry Requirements: Undergraduate degree in a main subject or joint degree in education and a subject. GCSE grade C or above in maths and English. Length: 1 year Funding Available: Tution fees and loan, like for undergraduate degree funding. Additional training bursary of up to £9000 (depenent upon subject and key stages teaching). Qualified to Teach: in Colleges, Universities, Prisons, Outreach Centres, etc. Confers QTS?: NO Notes: The PGCE (Post-Compulsory) is geared towards those of you who want to teach outside of the compulsory sector. It's like the normal PGCE, but you'll learn specifically about teaching approaches for non-schoolies, and your teaching practices will not be in schools. It's a useful point of entry for people who don't want to teach National Curriculum subjects (especially if you want to teach a vocational subject or deal with adult basic skills, etc). Be warned: you will not be qualified to teach in schools – even if you’re trying to teach just A-Level in schools. In these situations, you will be employed as an unqualified teacher, and possibly paid accordingly – and you will certainly not get a permanent contract until you requalify. The route is gaining more prestige, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’ve really looked into the implications of not having QTS. Pros and Cons:
Graduate Teaching ProgrammeEntry Requirements: Undergraduate degree in main subject. GCSE grade C or above in maths and English. GCSE grade or above in science for primary or KS2/3 teaching. Length: 1 year Funding Available: Salary during GTP year (£15,461 + school can upgrade). Qualified to Teach: Either KS1/2 (Primary) or KS3/4 (Secondary) or KS3/4/5 (Secondary and Sixth Form) – look carefully at the PGCE specification. Confers QTS: Yes, after an NQT year (done when you get your first real job) Notes: The GTP was introduced as a more flexible route into teaching – basically by “training on the job”. Once you have completed your degree, you negotiate a year-long placement with a school (they provide your training) and talk to a Designated Recommended Body (DRB) to arrange funding and assessment of your skills. There is an "assessment only" route through the GTP which takes one term, but this is aimed at people with significant amounts of experience in education - such as those with the PGCE (Further, Higher and Adult Education) who want to gain QTS. Pros and Cons:
Registered Teacher ProgrammeEntry Requirements: Two Years of Higher Education. GCSE grade C or above in maths and English. GCSE grade or above in science for primary or KS2/3 teaching. Length: 2 years Funding Available: You will be paid by your school at least the unqualified teacher salary of £15,461. Qualified to Teach: Either KS1/2 (Primary) or KS3/4 (Secondary) or KS3/4/5 (Secondary and Sixth Form) Confers QTS: Yes, after an NQT year (done when you get your first real job) Notes: As Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), but candidates only need to have completed two years of their degree. The teacher-training programme typically lasts two years although it is possible to complete it in a year (they complete their degree at the same time). I've not had any experience with this programme, or met anyone who's been through it, but I think it's targetted at maturer students (professional qualifications are accepted in lieu of a degree, and candidates are encouraged to do a one-year "top-up" degree). Schools are dubious of GTP candidates (with full degrees), and I suspect that RTP candidates (with only 2 years) will struggle to find placements.
Teach FirstEntry Requirements: 2:1 or higher in an undergraduate degree, 300+ UCAS points. Length: 2 Years Funding Available: You are paid by your school and also get for food and accommodation for the Summer Training Institute. You may be eligible for a small loan if you are struggling financially in between your last student loan instalment and your first pay at the end of September. In the first year you are paid at the unqualified teacher rate and in the second year at the NTQ (newly qualified teacher) rate. Qualified to Teach: Either KS3/4 (Secondary) or KS3/4/5 (Secondary and Sixth Form) Confers QTS: Yes Read more about Teach First on TSR Notes: The Teach First Programme aims to attract outstanding graduates to teaching in shortage areas (particularly more challenging schools in inner-London); Successful applicants are given 6 weeks of intensive training before being sent into deprived schools (criteria for schools applying like 50% of students have to be receiving free school meals). It's an interesting programme, which will give you a real seat of the pants/make-or-break experience in difficult circumstances. Only open to a minority of applicants (high flying graduates with at least a good 2.1, and at present the only schools involved are in London, the West Midlands, North West and Yorkshire), but have a look here - http://www.teachfirst.org.uk - for more info nonetheless. (thanks to Economic for the link) There are two deadlines for applying: one at the start of December, which is the only deadline for many subjects such as History and one early April. However, there is no single time for interviews, so although they are still receiving applications in April, applying this late may mean they've already filled all the spaces. School-centred initial teacher trainingEntry Requirements: Undergraduate degree in main subject. GCSE grade C or above in maths and English. GCSE grade or above in science for primary or KS2/3 teaching. Length: 1 Year Funding Available: Tution fees and loan, like for undergraduate degree funding. Additional training bursary of up to £9000 (depenent upon subject and key stages teaching). Qualified to Teach: Either KS1/2 (Primary) or KS3/4 (Secondary) or KS3/4/5 (Secondary and Sixth Form) – depends up on the school you are in Confers QTS: Yes, after an NQT year. Notes: The application process can vary. Some providers require you to apply through GTTR whilst others expect you to apply directly. This is a school based route and will involve more time in the classroom than standard PGCE routes. In some cases you may also be awarded a PGCE upon completion of the course.
Other informationCommentsThanks to Peacey for writing the original content for this article on the forums. Links
Also SeeGot postgrad questions which aren't covered above? Then visit the Postgraduate Forum to get your answers.
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