Five routes into becoming a qualified teacher

Hands up who wants to be a teacher. Yes? We’ve done the homework for you and here we present information on the main five routes into becoming a qualified teacher.

by Gagan Virdi

Teaching is a popular career choice and a profession which offers good job security - 9 out of 10 teachers are employed within 6 months of finishing training. You’ll need GCSEs at grade C upwards in English, maths and science, A- Levels then a degree. In order to teach a specific subject, you’ll need A- Levels in English and that specific subject(s) at grade C or above.

After completing a degree you’ll need to do a course of initial teacher training (ITT) but you can also consider an undergraduate ITT course which will enable you to study for your degree and complete your ITT at the same time.

There are two types of undergraduate ITT which lead to qualified teacher status (QTS). These are:

Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) with QTS

This option allows you to specialise in a certain subject while gaining your degree and QTS.

Bachelor of Education (BEd)

This is an honours degree course in education. BEd degrees are available which will enable you to teach in primary and secondary schools. A BEd is a popular choice for those wanting to teach primary school children.

PGCE

A PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) is a one year course focusing on graduates acquiring teaching skills. It includes 12 weeks of seminars and 18 weeks one to one experience, as well as building skills; it enables you to build relationships with the other staff members and children. For primary level teaching you can have a degree in any subject plus a PGCE and for teaching at secondary level your degree must be related to the secondary subject you want to teach.

SCITT

After graduating, get straight into teaching with the School Centred Initial Teacher Training course. With fewer lectures and more on-the-job training, it allows you to do the same as the PGCE. Schools all over England run SCITT courses which cover primary, middle and secondary school subjects. You will usually be based in one school while completing teaching practices at others.

School Direct places are available in some of the best primary and secondary schools across England and programmes generally last for one year. Financial support is available throughout your training. Successful completion of the programme will lead to the award of qualified teacher status (QTS), and may also include a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE).

SDTP

The School Direct Training Programme (SDTP) is for high-quality graduates who want to train in school. You may be eligible for a bursary of up to £20,000 or a scholarship of £25,000.

The School Direct Training Programme (salaried) is an employment-based route for high-quality experienced graduates with at least three years’ work experience. You will earn a salary while you train.

http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/teacher-training-options/university-based-training/undergraduate-itt.aspx