You need a bachelor’s degree to teach in primary, secondary and special schools in England. This does not have to be a bachelor’s degree in teaching.
You also need to gain qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in most schools which you get through teacher training.
Teacher training courses usually take 9 months full-time, or 18 to 24 months part-time.
If you’re not from the UK, find out about training to teach in England as a non-UK citizen.
What qualifications can I get through teacher training?
To be a qualified teacher, you can do teacher training to get:
- qualified teacher status (QTS)
- qualified teacher status (QTS) with postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)
QTS
You need QTS to teach in maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England (these are schools which are funded by local authorities).
Even in schools where you do not need QTS (for example, academies), most teachers still have it.
Getting QTS without PGCE may mean that:
- your course fees are lower
- you submit fewer assignments
Talk to your teacher training provider to find out more about the courses available.
PGCE
You can do a teacher training course to get QTS with a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE).
Getting a PGCE can help you:
- get a better understanding of teaching practice and theory
- earn up to 60 credits towards a master’s - you may want to do a master’s in education, for example, for your professional development
- teach in other countries
You can also do a teacher training course to just get a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) without QTS.
If you just get a PGCE without QTS, you may not be fully qualified to teach in your chosen school.
Non-salaried teacher training
Most teacher training courses are non-salaried. This means that you have to pay course fees and will not earn a salary while you train.
Fees are usually around £9,250, and can be higher for international students.
If you train to teach certain secondary subjects, you may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary.
You can apply for a student loan regardless of the course you choose, even if you’ve had one previously for other postgraduate training.
Learn about how you could fund your teacher training.
Teacher training courses
Your teacher training course might be provided by a university, school, college or group of schools. Your course might be referred to as:
- school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT)
- School Direct (there are salaried and non-salaried School Direct courses)
The content of SCITT and School Direct programmes are broadly the same.
As part of selecting your teacher training course, you will need to decide if you want to train to teach at a primary or secondary level. Learn about deciding who to teach.
Some courses have different course structures and have placements in different kinds of schools, such as special schools. Talk to your teacher training provider to find out what they can offer you.
Find teacher training courses(opens in new window).
Choose your provider
One of the best ways to decide between providers is to contact them.
Ask them what a typical day looks like, how you’ll be supported, and if they have any open days or teacher training events you can attend.
Find out where you’ll spend your time
You should talk to teacher training providers about where your school placements and theoretical learning will be. The address of your teacher training provider may not be where you spend most of your time. For example, your teacher training provider might be a university, but you’ll spend most of your time in placement schools.
Find out more about what your teacher training will be like.
Salaried teacher training
Salaried courses are sometimes available for specific candidates, such as if you’re working as an unqualified teacher or teaching assistant. These include School Direct (salaried) courses and postgraduate teaching apprenticeships.
These are in high demand and very competitive. Places fill up quickly.
You should check your eligibility with the teacher training provider before you apply.
You can find teacher training courses(opens in new window) and filter by salaried courses.
Teach First
You could also consider Teach First to earn a salary while you train. To apply for Teach First, you should visit the Teach First website(opens in new window).
