Getting into teacher training

You need to complete a teacher training programme that gives you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). QTS is required to be a school teacher on the national teaching pay scale in maintained schools in England and Wales. QTS is a status achieved by meeting the National Teachers’ Standards.

PGCE/Postgraduate Teacher Training

Many teacher training routes include a PGCE/Postgraduate Teacher Training course, a postgraduate Level 7 academic qualification that includes assignments and is awarded by universities.

PGCE is 60 credits, Postgraduate Teacher Training course is 120 credits.

You do not need a PGCE to achieve QTS but it is a well-recognised qualification and particularly recommended for:

• teaching abroad and in Scotland
• if you wish to complete a Masters qualification in future
• senior management roles

There are two main routes into teacher training, university-led and school-led. All give you QTS and involve teaching practice in schools (minimum of 120 days in schools). You will work towards the Teachers’ Standards and undergo observations in the classroom.

University-led

You attend university and complete blocks of school placements. A PGCE or Postgraduate Teacher Training course is always included and you pay tuition fees.

School-led

You are generally based in one main school with a short additional placement in another school.

PGCE is not always offered so you need to check with individual providers.

Most are fee-paying, requiring you to pay tuition fees, but some are salaried where you are employed by the school as an unqualified teacher.

Examples of school-led programmes include Delivery with Lead Partners, SCITT, Teach First, Postgraduate Apprenticeships and HMC – the private sector. If you already work in a school such as an unqualified teacher or teaching assistant you could consider Assessment Only or TES Straight to Teaching.

Read more about the different routes into teacher training via the links below:

• Government website about teacher training: Get into Teaching.

• Prospects website summarising different routes: Teaching training and education

You can apply to more than one type of teacher training.

Qualified Teacher Learning & Skills (QTLS) is the industry recognised status for FES. The appropriate option for graduates is usually a Postgraduate Teacher Training course in Post 14 Education leading to eligibility for QTLS.

Some Further Education colleges offer graduate teaching schemes although we are not aware of a database of these.

Qualified teacher status (QTS) and QTLS have parity so if you have QTS you can teach in a college and if you have QTLS and membership of the Society for Education & Training, you are eligible to teach in schools.

You’ll need to choose 2 people who can provide a reference when you apply, although references won’t be contacted until you accept an offer for a place on a course. One referee should be academic such as someone from university. Speak to your tutor about the policy for providing references. Your second referee should be someone who knows you from work/placement/volunteering, who can comment on your potential as a teacher. Find our more about how to choose your references.

It is recommended that you apply as early as possible because courses can close when they are full. Once your application has been submitted, it is circulated to each provider and you should expect to hear back within 30 working days. Those 30 working days are likely to include you being interviewed for the course.

If you are not accepted onto a course following your initial application you can make further applications, between one and four courses at a time. You can do this as many times as you would like to get a place and you can edit your personal statement if appropriate.

For other routes you need to apply directly via provider websites:

• Teach First
• HMC Teacher Training
• Assessment Only
• TES Straight to Teaching

Your personal statement should include your reasons for wanting to train to be a teacher, as well as why you are passionate about training to teach your chosen age group or subject. You should also demonstrate your suitability for training to teach.

Be sure to include:

• Your reasons for wanting to train to be a teacher.
• Skills or personal qualities you have that are relevant to teaching.
• Any experience of working with young people and what you learned.
• Your understanding of why teaching is important.
• Any activities you’ve done that could be relevant to teaching like first aid courses, sports coaching, or volunteering.
• Your interest in the subject or age group.

You could also include:

• Your understanding of the demands and rewards of teaching…
• How you could contribute to a school outside of the classroom…
• Your thoughts on welfare and education…

It is important that you are aware of the issues facing education and could make reference to anything particularly pertinent.

• bbc.co.uk/news/education
• tes.com/news
• theguardian/education
• Having an understanding of safeguarding and keeping children safe in a school in education: Keeping children safe in education – GOV.uk

If relevant, the knowledge and interest you bring to the subject(s) you’d like to teach. Evidence can include:

• The subject of your undergraduate degree
• Modules you studied as part of your degree
• Postgraduate degrees (for example, a Masters or PhD)
• Your Level 3 subjects

Relate the above to the National Curriculum, and consider specific modules, your dissertation topic and more. Did you achieve high marks in a particular subject at school or college? For information on the National Curriculum see National Curriculum and Curriculum and Qualifications.

Remember to include action verbs including achieved, created, delivered, co-ordinated, improved, planned.

Once you have drafted your statement Careers can check it for structure and content.

Find useful example personal statements for teacher training on the Target Jobs website.

You could approach local schools directly, or schools/colleges that you attended before coming to Edge Hill, or schools near to your home to arrange to help out in the classroom for a specific length of time. Many schools near Ormskirk already have large numbers of Edge Hill teacher training students.

If you are interested in a school-led route, consider gaining experience in a school that offers school-led teacher training. This allows you to make your impression on the school before your school-led application. Search for school-led providers on Find or ask schools if they are providers.

You can arrange placements for half or full days or week blocks around Easter or May/June onwards when exams are over. Late June/early July can be a good time because teacher training students are usually no longer in schools.

Email a brief formal letter to the headteacher. Find out the name of the headteacher, introduce yourself with your year/subject and state your intention to apply for Teacher Training.

Be clear about the days/times that you are available and what you would like the experience of including year groups, subject/national curriculum, age range and more. Include what you can offer the school – an extra pair of hands in the classroom, someone else to help motivate the pupils, and also to encourage them to aspire to higher education – a role model for example.

Be polite and offer to call into the school at their convenience to introduce yourself. If you have not heard from the school within a fortnight, follow this up with a phone call to check they have received your letter.

• Get as involved as you can, eg helping the teacher and facilitating small groups. Suggest ways in which you can help eg your areas of expertise or knowledge such as subject/s or IT skills.
• Record your experience of the placement. Keep a diary logging the time you spent in school and which activities you helped with, age of children, ability levels, how you made a difference. Collect examples of lesson plans, displays, projects, children’s work and take photos of displays or work you have contributed to. Compile a portfolio of evidence to take along to a Teacher Training interview which includes a reflection on what you have learnt from the experience, demonstrating that you have thought about the processes taking place in the classroom. You should have opinions about the teaching and learning in which you have participated.

Sometimes you will need to have a DBS check done before you can undertake work experience. Explore this at an early stage with the school when setting up experience to avoid delays.

Read more about getting school experience including a government database of schools offering experience.

Re-read your application and be prepared to be questioned on what you have written.

You need to develop your own ideas on:
• Why do you want to teach
• What personal qualities make you suitable
• Why students should study your subject
• Your own school experiences – good and bad
• Your degree course and its relevance
• Your experience in schools with children
• Your interests relevant to teaching
• Your potential contribution to a school, outside teaching
• Your opinions on current educational issues

Think about questions you want to ask: placements, assessment, opportunities for special projects, teaching other subjects, employment prospects and more.

You can practice psychometric tests, including literacy and numeracy tests using Graduates First.

Use Shortlist.ME to help you practice your interview technique –be sure to make use of the on-demand practice interviews for teacher training.

You can also book a mock interview appointment to build your confidence and practice in advance of the real thing.

Keep up to date with what is happening in education and schools. Information is available at:

• tes.com – Information resource about teaching and education issues
• BBC News/Education – Education section of BBC News
• GOV.UK/Schools-Colleges including information about National Curriculum reforms.
• Gov.uk/Department for education provides details of the Department for Education’s press releases, policies, publications and consultations.
• Websites to help you prepare:
• Department for Education – Applying for teacher training – help with your interview

• How does your degree subject relate to the National Curriculum?
• What experience of good practice did you observe observe when volunteering in a school?
• How would you motivate uninterested pupils?
• How would you cope with a disruptive child?
• How would you deal with an aggressive parent?
• What strengths could you bring to teaching?
• How do you think children should be taught?
• Read this story – then suggest ways it could be used to teach the National Curriculum.
• How important is IT in schools today?
• What are the most important issues facing schools now?
• Who is your favourite children’s author and why? (PGCE English)
• What Shakespeare play would you choose to teach to a mixed ability class of 14-year-olds and why? (PGCE English)
• What is the role of the Teaching Assistant in the classroom?
• How would you make History interesting? (PGCE History)