UK Postgraduate Teacher Training

Postgraduate teacher training in the UK includes the PGCE, PGDE, School Direct/ITT programmes, the Teach First Leadership Development Programme and apprenticeships. The length of postgraduate teacher training varies based on the route, but 1-2 years is typical. Most postgraduate teacher training routes are unpaid, but funding is available and paid routes do exist (like Teach First).

If you want to become a teacher after your undergraduate degree, you’ll likely be directed to the PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of Education), but PGCEs aren't the only route into teaching. PGDEs (Professional Graduate Diplomas in Education) are the route of choice for Scotland, and a variety of non-university routes exist, too. You can even get paid while training as a teacher through routes like Teach First, but that means no bursaries. Only one money source per customer, gov.

My point is, you have more options than just the PGCE or PGDE. I’ll go through your available options, and I’ll make a note of any regional differences. By and large, Scotland is the odd one out, but not all the time. You may also find yourself with an urge to drink Irn-Bru if you’re teaching there, but I don’t think it’s a requirement for completing your PGDE (though you may optionally do so if you like drinking girders).

Initial Teacher Training (ITT) / School Direct

ITT programmes differ from PGCEs and PGDEs in both practical and philosophical ways. Nevertheless, you still get QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) at the end, so it shouldn’t matter from an employability aspect—pick whichever is right for you.

Differences between this and the PGCE include:

• You’ll mostly learn at the school rather than with the teacher training provider.
• They don’t always lead to a PGCE (but some do).
• You’ll mostly work at one school and your placement will start earlier.
• You’ll have more choice on which school to apply for (a big help to prevent massive commutes).

On the philosophical end, it’s more of a ‘hit the ground running’ approach. If you’re confident and you want to get teaching ASAP, you’ll do well with this kind of programme. On the other hand, if you’re completely new to teaching and want more support before being thrown in at the deep end, you might be better off with a PGCE or PGDE.

Until recently, most ITT programmes had tuition fees, and you’d be eligible for the same bursaries and funding applicable to PGCE students. However, the Government announced these would be phased out from September 2024, so the remaining ITT programmes are salaried.

Some notes about the salaried programmes:

• To apply, you usually need at least three years’ transferable work history.
• Positions are typically hard to come by and competitive.
• You aren’t eligible for student finance or bursaries (though you usually don’t pay training fees).

Paid ITT programmes can be found on the Find Teacher Training Courses website. Also, these programmes are available in Wales and England, but not Scotland and Northern Ireland. A PGCE or PGDE is still the route of choice over there.

What are some of my options for studying Teacher Training?

Teach First Leadership Development Programme

This is another big player in the teacher training game, and one with a reputation (we’ll get to it). Here are some key facts:

• The programme is fully salaried, so you won’t be eligible for bursaries and student finance.
• You’ll need a 2:1 in your undergraduate degree to apply.
• It lasts for two years.
• Its focus is on providing ‘challenging schools’ with high quality candidates.
• You get five weeks of intensive training followed by starting at a school as an unqualified teacher.
• It leads to a PGDE rather than a PGCE.
• There’s a focus on leadership development (hence the name) alongside teacher training.

As for the reputation, it’s a mix of factors:

• The retention rate (% of people who stayed on as teachers after conclusion) is around 18-19% lower than other programmes (69%).
• ‘Challenging schools’ usually means deprived and poorly funded schools. It won’t be a gentle start to your teaching career.
• You can give your preferences for placement school and teaching subject, but their top priority is filling problematic positions. You may be asked to teach something or somewhere that’s not right for you.

So, given the above, who might benefit from this kind of programme? I’d say someone who wants to join school leadership (generally people on the programme progress to those positions faster) and someone who’s flexible on other matters. You’re here to teach and help out schools in need, and you’re willing to deal with the additional challenges thrown your way. If that sounds like you, you can apply for the programme on the Teach First website.

SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training)

Unlike the options above, a SCITT programme has you in a school from day one, though you won’t be expected to teach straight away. You’ll be supported by a network of mentors, teachers and peers to help you along, and most also award a PGCE. It’s an excellent option if you prefer on-the-job learning and still want access to teacher training bursaries and scholarships (since you still need to pay fees).

For more information, please check out our SCITT guide, or look for SCITT courses on our website. Unfortunately, SCITT is only available in England.

EYITT (Early Years Initial Teacher Training)

England and Wales

All of the above options (except the PGDE in Scotland) can get you QTS status, which you’ll need to teach classes for children between 5 and 18 years old. However, if you’re more interested in teaching children younger than 5, you’ll need something called EYTS (Early Years Teaching Status). You get this through EYITT (Early Years Initial Teacher Training), because we didn’t have enough acronyms already.

Postgraduate study options for EYITT are available, including employment-based training (though that’s typically for people already working in an early years setting who want EYTS). You’ll also be eligible for specific EYITT bursaries to the tune of £2000-£5000 depending on your undergraduate degree grade.

You can find out more about EYITT on the Get Into Teaching website.

Scotland

In Scotland (as with QTS), EYTS isn’t a thing. If you didn’t study childcare at an undergraduate level, apprenticeships are a common route. Some roles don’t require any kind of qualification at all, though you’re expected to upskill as you go along.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, likewise, there’s no separate EYTS. If you didn’t complete a childcare undergraduate degree, your best bet is probably a HND (Higher National Diploma) in Early Childhood Studies or an NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Education and Childcare. PGCEs in Early Childhood Studies do exist, but you typically need another childcare qualification first before you can apply.

Other routes into teaching

Teaching apprenticeships

Degree apprenticeships for teaching are available if you’d prefer on-the-job training to regular study (and want to get paid), but they’re aimed at those without undergraduate degrees. If you have one already, the apprenticeship will need to be significantly different to your undergraduate degree. Also, teaching assistant apprenticeships appear to be a lot more common in terms of vacancies, so you may have trouble finding one to apply for.

Assessment only route to QTS

This is a way of getting QTS without going through one of the routes above, but you need to have:

• The ability to meet the UK ‘teachers’ standards’ without more training
• Worked in 2 or more schools
• A degree
• GSCEs at grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths

This route is mainly for people who’ve taught in the independent sector or overseas, and typically isn’t appropriate if you’ve been a teaching assistant (unless you can demonstrate you’ve done a lot of independent teaching). Still, if this route seems right for you, you can read more on the Get Into Teaching website.