How do I become
developing your teaching skills. These are
Experience life in
usually one-year courses taken at university
a teacher? or college. If it suits your circumstances
the classroom
better, they can be taken as two-year part-
There are several different ways to train to time courses and in some cases via flexible
If you’re considering training as a teacher, it
teach, suiting a broad range of backgrounds distance learning. PGCEs can also be
is strongly recommended that you find out
and circumstances. You can train at a studied in a school through a school-centred
more about the realities of teaching, and a
university or college, in a school, or on the job. initial teacher training course (see below).
great way to experience life in the classroom
is to observe teachers at work. The TDA can
First, however, you will generally need to have School-centred initial teacher
help you arrange a day in a school through
a UK undergraduate degree or a recognised training (SCITT)
its open schools programme. It can also put
equivalent, which should relate to the subject School-centred initial teacher training
you in touch with a current teacher, so you
you want to teach, and the equivalent of at (SCITT) courses are postgraduate initial
can learn more about teaching first-hand.
least a C in GCSE maths and English. If you teacher training programmes designed and
want to teach in a primary school or up to delivered by groups of neighbouring
People who want to gain a more in-depth
GCSE level in a secondary school, you will schools and colleges. As such, they are
insight into the job can also take part in three
also need the equivalent of at least a C in a also often tailored towards the teaching
day taster courses which include a day in the
science subject. needs of the local community.
classroom. The Teaching Information Line,
0845 6000 991, can help provide further
If you want to teach secondary maths, physics Taught by experienced, practising teachers,
information on each of these options.
or chemistry and do not have a degree in SCITT courses allow graduates to complete
those subjects – but do have either an A-level almost all of their training in a school
Teaching can be a competitive career to
in the subject, an element of the subject in environment. This makes the SCITT route a
enter. To give you the best chance of gaining
your degree, or occupational experience – good option if you would prefer to spend
a training place, it is valuable to have
then intensive pre-teacher training courses are more of your training time in the classroom,
evidence of your interest in working with
available. Run at a number of universities and putting theory into practice and developing
children, such as helping out at a local
colleges, they allow graduates to extend and confidence through contact with pupils and
school or volunteering with youth groups.
enhance their subject knowledge before other members of staff.
beginning teacher training.
If you’ve yet to graduate, you may wish to
Graduate teacher programme (GTP)
take advantage of the Student Associates
There are similar courses available in The graduate teacher programme (GTP) is
Scheme. Aimed at students interested in
French and German for graduates with a a programme of on-the-job training,
gaining classroom experience while
degree in only one foreign language. You allowing graduates to qualify as a teacher
pursuing their studies, it gives you a
will learn a second foreign language giving while they work.
chance to work alongside experienced
you fluency in two languages, which is
teachers in the classroom – and there is a
needed to teach the subject. To take part in the GTP you can either
tax-free bursary of around £40 for every
respond to an advertisement for the GTP
day spent in school or college during the
More information on entry requirements can programme, apply direct to a GTP provider
scheme. More details of the Student
be found on the TDA website: (further details of which can be found on
Associates Scheme and the difference
www.teach.gov.uk/entryrequirements the TDA website), or find a job in a school
ways to experience teaching can be found
as an unqualified teacher, provided they will
at: www.teach.gov.uk/experience
support you throughout the programme.
The different Once on the programme your training will
be tailored to your own individual need,
training routes leading to qualified teacher status.
There are more ways than ever to become Training takes from three months to one
a teacher, designed to suit a range of school year, depending on your previous
circumstances: teaching experience and can be completed
in any English or Welsh maintained school,
Postgraduate Certificate of as long as they are prepared to employ you
Education (PGCE) as an unqualified teacher for the duration of
The most popular way for graduates to the programme.
become a teacher is to complete a
postgraduate certificate of education More information on the different routes can
(PGCE), which focuses primarily on be found at: www.teach.gov.uk/waysin
26 GRAD MAG
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