So, you’ve decided you want to join the #teaching profession – great! Now to overcome the next challenge – scraping away through all the confusing acronyms only to discover many different routes ahead of you.
Whilst future posts will take a deeper dive into each route, this introductory blog post will give you an overview to help get you started.
The key acronyms explained
Whilst the teaching profession has many…many…acronyms, the main ones to demystify here are:
#PGCE/#PGDE: Post Graduate Certificate/Diploma of Education. Although commonly used as the main ‘name’ of your whole teacher training course – technically, it is just the academic proportion of your teaching qualification and will usually involve undertaking academic modules – sometimes at master’s level. A PGDE is usually only offered with Teach First and just means you undertake more academic modules – with some students choosing to ‘top up’ to a master degree.
#QTS: Qualified Teacher Status. This is the practical outcome of your teacher training, and you are assessed against the national teaching standards to receive this. Some routes will be labelled ‘QTS only’ – which basically means you will be qualified to teach in the UK, but not hold the academic credentials of a PGCE or PGDE. Some international schools will not recognise just QTS only, it is important to note should this be a path you want to pursue. With QTS you are qualified to teach any subject to students of 3-18 years old – your training year(s) allows you to specialise.
#ITT or #ITE: Initial Teacher Training or Initial Teacher Education – essentially your training year
#SCITT: School-Centred Initial Teacher Training – teacher training led by a group of schools rather than a university (more on this later). They may have been granted the ability to award QTS, but often work in affiliation with a university to grant a PGCE.
#ECT: Early Career Teacher - this has replaced the only NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) and is essentially your two-year induction period after your training year.
Deciding on an age-group
This might be a quick and easy decision for you – and you may decide to change later (although not always simple).
#EYFS: Early Years Foundation Stage, which is 0-5 years old. If you just want to train to work with this age group – such as in a nursery setting – then consider undertaking a #EYITT (early years initial teacher training) qualification. This won’t give you QTS but it will give you Early Years Teacher Status’ (#EYTS). You still can take a PGCE with QTS for Early Years, but your provider options may be more limited and you may be expected to teach primary as well. Plus there are specific bursaries available for EYITT courses.
#Primary: This will train you to teach Key Stage 1 – ages 5-7 (Years 1-2) and/or Key Stage 2 – ages 7-11 (Years 3-6). You will be expected to teach all subjects across the curriculum to your one class. If you teach year 2 or year 6 you will also need to coach them through their National Curriculum Assessments, commonly called SATs.
#Secondary: This will train you to teach Key Stage 3 – ages 11-14 (Years 7-9), Key Stage 4 ages 14-16 (Years 10 &11) and Key Stage 5 – ages 16-18 (years 12 & 13 or ‘sixth form’). You will usually specialise in one or two subjects and teach many different classes. You will need to coach students through their GCSEs and A-Level (or equivalent) assessments.
#PostCompulsory: This will train you to teach ages 16+ in the lifelong learning sector – such as in further education colleges. You might choose to specialise in adult literacy or numeracy, ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) or other subjects (ranging from A-Levels, to vocational or technical qualifications). You can gain a QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status) rather than QTS from a PGCE in this area.
University versus school/employment-led training (if you already have a degree)
One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter is that if you train with a university, you don’t get much time in schools. In all routes you need to do a minimum of 120 days in schools across your training year. If you study for the academic qualification of the PGCE or PGDE – common is most routes – you will also have academic module assignments on top of any day to day marking and planning.
A university-led course may be more of a gentler introduction where you slowly build up your teaching time – interspersed with some campus-based training and theory work. You will often have 2 or 3 contrasting placements – which you don’t often get much say in where you go (usually up to an hour commute) – but may give you the opportunity to try special needs school or another key stage, such as secondary if you are training in primary.
A SCITT-led course will organise their training within their consortium of schools. You might be expected to take on more teaching earlier than a university-led course, but this will be down to the SCITT. Placements will be conducted within their own schools, so you know a little more about where you might train.
School-Direct – this is very similar to a SCITT, but often you apply to train in one school that you have chosen (supported by a university or SCITT). You should have the opportunity to take on a shorter placement elsewhere. If you see ‘school-direct (salaried)’, this means you will also be paid a wage – this is usually only offered to those with more experience.
Teach First - A charity that provides a two-year teacher training programme – placing graduates into ‘schools facing the greatest challenges. You will get paid a salary and ‘hit the ground running’ after an intensive 5-week summer training programme. You will be employed by the school as a classroom teacher when term begins in September (with support!). You don’t have much say as to where you will be placed across the UK – and it is a 2-year commitment – but you will also be offered work placements with other businesses and organisations.
Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeships – Fairly new, so not many about, but another paid route to QTS with no tuition fees. You might need to pay extra to undertake the PGCE qualification, or the provider might fund it. This is a useful route if you are already working as an unqualified teacher or teaching assistant.
Assessment-only – if you have been working as an unqualified teacher for a few years (in more than one school), or if you trained as a teacher abroad then you could be awarded QTS through a 12-week ‘assessment only’ programme if you also have a degree.
Finances
Whilst some routes offer a salary,
most routes will offer you the opportunity
to apply for a student loan and/or grant or bursary. So don’t feel you are completely limited if you need to have money coming in.
The ‘salaried’ options tend to offer you the first point on the ‘unqualified teacher pay scale’. This changes year on year, but currently (2021-22) you would be on £18,419. For the outer London pay scale you’re looking at £21,832 and inner London £23,099 – with inner London usually being classed as up to four miles from Charing Cross.
Comparatively, you can currently apply for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,250 to cover your teacher training and a maintenance loan of up to £12,382 to help with living costs.
Certain subjects (this changes year on year) also may offer you a tax-free bursary or scholarship to train which can range from £10,000 to £26,000 – or even up to £40,000 if you’re an ex-military personnel. You might also be eligible for a grant if you're a parent or carer – which can vary massively depending on your circumstances from £50 to £3,190 per year!
How to choose a provider
Think about what is important to you. Perhaps you are a parent or carer and need to know your commute time – or relocation is just not feasible. Perhaps you have got previous teaching
experience and want to get ‘hands on’ as soon as possible. Maybe you are still not sure whether teaching is actually for you. CareersEdU can help you decide in a 1:1 coaching session. But in the meantime:
· Have a look at some Ofsted reports if applying to a school-led route.
· Have a look at Unistats.com for university-led routes
· Where possible, go to open days or ask to visit a school.
How and when to apply
The application round for teacher training courses usually starts in October for applications via The DfE's 'Apply for teacher training' service – this is for all routes (in England) other than Teach First (which may open earlier) and assessment-only. Wales and Scotland applications are done through UCAS and For Northern Island it is either UCAS or direct to ITT providers.
Apply early, as course providers will fill their places with suitable candidates on a first-come, first-served basis. But do not rush your personal statements – why not ask CareersEdu to give you some feedback!!
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