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Routes into Training Webinar

We would recommend speaking to the University of Portsmouth directly for a more in-depth answer.

For primary, it sounds like you have all the right qualifications to apply for teacher training as you will need GCSE qualifications as a minimum.

If you wanted to teach secondary education, the training provider would need to know more about your undergraduate qualification and your specialism.

This type of route into teaching is still being rolled out and not covered in this webinar. However, to start a teaching degree apprenticeship, you would need to be employed in a school.

The University of Chichester has previously offered this type of apprenticeship. We would recommend talking to your school in the first instance about your options, especially if you are part of a multi-academy trust, as they may have their own academy specific apprenticeship route.

While we don't have the full picture of your academic history, it would be advisable to gain some experience in a school or college.

Training providers would want you to demonstrate your experience in your teacher training application and at interview. While this won’t necessarily stop you from applying for training, it would be prudent to do this as soon as possible.

As you have a degree in Early Childhood Studies, you are perfectly set up to enrol on a PGCE. However, you would need to decide whether you wanted to apply for an early years or primary route.

Salaried options for teacher training may suit people who have some prior experience in education and are going to be employed by a school as an unqualified teacher. It is worth considering the financial implications of a salaried route.

The school will pay your QTS (Qualified Teaching Status) training fees. However, you are not eligible for bursaries or funding.

On an unsalaried teacher training, also known as School Direct or SCITT, you are eligible to apply for a student loan to cover your course fees. There are also tax- free bursaries available for some secondary subjects.

If you have gained your qualification/s from overseas, we would recommend checking equivalency first using UKENIC. As a non-UK trainee teacher, you will not be eligible for financial support from the UK government. Some support maybe eligible if you train to teach languages or physics.

Please visit the Get into Teaching website and the fees and financial support for non-UK trainee teachers section.

All training providers will work directly with you when it comes to your placement. The University of Chichester works with a variety of schools in the area including Portsmouth and will work with you to locate the school as near to you as possible. It is important to be flexible when doing this.

If you want to become a teaching assistant or gain classroom experience, visit Teach Portsmouth's supporting section of the website. While there are training courses to support you into this role, most schools will welcome applications from people who have the right attitude to support pupils in the classroom, rather than experience.

To apply for teacher training, you will need to demonstrate a C/4 in maths and English (or accepted equivalents), and in science if you want to teach primary. You must have these before applying or be working towards them.

You should be able to top up your undergraduate degree by completing a PGCE with QTS and be eligible for one more year of student finance under the current rules.