There are more than 435,000 teachers in the UK in well over 20,000 maintained schools, and each year around 34,000 people in England are recruited to train as teachers. This article focuses on teaching in England, but the systems in Wales in particular, as well as Scotland and Northern Ireland, are similar.

Teaching is a graduate profession. Along with a degree, all teachers are required to have qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in primary and secondary maintained schools and non-maintained special schools. QTS is not always required by people working as teachers in other sectors, such as in independent schools and early years settings, although many of them hold formal qualifications.

The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) encourages people to enter teacher training in England, with other bodies responsible for the rest of the UK. More than a half of trainee teachers are over 25, and Service personnel often already have the relevant personal qualities, professional skills and knowledge to enter teacher training.

Many providers, including local education authorities, offer 6- to 12-week return to teach courses for qualified teachers returning to the classroom. Participants may qualify for financial assistance, including help with childcare costs.

Teaching skills gained in the Services

Each of the Armed Services has officers and other personnel who are qualified teachers, and employed in education and training posts. Other people do tours of duty as instructors, and some gain qualifications including the Post-16 Certificate of Education or City & Guilds 7307 (Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector). Very few Service people who stay for any length of time do not have the experience of teaching, training, instructing, coaching or mentoring others in a wide variety of subjects, even if they have not served in a training unit.

Some people will already have obtained a degree before they join the Armed Services, or will get one through open learning, or work towards getting one through further study via distance learning, while they are serving. They can also obtain the professional knowledge and experience that can enable them to be employed as specialist further education (FE) teachers because many courses in this area are vocational.

Routes into teaching

The first step is for individuals to decide whether they wish to teach across a wide range of subjects in a primary school, or specialise in one or two subjects at secondary level. The TDA’s website (see ‘Key contacts’) contains useful information, and the Teaching Information Line has experts to answer questions.

Initial teacher training (ITT) entry requirements include the demonstration of a standard equivalent to a GCSE grade C or above in English and maths, and in a science subject for those wishing to teach in a primary school. Access courses are available for those without the minimum academic standard. Prospective teachers can train in any curriculum subject offered in a school; this includes the Vocational Diploma lines. 

Primary school teachers are expected to demonstrate that they can teach the core subjects of the National Curriculum (English, mathematics and science) competently and independently, and that they can teach across the non-core subjects with some support if this is required.

To gain QTS, teachers must train to teach across two or more consecutive age ranges selected by ITT providers from the following:

• ages 3–5 (Foundation stage)

• ages 5–7 (school years 1–2)

• ages 7–9 (school years 3–4)

• ages 9–11 (school years 5–6)

• ages 11–14 (school years 7–9)

• ages 14–16 (school years 10–11)

• ages 16–19 (school years 12–13).

ITT providers may expect some background in working with youngsters, and the TDA can advise on opportunities to acquire this. More than 130 providers offer mainstream ITT, ranging from universities to groups of schools providing school-centred ITT (SCITT). There are also more than 100 employment-based routes.

Qualified teacher status (QTS) is the target for anyone starting ITT. It means that they have met the standards for:

• professional attributes

• professional knowledge and understanding

• professional skills.

The undergraduate route into teaching combines degree studies with QTS. Degrees (usually BEd, BA or BSc) will usually require two A-levels or equivalent and last three or four years, including 24 or 32 weeks’ training in schools, respectively. Some providers offer part-time courses, and applications are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

The postgraduate route usually leads to the award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) as well as QTS. The starting point is a degree that provides the necessary subject knowledge. Applicants without sufficient knowledge may be able to take an enhancement course. This can last from two weeks to a whole year, depending on the needs of the trainee. The PGCE typically takes a full academic year, with 18 weeks for primary and 24 weeks for secondary courses spent training in the classroom. There are longer courses for those who need to build up their subject knowledge.

Entry to most postgraduate courses is through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR), although some training providers accept applications direct.

Employment-based routes enable people to earn a salary while training by being employed as unqualified teachers in certain schools. The Graduate Teacher Programme is for those with a degree who wish to train on the job. It takes up to a year (full-time), depending on previous experience. Those on the Registered Teacher Programme need two years’ higher education experience before starting a two-year programme that includes completion of a degree as well as working in a school.

The Overseas Trained Teacher Programme enables teachers from outside the European Economic Area to achieve QTS within four years of them commencing work as an overseas trained teacher in England. Those with at least two years’ full-time teaching experience can also be assessed against the induction standards at the same time as the QTS assessment.

All newly qualified teachers (NQTs) need to complete a three-term induction programme with an individual support programme, a reduced timetable, and the support of an induction tutor who regularly monitors and assesses their progress. If they are teaching part-time, the period will inevitably be longer. The induction programme may be completed up to five years after qualifying.

Teacher salaries and funding

Since 1 September 2009 a newly qualified teacher will start on a salary of at least £21,102 (£26,000 in inner London). The pay scale for good, experienced classroom teachers rises to £33,412 outside London and £40,288 in inner London. Additional allowances may be paid to teachers considered to be excellent, and to those who take on management and other responsibilities. The pay scale for head teachers can rise to more than £90,000, depending on size of school. Further details are available at www.tda.gov.uk/payandbenefits.

Eligible trainees on certain secondary postgraduate initial teacher training courses in England may be entitled to a tax-free training bursary worth up to £9,000. Details are available on the TDA website at www.teach.gov.uk/funding.

Training and Development Agency for Schools. For information about how to become a teacher visit www.teach.gov.uk. Twitter @TDANews

Personal advice is available via the Teaching Information Line: 0800 389 2500 or Minicom users: 0117 915 8161

Graduate Teacher Training Registry, Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3LZ Tel: 0871 468 0469 Website: www.gttr.ac.uk

Universities & Colleges Admissions Service, Customer Service Unit, PO Box 28, Cheltenham GL52 3LZ Tel: 0871 468 0468 Website: www.ucas.com Twitter: @ucas_online

Scottish Government Learning Directorate, Schools Division, Area 2C (South), Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ Tel: 0845 345 4745 Website: www.teachinginscotland.com

General Teaching Council for Scotland, Clerwood House, 96 Clermiston Road, Edinburgh EH12 6UT Tel: 0131 314 6000 Website: www.gtcs.org.uk

Department for Education (Northern Ireland), Rathgael House, Balloo Road, Rathgill, Bangor BT19 7PR Tel: 028 9127 9279 Website: www.deni.gov.uk