Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship

The course has also been designed to develop school teachers who will be:

• Empathetic and committed to pupils' learning;
• Critically reflective and reflexive;
• Enthusiastic and innovative;
• Open-minded and research-aware;
• Capable of engaging in collaborative inquiry and practitioner research;
• Flexible and creative decision-makers.

The course will also help the apprentice to develop as a teacher who understands the link between subject knowledge and the curriculum knowledge needed to teach specialist subjects. Equally apprentices will develop as teachers who understand the needs of the individual pupil and the school community in which they will work.

The Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship requires that the main training school releases the Apprentice for 20% of their time for university-based training and activities. A second school experience of 30 days enables the apprentice to demonstrate meeting the Professional Standards for Teachers, in a contrasting and complementary school setting, as required by the Department for Education.

Candidates working in SEN schools have to undertake an additional 30 day placement, in order to demonstrate meeting all of the professional standards.

A skills coach is provided by the University to support and undertake observation and feedback visits every half term.

The Apprentice collects a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours contained in the Teachers' Standards to be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) at the end of the initial teacher training year. To successfully complete the Apprenticeship, the Apprentice must negotiate the 'gateway' to be entered for the formal end-point assessment. This requires an additional fourth term of teaching in school and the assessment, including a lesson observation and a professional discussion based on the portfolio of evidence.

The Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship is specifically designed to ensure that those who are successful can be recommended to the relevant professional body for the award of Qualified Teaching Status ( QTS) - the professional award required by all those who wish to teach in a maintained school. Successful completion of the End Point Assessment leads to the award of the Apprenticeship Standard.

Please note that this course provides QTS only and does not lead to a PGCE.  

For employers with a payroll below £3 million: The Government will pay 95% of the cost of the apprenticeship training and assessment for apprentices of any age, for employers who will not be paying the apprenticeship levy. You may also be eligible for extra employer incentives.

For employers with a payroll above £3 million: Since May 2017 employers are able to use their Apprenticeship Levy contributions towards the cost of the apprenticeship using their digital account. We will agree a payment schedule and discuss funding availability before you start your apprenticeships and ensure the cost to your business is clear upfront.

Initial Teacher Training Entry requirements for this route are as stated in the ITT criteria (September 2020) that all entrants have:

• Equivalent of grade 4 in GCSE English and mathematics (and a science subject for those training to teach the primary school age) - the University provides equivalence tests for candidates who are suitable for the route but do not have the required GCSE qualifications.  These candidates will also be required to undertake level 2 qualifications in English and Maths during the programme
• A degree awarded by a UK higher education provider, or a recognised equivalent qualification
• Been successful in a rigorous selection process to assess a candidate's suitability to train to teach.