How to become a teacher

Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers available. You’ll get the chance to educate future generations, inspire knowledge and shape lives. Or, you may have the satisfaction of upskilling older learners, allowing them to improve their lives and achieve their ambitions.

If you’re looking to help people find their potential and flourish, there is a wide array of potential paths and career development opportunities. So, it’s no surprise that many people feel inspired by the prospect of teaching.

So, how do you become a teacher?

In the UK, you need to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in order to teach in schools. This can be obtained by studying a relevant undergraduate course that offers QTS, training to teach 0-5 year olds (EYTS) and in Further Education (FE). If you already have an undergraduate qualification, you can do a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) or PGDE (Postgraduate Diploma in Education). 

In this guide, we’ll talk you through everything you need to know about becoming a teacher. From the qualifications you’ll need, funding advice, skill requirements, and everything in between. 

Types of schools

There are many types of schools in the UK. Each type differs in terms of how it is run, who staff are employed by, entry requirements, and staff contracts. The different kinds of schools in the UK include:

Maintained - A school that follows the national curriculum. Maintained schools may focus on a specific subject as long as this is within the scope of the national curriculum. Qualified teachers in UK state-maintained schools need to undertake Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or Initial Teacher Education (ITE), and completing such qualifications leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England and Wales, and the Teaching Qualification (TQ) in Scotland.

Academy - A school that does not have to follow the national curriculum, and often focuses on a specialist subject area. For example, an academy may specialise in science or art. Academies follow the same key stage 3 and GCSE examinations as other schools.

Grammar – A school that selects students based on eligibility criteria. Grammar schools are funded by local authorities, and to get a place, students must complete an ‘11-plus’ examination. 

Independent – A school that is exempt from the national curriculum. Instead, independent schools focus on children’s creative, personal and moral development. You will likely need a specialist teacher training qualification to teach at an independent school. 

If you are working in any educational setting, you will likely need to pass a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, which allows employers to check your criminal record, to help decide whether you are a suitable person to work with children or vulnerable adults. There are several levels of DBS check, which may give details of any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings held by the police about you.

Studying teaching at university

There are several university routes into teaching. The type of course you choose will depend on your current qualifications and experience, and the type of teaching career you want to pursue. 

Generally speaking, universities offer teacher training degrees at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Undergraduate teacher training courses

If you want to train to be a primary school teacher and you don’t have a degree, then you can study for our undergraduate degree BA (Hons) Primary Education. At the end of the three-year course, you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You do not need to do a PGCE and can start work as an Early Career Teacher (formally known as a Newly Qualified Teacher or NQT). For example, teacher training subject area can include:

• BA (Hons) Primary Education

PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) courses

For those who have completed an undergraduate degree, a PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) is the most popular path to teaching. This postgraduate course takes one year to complete.

By studying a PGCE, you’ll gain practical teaching experience in schools, and develop your theoretical knowledge of educational approaches. Experience in a school will be a key part of your course, and there will be a set number of hours you will be required to complete. For most undergraduate degrees and PGCE courses, this includes a minimum of 120 days on placement in schools over the course of your degree.

You can choose to study a primary or secondary education -based PGCE. Take a look at our PGCE courses for more information:

• PGCE Primary Education
• PGCE Secondary Education: Mathematics
• PGCE Secondary Education: English
• PGCE Secondary Education: Social Sciences
• PGCE Secondary Education: Biology
• PGCE Secondary Education: Physics
• PGCE Secondary Education Lead Delivery Partner (Strategic Alliance): Art and Design
• PGCE Secondary Education: Chemistry
• PGCE Secondary Education: Computing
• PGCE Secondary Education: Dance
• PGCE Secondary Education: Design Technology
• PGCE Secondary Education: Geography
• PGCE Secondary Education: History
• PGCE Secondary Education: Physical Education
• PGCE Secondary Education: Physical Education with EBacc
• PGCE Secondary Education Lead: Psychology 
• PGCE Secondary Education: Social Sciences
• PGCE Secondary Education: Engineers Teach Physics
• PGCE Further Education Education

Fees and funding

You’ll have a variety of funding options available to you as a trainee teacher. These most popular options include student loans and teacher training bursaries

Student loans - Government-funded loans are the most common type of funding for teacher training. This includes a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535, which helps cover the university course fees. It also includes a maintenance loan of up to £13,762, which helps cover your living costs while studying. 

Teacher training bursaries - Depending on the course you study, you may be eligible for a teacher training bursary or scholarship. Bursaries range from £5,000 to £31,000, however these are limited to a selection of subjects, which are listed in the table below.

Source: Postgraduate bursaries and scholarships - Get into Teaching

You will need to have either a Bachelor’s (honours, class 2:2 or higher), Master’s, or PhD qualification in order to be eligible for a bursary or scholarship. 

Useful skills in teaching

Teaching is a multifaceted profession. You’ll manage a lot of different areas day-to-day, from supporting young people’s learning and organising lessons, to developing your subject knowledge. 

Here are some of the most valuable skills you’ll need as a teacher:

Subject expertise - Students will learn best when you are confident in your knowledge and demonstrate your expertise. This is particularly important at secondary level, where you’ll teach in a specialist subject. 

Strong organisation - Teachers juggle a lot of responsibilities. Being well organised will help you manage your time, workload, and lessons. 

Empathy - You’ll teach a variety of students who all learn differently. Being empathetic will help you approach students in the right way and support them in the best way possible. This will also help students feel comfortable coming to you for advice or guidance. 

Confidence - Without confidence, a class can quickly get out of control. Showing confidence will help ease students and command their attention, helping everyone in the room benefit from more engaging lessons. 

Communication - Not only do teachers have to know their subject inside out, they have to communicate it effectively. Teachers need to be able to deliver classes in a clear, engaging and understandable way.

Patience - No matter what age group you teach, you’ll need a lot of patience. It’s important to give students the time they need to understand things and deliver information at a suitable pace.

Start your teaching career today

The School of Education at the University of Wolverhampton offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses for future and current professionals, including teaching qualifications, continuing professional development, and research degrees.

Our staff hold key expertise in and contribute to the development of policy, debate, and continuing professional development in a variety of areas.