Entry Requirements
Entry requirements are specified separately for each course. These are included in the relevant course information document which you can access via the buttons in our vacancy table. It is vital that you check the specific entry requirements for the courses you wish to apply for. We set out a general overview below.
Degree
For all our courses you need to have an honours degree, but it is OK to apply in your final degree year – any offer would simply be conditional upon you getting a degree at a specific level before the course commences.
Some courses will require a degree in exactly the same subject as the course but on others there is some flexibility. If your degree is not in the exact subject of the course then having a good grade at A-Level will be important.
Third class degrees are not commonly accepted but in some cases this problem may be overcome by a higher degree for example a Masters qualification in a relevant subject area.
Note: if you did your degree some time ago, or the subject of your degree is not the same as the subject of the course, your subject knowledge may need enhancement. Subject knowledge is assessed at interview and if appropriate an offer may be made subject to you completing a specified free Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course, to be completed before the teacher training programme starts. These vary in length (commonly 8 weeks, sometimes 16 weeks or even more), and some are online and others face to face. SKEs are not available in all subjects but anyone thinking that they might need one is advised to apply early in the (academic) recruitment year.
A-Levels
Commonly there are no requirements for specific A-levels but these are of greater significance where your degree is not an exact match for the course subject. For example if you have an engineering degree and you wish to apply for maths, you would need at least a B at Maths A-level. It is always helpful to list your A-Level qualifications in your application, whether or not they are specified as a strict entry requirement.
GCSEs
For all secondary programmes you must have GCSE Maths and GCSE English Language at C/4 or above – or the equivalent of that. The one exception to this is our course with UCL where you need a C/5.
If you don't meet the GCSE requirement, you will need to take an equivalency test for the GCSE that you are missing - see further guidance in our tabs 'Overseas Qualifications' of that is relevant, and 'Equivalency Tests'.
Those who studied abroad
See further guidance in our tabs 'Overseas Qualifications' and 'GCSE Equivalency Tests'
School Experience?
It is important to have a realistic awareness of the demands of the profession you are seeking to join, otherwise you might start the training and pull out if you realise that the role of a teacher is not at all what you expected.
See advice in our 'School Experience' tab but be assured that we would not reject a candidate on their lack of observational school experience if their application was otherwise good.
For anyone applying for a programme at a special needs school, experience of children with special needs would be a significant advantage.
Something specific for salaried programmes?
Salaried programmes represent a significant commitment from the host school to fund your training and to pay you a salary and associated benefits such as pension contributions. For this reason, schools will take care to select candidates who they feel have a level of maturity (irrespective of age) to operate as a responsible member of school staff. They will also look for good subject knowledge and ideally some tutoring or school experience.
Occupational Health Care Check & Disclosure and Barring Check
These checks are carried out after an offer is made but need to be satisfactory to enable you to start the programme.
- On an unsalaried programmes they are administered by our partner university.
- On a salaried programme they are administered by the school.
