Postgraduate Teaching apprenticeship (leading to PGCE+QTS)

Postgraduate Teaching apprenticeship programmes are a nationally recognised, work-based route into teaching. It is an alternative to a traditional full-time university course, offering a postgraduate-level qualification, no tuition fees, and the opportunity to earn while you learn. The National College will find you a job if you don’t have one, which could be anywhere in England.

This is a 13-month school-based course during which time you will work under the guidance of a mentor in your school, and University tutor and Apprenticeship assessor. You will receive weekly tutorials in school to review your progress and to set targets, termly visits from your University of Buckingham tutor to assess progress and guide your development, as well as regular meetings and reviews with them as your assessor via an online platform.

It includes 20% ‘off-the-job’ training which is delivered in a blended form of online and face-to-face meetings and seminars which are supplemented by a weekly programme on the University’s Virtual Learning Environment. You will be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards by your mentor, tutor and assessor and there are three written assignments to complete for the PGCE component.

Successful completion of the PGCE component leads to the award of a PGCE with recommendation of QTS. Achievement of QTS will be a mandatory requirement for apprentices to proceed through the gateway to the end point assessment. This is comprised of a lesson observation and professional discussion conducted by an external end-point assessment organisation to quality assure the training and development of the apprentice. This takes place within three months of reaching the gateway (successfully completing the PGCE and QTS and meeting all other eligibility criteria) as determined by the employer.

• A degree, GCSE in English Language, Maths at grade C/4 or above or equivalent, GCSE Science for Primary trainees, selection by participating school and a teaching post in school

• You must be teaching your subject for a minimum of 50% of a full timetable across two consecutive key stages, this should equate to 12 hours per week, minimum

• Your school must be rated outstanding or good by Ofsted.

In addition, you must:

• Demonstrate competence in literacy and numeracy
• Attend an interview
• Obtain the commitment from your school to release you for the second school placement and to provide a suitable mentor
• Provide a satisfactory criminal record check and show the physical and mental fitness to teach

In order to apply for this course, you need to first contact NCE. If they accept you and place you in a school you may apply to the University of Buckingham. Further details on how to apply can be found by clicking the Apply button at the top of this page.