Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship with QTS

The University of Buckingham is pleased to offer the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship with QTS to support schools in training their teaching workforce.

The Teacher Apprenticeship provides a fee-free, salaried route for graduates to enter the teaching profession whilst also gaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in 12 months, allowing apprentices to earn while they learn. 12 months direct training followed by up to 3 months for the End Point Assessment (EPA).

We have been delivering teacher training to the next generation of teachers at The University of Buckingham for 20 years and have excellent levels of success.  We offer two routes:

Route 1 – Teacher Apprenticeship with QTS + PGCE (Level 7)

This is funded by the employer levy account for the Apprenticeship and QTS element, with an additional assessment charge for the PGCE qualification.  This fee is £500.  Please note the additional charge for the PGCE qualification must be funded by the employing school or trainee but cannot be paid through the apprenticeship levy fund.  If you complete Route 1 successfully you will achieve:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
• Teacher Apprenticeship (Level 6)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE, Level 7)

Route 2 – Teacher Apprenticeship + QTS. 

This is fully funded by the employer levy account for the Apprenticeship and QTS, there is no PGCE qualification gained through this route*. If you complete Route 2 successfully you will achieve:

• Qualified Teacher Status
• Teacher Apprenticeship (Level 6)

*Please note you cannot transfer from route 2 to route 1 once you have started the course.

Why choose a Teacher Apprenticeship? 

The tuition fees for the apprenticeship with QTS is zero.  This is funded by the employer and in some cases (for non-levy employers), the Government. It is also a great way for schools to utilise their levy funds to train their workforce.

“The support I have received from my University Tutor has been excellent – she is so understanding and has been very helpful in replying to all of the (many) questions that I’ve asked; nothing has been too much trouble.”  Ruth Settle, apprentice teacher

“The course is structured fantastically well with lots of support from the University lecturers and tutors. My Tutor is available anytime for support and guidance. I was amazed at how dedicated the tutors are in their respective role, my tutor travelled up to Birmingham from Devon to carry out my termly review. I have been looking to qualify for 5 years but having a young family I could not take time away from work to do this, The University of Buckingham’s PGTA was the perfect solution, the on-the-job training has allowed me to qualify whilst maintaining an income.”  Suhail Tariq, apprentice teacher

Why consider the additional PGCE aspect?

A PGCE qualification adds an academic layer to your qualification. It is evidence of your further engagement with research and the ability to synthesise and reflect on matters in education in extended academic writing. For many employers it is therefore an attractive qualification.

If you do choose to complete the PGCE alongside your Apprenticeship with QTS, you will need to submit three essays in January, March and May based on the advice you have been given, the lectures you have attended and your reading.

Successfully passing these assignments alongside your Apprenticeship with QTS will result in you being awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Education from The University of Buckingham.

The School 

Employers that pay into the apprenticeship levy (employers in the UK with an annual pay bill over £3 million) will be able to use up to £9,000 of funding from their apprenticeship service account to cover the cost of training and assessing the apprentice.

Employers that do not pay the levy, or who have insufficient funds in their digital account, can access funding to support the training and assessment of an apprentice. The government will pay 95% of the costs of training and assessment for the apprenticeship and the employer will pay the remaining 5% which equates to a maximum charge of £450 (this excludes the PGCE additional cost).

The Teacher Apprenticeship: how it works 

• the Teacher Apprenticeship programme is available for prospective primary and secondary school teachers in England
• you will be employed full-time in a school while you learn on the job. In some cases, this may be a school you are already working at, or have an existing relationship with
• if you are employed in a state school you will be paid a minimum of the unqualified 1 teacher salary pay scale for your region
• if you are currently working as an unqualified teacher or teaching assistant, it offers new opportunities for career progression, plus higher earning capacity, recognition, and status
• you will receive a combination of classroom teaching and off-the-job training as you work towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
• apprentices split their time between school and university study. You will receive practical, school-led training alongside experienced staff, and spend at least 20% of your time off-timetable to learn the pedagogy of teaching
• the course starts at the end of August 2022

How is the Apprenticeship delivered?

• Regular support from your workplace Mentor and University Tutor to support your success.
• 20% off the job training time is mandatory to complete learning and support your progress
• Experienced University Tutors will deliver high-quality training to support your teaching pedegogy throughout the Apprenticeship

These feed into 12 months of direct training, QTS is awarded and the End Point Assessment is triggered. Upon successful completion of the End Point Assessment, the Teacher Apprenticeship is achieved.

What support will I receive?

During this 12-month school-based course apprentices will work under the guidance of a mentor in their school and a University of Buckingham tutor. Apprentices will have weekly meetings in school to review their progress and to set targets, termly visits from their University of Buckingham tutor to assess progress and guide their development, as well as regular meetings and reviews via an online platform.

The Apprenticeship 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. Apprentices will be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards by their mentor and tutor.

Successful completion of the Apprenticeship training leads to the recommendation of QTS (Qualified Teacher Status).

Achievement of QTS is a mandatory requirement for apprentices to proceed through the gateway to the End Point Assessment which completes the Apprenticeship. 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 practical period, being recommended for QTS and meeting all other eligibility criteria) as determined by the employer.

• have a UK degree (2.2 or above)*
• GCSE in English Language and Maths at grade C/4 or above*
• GCSE Science C/4 is required for Primary trainees
• you must be teaching your subject for a minimum of 50% (and a max of 80%) 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 (or the ISI equivalent)
• you must be eligible to work in England as an unqualified teacher
• you do not already have QTS but are working in a school in England.

*For equivalent qualifications, contact education@buckingham.ac.uk to confirm that your qualifications meets the University entry requirements.

In addition, you must:

• demonstrate competence in literacy and numeracy before and during the course
• attend an interview as part of the initial assessment
• obtain the commitment from your school to release you for a second school placement and to provide a suitable mentor
• provide a satisfactory criminal record check (DBS) and show the physical and mental fitness train to teach
• Apprentices must complete a minimum of 120 days in a school
• Apprentices will need to be released from their employing schools to spend time teaching in a contrasting school during the year, for a minimum of 3 weeks (15 full days).

If you work in a special needs school

We train teachers from Special Schools as well as SEND teachers in all schools. If you teach children a curriculum which is normally accessed by older children (e.g. you teach pupils aged 11-14 a Key Stage 2 curriculum) you will need to do a second school placement in a mainstream school where you can teach an age-appropriate curriculum.

What is involved? 

Before the Apprenticeship starts, The University of Buckingham will:

• obtain evidence that the apprentice has an Apprenticeship Agreement with the employer
• sign a Commitment Statement between the apprentice, UoB and the employer
• sign an Employer Provider contract agreement
• complete all relevant induction paperwork also including initial assessments; this will be communicated in more detail should you decide to proceed.

On the programme:

• we will train your mentor, a teacher in your school
• you will be assigned a tutor from The University of Buckingham
• a handbook will be issued to guide you through the programme
• you will be trained in the Core Content Framework to meet the Teachers’ Standards
• every week one or more of your lessons will be observed by your mentor and you are set targets
• every week you do some set reading on a part of the syllabus
• training is delivered online in half or full days regularly throughout the programme
• there are monthly meetings with your tutor/assessor to monitor and record progress
• once every term (at least every 10-12 weeks) you have a formal Progress Review with your tutor and employer representative (usually your mentor) to assess your progress and set next targets
• three times a year your Tutor will come to your school, observe your lessons, meet with you and your mentor and write a report.

On successful completion of the course:

• After the 12 months of direct training, you will be nominated for the Qualified Teacher Status to the Department for Education and be eligible to proceed to the End Point Assessment
• During the following 3 months, you will take the End Point Assessment (EPA) involving a lesson observation and an interview.  If this is successful you will be awarded the Apprenticeship Certificate by the ESFA (Education and Skills Funding Agency), and for those who successfully passed the PGCE route, your PGCE award from The University of Buckingham as well.

Please use the ‘Apply’ button at the bottom of this page; or contact The Faculty of Education on +44 (0)1280 820222 or email: education@buckingham.ac.uk.

Further Information & Guidance

Please see below links to government guidance in regards to the Teacher Apprenticeship:

• Apprenticeships for the school workforce – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
• End-Point Assessment Plan for the Teacher apprenticeship – Institute for Appreniceships

For course enquires please contact our apprenticeship team: uob-apprenticeships@buckingham.ac.uk

When contacting the apprenticeship team, please state in your email if you are enquiring as an employer or a prospective apprentice.