Routes into Teaching

College Based

• A 3 or 4 year full-time course which gives you a degree BA or BSc with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). These courses are run by colleges who offer Initial Teacher Training (ITT). These courses are for both Primary and Secondary teachers. This route is currently funded in the same way as any other degree course.
• A 1 year PGCE QTS (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) course, with QTS. You must have a degree, normally in a subject area taught in schools. This is a full-time route and the majority of the year is spent in schools on teaching practice. You can train as a Primary or Secondary teacher on this route. These courses are run by colleges offering ITT. Tuition for a PGCE course brings with it a bursary.
• Flexible PGCE with QTS route. This route is offered by some ITT providers. It usually involves some distance learning and you build up your teaching experience at a pace which suits your individual circumstances, so that you can keep your current job whilst you train. However, you will need to be flexible enough to undertake block teaching practices at some stage of your training.
• Modular PGCE route. Some colleges may offer a part-time modular route into teaching, which is similar to the Flexible PGCE route.