FIND YOUR TEACHER TRAINING COURSE

HOW LONG WILL MY TEACHER TRAINING LAST?

It depends of your previous qualifications. If you don't yet have a degree, you can train for three years through a Bachelor's degree with QTS - Qualified Teacher Status. If you already have a degree, even if it's on another subject, you can retrain as a teacher within a year via our PGCE programmes.

WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF GETTING A JOB AT THE END OF MY TRAINING?

Teaching is in huge demand at the moment. As a matter of fact, the UK is currently suffering a shortage of qualified teachers. As a result 9 out of 10 of our students go into employment after graduating and many of them are recruited during their placements.

DO I GET PAID WHILE I TRAIN TO TEACH OR WHEN I'M ON PLACEMENT?

A small number of our School Direct Partners does offer a limited number of salaried placements, however, the number varies every year. Most of our training courses are not salaried but don't let this discourage you. As a full-time student you could benefit from an array of loans, bursaries and scholarships to help you through your studies.

You can find out more about what funding is available here. There is also funding available if you have children or are a carer to a child or adult. It's definitely worth checking all the funding available before making your decision.

WHAT WILL I LEARN DURING MY TEACHER TRAINING?

During your teacher training course you will not only gain classroom experience through placements, but you will also learn the latest in child and educational psychology and best practices in education as well as how to work to the National Curriculum framework and how to confidently devise and deliver interesting lessons.

DISCOVER YOUR CALLING

IMRAN KHAN

Coming from London, Imran was used to big city life, but felt it was time for a change. "I was attracted to the University of Cumbria because of the personal feel of the course, the campus and cohort was relatively small so you got to know everyone well. I wanted to experience a different lifestyle to London and I very quickly fell in love with Carlisle."

Imran is now a head teacher, working for Norfolk County Council. "I love making a positive difference to lives of all the children I teach and being able to make decisions that lead to positive outcomes for the children’s wellbeing and learning."

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

CAN I TRAIN TO TEACH WITHOUT A DEGREE?

Some types of schools are allowed to employ teaching staff who are not formally qualified, so in theory it is possible to get into the profession without going to university – though the odds are very much against it. Most state schools required teachers to have a QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) and you can only be QTS qualified if you have a degree. So it will be much easier for you to find work if you have a degree and have completed a teacher training course.

While teaching is by and large a graduate profession, here at the University of Cumbria, you can take your degree with QTS, which means you will be fully qualified to teach when you graduate. If you degree did or does not offer an embedded QTS qualification you will have to gain one separately.

WHY TRAIN TO TEACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA?

"Cumbria was absolutely the right choice for me. The lecturers are brilliant. From the first day they have tried to make things as easy as possible for me, going above and beyond their roles. It’s that connection with the tutors that will make you an effective teacher." - Steafan Deery (2019), Primary PGCE with Physical Education Specialism Graduate

- 9 in 10 of our graduates are in work or further training within six months of graduating (DLHE 2018)

- Our graduate employment rate is 97.8% (DLHE 2018) and our graduates earn more than the average graduate within five years of graduating (LEO Report 2018)

- We are one of the largest providers of teacher training in the UK and joint first in the UK for students completing their PGCE Secondary programme. In the last 10 years we have trained over 10,000 new teachers.

CAN I TRAIN REMOTELY, ONLINE AND PART-TIME?

If you already have a degree, we do offer a part-time online PGCE programme, but as QTS needs to be assessed while you are on placement, this means that you will have to do the QTS Direct Assessment separately to become a fully qualified teacher. While this programme could take longer than a year t get you fully qualified, it's a very convenient way to train to teach.

Here at the University of Cumbria, we also work with 27 School Direct partners in the North West and beyond to provide hundreds of teacher training places in both primary and secondary schools. This means you can train remotely with one of our partners knowing that we are one of the UK’s leading and biggest providers of teacher education and School Direct partnerships. Find out more about our partners and where they are located here.

IS TEACHER TRAINING FREE?

Unfortunately not. But the government does offer an array of student loans that you don't have to pay back until you are earning more than £25,725 a year. As a newly qualified teacher your starting teacher's salary will be around £24,373. So you won't be repaying your student loan back until you have been teaching for a little while and have moved up in your career.

Find what qualifications you need and what course to take to start your career.

WHAT TO DO NEXT?

SEARCH TEACHING COURSES

9 in 10 of our graduates are in work or further training within 6 months of graduating.

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FIND TEACHER TRAINING COURSES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

9 in 10 of our graduates are in work or further training within 6 months of graduating.

Find what qualifications you need and what course to take to start your career.