Could teaching be the happiest profession in the UK? This article by The Guardian certainly suggests so. Teachers have better holiday time, as well as variety and fulfilment in their jobs. Teaching and inspiring the future generations can be an extremely rewarding path, and one which is possible to begin no matter what stage you are at in your education. Here’s how you can take the first steps into teaching at The College.
Firstly, if you’d like to explore the possibility of teaching, you need to think about the following:
Do you have the basic entry level requirements, and if not, how can you achieve them?
To become a teacher, you need to have a degree-level qualification. This doesn’t have to be from a university, you can apply with a recognised equivalent Higher Education qualification. You also need to have a grade C or above in English and Maths, and if you want to teach early years and primary pupils, a grade C or above in a GCSE Science subject. If you don’t have the GCSE requirements, or have been away from education for some time, you may want to consider an Access to Teaching course.
Next you need to think about your training options
Teaching courses are divided into School-led training and University-led training.
School-led training means you’ll be based in a school, get hands on experience working with other teachers, get used to spending time in at least two schools, and more importantly, start inspiring those kids straight away. You need to already have a degree for school-led teacher training, and you’ll get a postgraduate qualification with Master’s credits at the end of the year as well as your Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You can see what’s available and apply through UCAS Teacher Training.
Need help getting your degree? View our Higher Education courses here.
University-led training is offered by both universities and colleges. You’ll be learning in the classroom (where you’ll be the one studying), but you’ll also spend a lot of time working in schools alongside qualified teachers, as you’ll need to achieve a minimum of 24-weeks’ work experience to qualify. You can apply for this if you’re an undergraduate or a graduate. If you don’t have a degree yet, you can combine degree-level study with getting your QTS with a three- or four-year course at college or university.
Further requirements include a professional skills test and strong understanding of the subject you want to teach. For more information on teaching entry requirements, click here.
Your funding options
If you’ve already got your degree and are applying for school-led training, you could be eligible for a bursary or scholarship, depending on the subject you want to teach.
If don’t have a degree and you’re applying for a college or university-led course, there are a lot of financial support options for you, including the standard loans and grants offered for Higher Education study.
Find out more about funding your teacher training
If you’re looking for a career in which you can make a real difference to young people’s lives, teaching could be for you. It takes a lot of work to get there but there are many routes to help you achieve it, and you will be rewarded in so many ways.
To see all of our teaching related courses please click here.
