How do I become a teacher?

Anyone wanting to teach in England and Wales must complete initial teacher training (ITT). There are many different types of ITT course - the one you take will be specific to the age group and, if you want to teach at secondary level, the subject that you want to teach. All courses cover the principles of teaching along with practical experience in the classroom.
There are several different ways you can complete your ITT: alongside a degree, straight after a degree, as a part-time course alongside work or as a full-time course. The option that is right for you will depend on your circumstances. You will need a degree and qualified teacher status (QTS) to become a teacher.

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If you would like to find out more about the rewards of a career in teaching sign up with the TDA by following the details at the bottom of the page.

We'll send you our latest brochure, giving you a quick and easy guide to teaching and teacher training. If you want to teach a subject that is in demand (such as mathematics, physics or chemistry) or you are male and want to teach at primary level, you will be entered onto our list of priority customers. We will keep you up to date with all the information you need and support you in making your decision to begin teacher training.

Pay and career progression

From September 2009, a newly qualified teacher will earn a minimum of £21,102 (£26,000 in inner London) but could start higher up the scale depending on previous experience. See here for current payscales.

Routes into teaching

If you already have a degree, there are several postgraduate routes to choose from which lead to qualified teacher status (QTS) - a requirement for teaching in state maintained schools across England and Wales. You can take a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), train in a school via a school centred initial teacher training (SCITT) programme, or train while earning a salary as an unqualified teacher through the graduate teacher programme (GTP). Postgraduate training courses can usually be completed in one year full time, and there are part-time and flexible options available too

If you don't have a bachelor degree then there are also undergraduate training options. These include undertaking a B Ed (Bachelor of Education) or a BA or BSc with QTS. Training courses may be three or fours years in duration.

Funding

You could benefit from financial support during your training. Graduates in England and Wales may be eligible for a tax free bursary of between £4,000 and £9,000 during training. In addition, secondary teachers of priority subjects including maths and science may qualify for a taxable golden hello of between £2,500 and £5,000 after their first year of teaching, depending on the subject that you teach.

You will need to allow for living expenses. If you are training to teach via a graduate route, an annual, non-repayable maintenance grant of £2,835 may be available, part of which is means-tested.

Talk to a teacher on Facebook

People thinking about a career in teaching can now talk to teachers Kaol Rasnarathan and Elizabeth Doyle on the social networking site Facebook. Facebook users will be able to post questions for Kaol and Elizabeth, view their working month through a multimedia calendar including diary entries, video clips of lessons and examples of pupils' work, and get advice from teaching career consultants.

Visit www.facebook.com/teach and www.facebook.com/teaching for more information.
Follow the link below to register for more information from TDA and benefit from the help and support of our staff.