Secondary Training Course Information

Secondary school teachers specialise in specific subjects, providing in-depth knowledge and expertise to support students' learning. We offer trainees the option to specialise in one of two consecutive age phases: 11-16 (KS3 & KS4) and 14-19 (KS4 & KS5).

All of our courses lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - explained here.

Entry Requirements

To be eligible for our secondary training courses, entrants must have proof of:

• GCSEs at grade 4/C or above (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics*
• An undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a subject relating to that which you would like to teach

If you are unsure about whether your experience meets this criteria, please contact us.

*If you do not have these GCSEs, you may be eligible for equivalency testing. Please click here for more details.

Programme Structure

Typically, our courses run for 38 weeks. Per week, on average, you will spend 1 day at our training centre for expert-led training and 4 days in a school for practical learning and hands-on teaching experience. Assessment is undertaken on an ongoing basis through performance during school experience and through academic coursework.

You will:

• Learn all of the knowledge required for your chosen age range in your specialist subject 
• Gain experience in two different schools (see a list of our partner schools here)
• Get professional mentorship, including weekly mentor meetings and observations
• Have the opportunity to complete a PGCE (explained here) which is validated by the University of Buckingham
• Attend employment fairs to help you secure a permanent role after your training
• Take part in broader experiences such as visiting Whipsnade Zoo to learn how to plan a trip and visiting Luton Town Football Stadium to learn about their outreach programme for schools

Specialisms

The specialisms that we offer training in are:

For ages 11-16 (KS3 & KS4):

For ages 14-19 (KS4 & KS5):

Routes Into Teaching

We offer a variety of routes to gaining QTS. To find out more about any of these routes, please contact us.

Fee-funded route

Trainees on this route will be required to fund the course themselves. There are several options offered by the government to help you pay these fees, including loans, bursaries and scholarships. For more information on funding and eligibility, please click here.

- QTS Only: £8,535

- QTS with PGCE: £9,535

Salaried route 

This route is available to those who are already employed by a school, such as unqualified teachers, technicians or teaching assistants*. While you train, you will earn an unqualified teachers salary, which varies between schools.

The tuition fee for courses under this route is £8,535. This fee may be partially or fully covered by the employing school if agreed upon in advance.

If you wish to complete a PGCE alongside your training, a fee of £1,000 will need to be paid for by yourself and not by the school. There are several options offered by the government to help you pay these fees, including loans and scholarships. Bursaries are also available for some subjects. For more information on funding and eligibility, please click here.

*If you already have teaching experience, you may be eligible for our assessment only route. Please click here for more details.

Postgraduate apprenticeship 

This route is available to those who are already employed by a school, such as unqualified teachers, technicians or teaching assistants*. While you train, you will earn an unqualified teachers salary, which varies between schools. Unlike the other routes, the apprenticeship will last for 13 months - from September to October the following year. QTS will be awarded in the summer term, with an End-Point Assessment (EPA) in the autumn term to complete the course. 

You will not be required to pay a tuition fee, as this is paid via the school's apprenticeship levy. However, if you wish to complete a PGCE alongside your training, a fee of £1,000 will need to be paid for by yourself. There are several options offered by the government to help you pay this fee, including loans and scholarships. For more information on funding and eligibility, please click here.

*If you already have teaching experience, you may be eligible for our assessment only route. Please click here for more details.

How to apply

Applications to our training courses are made via the DfE 'Apply' portal. 

DfE applications open in October time for courses that start September the following year.

Apply at: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-teacher-training

Click here to view the course codes - you will need this for your application.

Please contact us if you have any questions, and we will be happy to help.