Training to Teach

Qualifications

To train to teach, you'll need to have:

GCSEs at grade 4 or above in English and Maths (and Science if you want to teach Primary)
As well as a bachelor's degree in any subject to teach Primary and Secondary education

Once you have your degree (or an equivalent qualification), you can complete postgraduate teacher training to gain QTS, for which there are different routes, both fee paying and funded.

Fee paying routes include:

Gaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through a one-year (unless part-time) SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) where you'll be learning within the school to give you practical experience quickly. Tuition fees can range from £9-10,000 depending on the provider, and whether or not a PGCE is included.
A PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) which is a one-year university-led training course that includes more knowledge-based training in the form of lectures and seminars. The PGCE qualification is worth 60 Masters credits, and can be an optional extra on SCITT courses, depending on the provider.Tuition fees range from £9-10,000 depending on the provider.
The Assessment Only route, aimed at those with a degree, who have been teaching for at least two years, across two key stages, across a minimum of two different schools in an unqualified role. This can be completed in as little as twelve weeks, and focusses on assessing existing skills against standards, rather than providing training. The cost varies between £1500 to £4000, depending on the provider.

Funding available to support engagement with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) routes can include:

Taking advantage of the significant bursaries offered in shortage subjects, which can be used to fund fee-paying training Teacher training bursaries | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK. This cannot be accessed by those using the Assessment Only route however, as this requires only assessment, not formal training.
Accessing the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA). The PGTA is a nationally-recognised, work-based and salaried route into teaching, which is paid for through the apprenticeship levy. This option is useful for those with a degree who may already be working in schools, and the apprenticeship can be completed as a SCITT or as a PGCE, depending on the provider. It is also possible to receive a bursary, while undertaking a secondary ITT apprenticeship in a shortage subject (as well as receiving a salary and funded training through the levy).

If you do not have a degree, you can do undergraduate teacher training to get a bachelor's degree alongside qualified teacher status (QTS), or you may be eligible to do a teacher degree apprenticeship (TDA), which is salaried with tuition fully funded by the apprenticeship levy accessed by the employing school. Currently, NITE offers the Primary version of this, remotely. Apprenticeships | National Institute of Teaching and Education.

You do not need a degree and QTS to teach in further education or to teach in Early Years. So, if you want to become a teacher but cannot access a degree, you can explore these options.

To find out more about the different routes into teaching, visit the UCAS site: Routes into Teaching in England - Understand Your Options

Explore your local options further and start your journey into teaching here: Get Into Teaching | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK