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Watford Partnership

How to Apply for Initial Teacher Training

School-Based Teacher Training 

  • School-Based teacher training placements are full-time; with four days in school and one day at The University of Hertfordshire
  • Placements start on 1st September 2024 and finish on 30th June 2025.
  • Training takes place in two contrasting school settings. A comprehensive range of in-house and external professional development opportunities, to include a conference and 160 hours of Professional and Subject Studies sessions, complement the pedagogy provided by the university
  • Trainees will be supported by experienced in-school mentors and university-based tutors
  • Registration on the teacher training programme is subject to the successful clearance of all suitability checks and conditions of offer being met. https://www.herts.ac.uk/study/schools-of-study/education/initial-teacher-education/school-direct/entry-requirements
Employment-based Secondary and Primary (salaried):
  • Employment-based route 
  • Trainees have a timetable allocation and are employed by their training school as an unqualified teacher (unqualified teaching scale point 1) while they train
  • Successful completion of the course leads to QTS 
PGCE Secondary and PGCE Primary (unsalaried):
  • Scholarships and bursaries are available for a wide range of subjects (eligibility criteria apply). Further information available at Get Into Teaching: Funding your training (education.gov.uk)
  • Fee-paying training route, current fees £9,250 
  • Trainees have a more gradual (“soft start”) introduction into teaching
  • Successful completion of the course leads to QTS plus PGCE award and 60 Masters level credits (Level 7)
Placements are available in the following subjects
  • Art and design
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Computing
  • Chemistry
  • Design and technology
  • Drama
  • Economics
  • English
  • Geography
  • History
  • Mathematics
  • Modern Foreign Languages
  • Music
  • PE and PE with EBacc)
  • Physics
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Primary General

 

Details of bursaries and scholarships available here:

 

Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses available in:

Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses of between 8 and 28 weeks are designed to refresh knowledge or boost confidence in your subject area and are available for -

Physics, Chemistry, Biology, MFL, English, Mathematics, Computer Science, Design & Technology and Religious Education.

A bursary of £175 per week is available for participants. 

Entry Requirements

Secondary

  • GCSE/IGCSE/O levels at Grade 4/C  or above in English and Mathematics. GCSE equivalency tests are not accepted in place of GCSE qualifications.
  • Honours degree (2.2 or higher) awarded by a UK university or an overseas award recognised as equivalent by UK ENIC, Home Page (enic.org.uk) . For secondary trainees we would expect the degree to have a minimum 50% content of the subject in which the applicant is applying. Applicants whose degree does not meet this requirement should contact the secondary admissions team at the university to discuss further secondaryteam@herts.ac.uk
  • Applicants from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS Academic score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band. Further information available at:

IELTS Home of the IELTS English Language Test

  • We will need to see the original copies of your qualifications and advise candidates to locate their original Maths, English Language, Science (for primary) and first degree certificates at the point of application. If unable to do so, applicants should apply directly to the awarding body/institution for confirmation of their results. In the case of GCSEs, applicants will need to apply for a certified statement of results. You may need to prove your identity and pay a fee. Applications will be accepted while in the process of obtaining the replacement certificates.
  • A high-quality personal statement is essential as this will demonstrate your potential to teach and your command of the English Language.

Primary  

  • GCSE/IGCSE/O levels at Grade 4/C  or above in English, Mathematics and Science. A GCSE science qualification in one science i.e. Biology, Physics or Chemistry or combined GCSE science - at grade 4/C or above will be acceptable.
  • GCSE equivalency tests are not accepted in place of GCSE qualifications.
  • Honours degree (2.2 or higher) awarded by a UK university or an overseas award recognised as equivalent by UK ENIC, further information available at:Home Page (enic.org.uk).
  • Applicants from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS Academic score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band. Further information available at:IELTS Home of the IELTS English Language Test
  • Original copies of your qualifications will be required and we advise candidates to locate their original Maths, English Language, Science (for primary) and first degree certificates at the point of application. If unable to do so, applicants should apply directly to the awarding body/institution for confirmation of their results. In the case of GCSEs, applicants will need to apply for a certified statement of results. Applications will be accepted while in the process of obtaining the replacement certificates.
  • A high-quality personal statement is essential as this will demonstrate your potential to teach and your command of the English Language.

 

How to apply

Search for postgraduate teacher teacher training courses on:

Placements are listed under Parmiter’s School for all schools in the Watford Partnership

We encourage prospective trainees to submit an early application/expression of interest as national recruitment quotas apply to some subjects.

The School Direct application cycle closes on Monday 2nd June 2023 with final interview scheduled no later than July 2nd. However recruitment for some subjects may finish before then.