How To Apply

Eligibility

In order to apply for a place on our courses you must have:

A UK undergraduate degree or a recognized equivalent qualification * (Usually, at least 50% of your degree should be directly relevant to the subject you wish to teach. However, applicants who have a degree in a non-related subject but have significant work experience relevant to the subject they wish to teach may also be considered.)
A grade 4/C GCSE in English and Mathematics, or equivalent *
A grade 4/C GCSE in a Science subject, or equivalent * if you intend to train to teach at Primary level

* UK ENIC verification is required for all overseas degree and GCSE equivalent qualifications. You can check your overseas qualifications at the ENIC website.

If using IELTS for English GCSE equivalence, then we require an overall score of 6.5.

IELTS (Academic) (International English Language Testing System, Academic Test) is an internationally recognized system for demonstrating fluency in English (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking).

If you are not sure about eligibility, we will accept other equivalency tests, please contact us to check which equivalency tests are accepted, or to arrange a phone conversation about your situation.

You can also read more about eligibility on the Get Into Teaching website.

Subject knowledge for secondary teaching

Usually we require at least 50% of your degree to be in the subject you want to teach however this is not an absolute rule. You may have relevant work experience to add to your degree or further study in a closely related area. If unsure, please ask.

There are a number of Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses that will help if you feel the need to refresh your subject knowledge. We can discuss these programmes at interview and they may receive funding from Department for Education.

Application process

Applications to TCP are made through the DFE Apply system.

Before making your application, it is worth considering the following points:

You will have to write a personal statement to support your application. This should mention why you are interested in becoming a teacher, and what relevant experience you have for the role.

In order to do this, it will help if you are able to visit a school and observe some learning and teaching in action; this will also give you something to talk about should you be called for interview. If you are not able to arrange to visit schools, have you been able to speak to teachers? Read some teaching articles in the press? Are you sure you know what modern teaching is really like?

You will also need two professional referees; at least one of these ought to be able to comment on your suitability and skills in working with children and one, particularly for secondary, might also deal with your relevant subject qualifications. For recent graduates, it would be useful to have one reference from a university tutor and one from someone who can comment, in a professional capacity, on any school experience that you might have arranged as part of the application process; or from other experiences you have of working with children, preferably in the age range for which you are applying to teach. This might be from some form of youth work, tutoring, or sports coaching, etc. It is very helpful if both of your referees can include the statement “I do not know of any reason why this applicant might be unsuitable to work with children” in their reference. Please note that in order to comply with our Safer Recruitment procedures, both references should be from a professional, not personal email address.

You will also need to know the correct code for the course/s for which you wish to apply. You can find these on the DfE Apply website. Please contact us if you are unable to find the relevant course code.

Click here for DfE applications – both will come through to our recruitment team.

Selection Process

During our selection process we will be looking for the following:

Motivation and commitment

Evidence of thought about transition into teaching. Some grasp of the realities of teaching in a comprehensive setting. Is motivation obvious? Believable? Realistic? Good candidates must be realistic about what modern schools are like, and they should understand the value of education in building successful lives and be committed to opportunity for all. Teaching is rarely black and white and good candidates need to show that they are flexible, adaptable and compassionate. Can they demonstrate a positive attitude and commitment towards working with and safeguarding children? Do they have the ability to express an articulate view about the reasons for becoming a teacher as well as aspects of education and curriculum relevant to this application?

Personal Qualities

Does the candidate display warmth, positivity and enthusiasm? Are they approachable and encouraging? Does it appear that they would be able, with suitable training, to control behaviour? Do they have the ability to clearly and effectively communicate in English (adjustments will be made for candidates with a self-declared disability or need)?

Intellectual qualities

Is the candidate reflective and analytical? This may be shown in their reflection on the micro teaching episode but may also be an evaluation of their own education or professional background.

Subject Knowledge

Does the candidate have suitable subject knowledge? Are there gaps in their subject knowledge? What plans have they made to address this? Do they have the ability to translate undergraduate or post graduate subject knowledge into accessible language for students?

Understanding the Nature of Teaching

How much do they know about the subject they are planning to teach? Are they aware of the difference between subject knowledge and subject pedagogy – including some idea about relating knowledge to lower attaining pupils, or managing mixed ability classes? Do they understand the potential difficulties many pupils have with their subject? Have they got experience of, or ideas about, how to deconstruct their subject knowledge and scaffold it for pupils?

Experiences of learning / working with children.

Has this candidate worked in schools? If so, what have they learned? If not, have they observed in schools recently? How has this affected their thinking about a career as a teacher? Better candidates will be able to discuss the realities of life in a comprehensive school and how they feel they could make a difference and become an outstanding teacher. If this hasn’t been possible, how does their career history help? What skills can they bring to teaching?

Career

Is the candidate convincing that this is a career choice? Does it appear that the candidate has the required motives, skills and attitude to be a successful teacher?

Interview

In your application, you need to clearly demonstrate how you meet our person specification, as detailed in the ‘Entry Criteria’, and ‘What are we looking for?’ sections on our website and DfE entry profile guide. If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited for an online interview. This is a rigorous and thorough process, designed to get the best match of applicant to the places available.

During the interview you will be asked to delivery of a short presentation, which is followed by a panel interview.

If you are successful at interview, a conditional offer of a place will be made. The conditions will include providing proof that you have met the eligibility conditions for Initial Teacher Training, including a range of safeguarding requirement [such as a criminal record check (DBS) and an occupational health assessment]. Further conditions may be discussed with you at interview.

If you accept the offer of a place, you will be required to attend an induction session at the end of August. You may also be asked to complete a subject knowledge enhancement course as a condition of entry. All trainees are required to have fundamental Maths and English skills. We will assess these skills prior to the start of the course, and any trainees who need further development will be expected to work through a development programme whilst on the course.

A typical interview / selection day will consist of:

panel interview;
a micro teaching element (currently for this you will be asked to plan a short teaching activity which you will present to the panel during your interview);
a written task;
a basic numeracy diagnostic test.

Further details will be sent to applicants when invited for interview. (NB currently the interview process is adjusted to a video interview format.)
If you are applying for a salaried route, then you would need to be approved for BOTH the training programme AND the employing school.

Finances

Tuition Fee routes

Our tuition fee routes cost £9535 for PGCE with QTS or £8535 for QTS only (for 2026/27), which can be paid via a student loan or private finance.

In addition, some secondary subjects qualify for a tax-free training bursary. This means that some secondary trainees are financially better off following a non-salaried route, with a tax-free bursary.

Click here for the Bursary information (this page will be updated when the 26/27 bursary information is released by the government)

Tuition fee paying trainees are also eligible for Council Tax Exemption.

Salaried School Direct (secondary)

Trainees on the Schools Direct salaried programme are paid on the unqualified teacher scale whilst they train. The employing school pays the trainees tuition fees and for some shortage secondary subjects, the school will receive a salary grant from the DfE (Department for Education) to help towards the cost of training.

However, please bear in mind that in some circumstances both the school and the trainee are often better off financially with a non-salaried route, supported by a bursary (depending on the subject and the amount of the bursary). Please contact us if you would like to discuss your individual situation.

Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship

Trainees on the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship programme are paid as an unqualified teacher while they train. The employing school pays the trainees tuition fees via their Apprenticeship Levy Fund and for some shortage secondary subjects, the school will receive a salary grant from the DfE (Department for Education) to help towards the cost of training.

Scholarships

Trainees in physics, maths, chemistry and computing can apply for a significant scholarship awarded by the subject association. Trainees in Modern Languages (French, German, Spanish only) can apply for a scholarship. See ‘Get into teaching’ for further information.