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How to become a teacher: Undergraduate routes

Learn about undergraduate teacher training in the UK, and how you can gain qualified teacher status (QTS).

Teacher teaching young students

CONTENTS

  1. How to become a teacher in the UK

  2. What qualifications do you need to become a teacher?

  3. Do you need QTS to teach in a school?

  4. BEd/MA Education teaching degrees

  5. BA/BSc with initial teacher training

  6. England: other undergraduate teacher training routes

  7. Funding for undergraduate teacher training

  8. How to apply for an undergraduate teacher training degree?

  9. Qualifying as a teacher

  10. University undergraduate ITT qualifiers table

How to become a teacher in the UK

If you want to become a teacher and haven’t already studied a first degree, you can study for an undergraduate degree that leads directly to teacher status. This applies whether you’re straight out of school or whether you want to become a teacher in later life.

The other route is to complete your undergraduate degree first and then take a postgraduate course to qualify as a teacher. This way you can fully explore your subject and career options before settling on teaching.

Undergraduate teaching degrees include:

  • Bachelor of Education (BEd)
  • BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) that include a teaching qualification
  • Degrees with opt-in QTS and top-up degrees, if you’re in England

The last option allows you to switch to a teaching pathway later in your degree, which could be ideal if you’re still deciding on your future career. We explore these three types of degree in detail below.

It’s worth knowing that a degree with ‘education’ in its title doesn’t always lead to a teaching qualification. Teacher training is referred to as initial teacher training or education (ITT or ITE) so look for this in qualification descriptions.

Whether part of an undergraduate degree or as a postgraduate qualification, all teacher training courses give you experience in at least two different schools, and you’ll learn education theory and practical skills to help you teach in the classroom.

  1. READ MORE
  2. Postgraduate routes to becoming a teacher

What qualifications do you need to become a teacher?

To train as a schoolteacher in the UK, you’ll need a degree. It doesn’t matter whether it’s part of your teacher training as an undergraduate or completed before postgraduate teacher training.

You must also meet the minimum requirements below (equivalent qualifications are accepted). Providers may have additional or specific requirements.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland

  • GCSEs grade 4/C or higher in English and Maths (5/B or above in Wales)
  • If you want to teach at primary level you must also have at least one GCSE grade 4/C or above in Science (5/B or above in Wales)
  • Good A Level grades – if you want to teach secondary education you’ll need an A Level in a relevant subject

In Scotland

  • Highers (SCQF level 6) in at least four areas including English, plus National 5 Maths
  • For primary education, you must have studied two of the following: Science, Social Studies, Expressive Arts, Religious and Moral Education, Technology, and Modern Foreign Languages
  • Teaching providers are likely to look for at least one National 5 in a Modern Language or Science.

Do you need QTS to teach in a school?

QTS is short for Qualified Teacher Status. Having QTS means you can teach in a state-funded Primary or Secondary school in England. If you’re taking an undergraduate teaching degree and plan to work in England, it’s important to look for a course ‘with QTS’ or ‘recommended for QTS’.

However, each nation has its own standards and QTS isn’t required elsewhere in the UK. Instead, in other UK nations once you successfully complete your teacher training you must provisionally register with that nation’s teaching council.

If you take a course in Wales, it may include QTS and also meet the requirements to register with the teaching council in Wales

BEd/MA Education teaching degrees

A Bachelor of Education (BEd) is a generalist education course that leads to an undergraduate honours degree. In Scotland similar degrees lead to a Master of Education degree (MA Education) although academically it’s at the same level of study. BA (Hons) Education courses are also available in the UK, but don’t always include a teaching qualification.

Full-time degrees generally last three years, or four in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Part-time degrees take four to six years.

These courses take a broad approach to education and are popular with those who want to be primary school teachers. Some providers run secondary level-specific BEd courses – or ‘post primary’ in Northern Ireland. Subject study also features, whether you aim to teach in primary or secondary education.

Generally, you’ll learn about your subject and teaching practice in more depth while gaining experience in schools. You’ll study subjects associated with your strand of teaching and some professional studies. You’ll also take part in extended placements while conducting action-based research.

BA/BSc with initial teacher training

Subject-specific Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees can also lead to a teaching qualification. In England and Wales, you must take a BA or BSc degree that leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Similar courses exist in Scotland.

Full-time degrees generally last three to four years, with part-time study lasting four to six.

With a focus on their subject, these degrees are common for students looking to become secondary school teachers, but some courses are designed for primary school teaching.

You’ll gain specialist subject knowledge and strategies for teaching this across a variety of age ranges. You’ll also cover the same basics as other teacher training – such as learning about the curriculum, making the best use of assessment, and structuring and delivering lessons.

England: other undergraduate teacher training routes

In England, some universities may also offer a degree with opt-in QTS. Commonly they're offered in shortage subjects such as Maths, Physics, Computing or Modern Languages, and are eligible for the bursary funding currently offered by the government.

This means you could start your degree focused on your subject, and then decide further into your degree that you want to train as a secondary school teacher. Your uni might offer taster sessions early in your degree to help you decide whether teaching is the career for you. For students on these degrees, an opt-in QTS means they qualify as a teacher a year sooner than if they then complete a PGCE.

‘Top up’ degrees that include teacher training are an option if you’ve already got a foundation degree or HND in a relevant area, whether in education or a STEM subject such as Maths or Physics.

Student smiling in front of laptop

Funding for undergraduate teacher training

If you’re taking your first degree, you’ll be eligible for undergraduate student finance. Usually this means a student loan, but there may also be bursaries or grants, depending on the nation in which you live.

England also offers bursaries to encourage the take-up of secondary education shortage subjects. Students enrolling onto a BA or BSc Maths or Physics course with QTS may qualify for a bursary, paid in their third year. Trainees taking an opt-in QTS in secondary Maths, Physics, Computing or language course are also eligible. Some opt-in courses lead to an integrated master's. If that's the case, you could benefit from this funding in both your third and your final year of study. Bursaries may change from year to year.

If you're a recent veteran of the UK's Armed Forces, you could be eligible for a bursary for teacher training in secondary Biology, Chemistry, Computing, Maths, Physics, or languages leading to QTS.

Talented Maths or Physics A Level students in England could consider the six-year Future Teaching Scholars programme. It offers a grant for each year of a Maths- or Physics-related undergraduate degree, plus paid postgraduate employment-based training for a year, then two years paid as a teacher. You’ll also get extra support and teaching experience. You must take an eligible undergraduate degree; contact Future Teaching Scholars for details.

How to apply for an undergraduate teacher training degree

It’s helpful if you can get some experience in schools, but lack of school experience shouldn’t be a barrier to your application if you’re a suitable candidate.

  • You apply via UCAS Undergraduate, with one or two exceptions. Check our guide on writing a teacher training personal statement
  • You’ll have to attend an interview that may include subject knowledge audits (these may be more common for entry to postgraduate teacher training)
  • You’re subject to Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checks as part of the admissions process (PVG scheme in Scotland)
  1. READ MORE
  2. Find undergraduate teacher training courses
  3. Tips for writing your teacher training personal statement
  4. How to prepare for teacher training interview

Qualifying as a teacher

On successfully completing your degree and teacher training, you’ll be awarded QTS if you’re in England or Wales.

If you live in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland you’ll need to provisionally register with a teaching council. These are the Education Workforce Council (EWC) in Wales, the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI), or the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

After that, you’ll begin an induction period that will last one to two years.

  1. READ MORE
  2. How to become a teacher: After qualifying

University undergraduate ITT qualifiers table

Figures below show the number of undergraduates gaining teacher training qualifications in the UK’s universities in 2021/22 (HESA Jan 2023; rounding will affect totals).

Institution F/T qualifiers P/T qualifiers Total
Aberdeen 130 100 230
Bangor 35 0 35
Bedfordshire 105 40 145
Birmingham City 160 0 160
Bishop Grosseteste 220 30 250
Bolton 15 20 35
Brighton 300 25 325
Bristol, West of England 100 0 100
Canterbury Christ Church 320 240 555
Cardiff Metropolitan 70 15 85
Chester 125 5 135
Chichester 120 0 120
Cumbria 140 0 145
Derby 95 15 110
Dundee 85 5 95
Durham 80 0 80
East London 25 5 30
Edge Hill 400 25 425
Edinburgh 110 0 110
Exeter 10 0 10
Glasgow 190 5 195
Gloucestershire 95 5 100
Glyndŵr 30 10 40
Goldsmiths 10 0 10
Greenwich 195 15 210
Grŵp Llandrillo Menai 0 40 40
Hertfordshire 105 30 135
Highlands & Islands 20 0 20
Huddersfield 65 20 85
Hull 55 15 65
Kingston 30 0 30
Leeds Beckett 115 5 120
Leeds Trinity 150 5 155
Leicester 15 0 15
Liverpool Hope 110 0 110
Liverpool John Moores 65 0 65
London Metropolitan 30 0 30
London South Bank 5 0 5
Manchester Metropolitan 155 5 160
Middlesex 70 5 75
Newcastle 10 0 10
Newman 80 5 85
Northampton 75 0 80
Northumbria 125 5 125
Nottingham Trent 215 15 230
Oxford 20 0 20
Oxford Brookes 75 10 90
Plymouth 175 20 195
Plymouth Marjon 75 5 80
Portsmouth 95 45 140
Queen Margaret, Edinburgh 5 0 5
Reading 115 0 115
Roehampton 105 0 110
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 30 0 30
Sheffield Hallam 210 20 230
South Wales 25 170 195
St Mary's University College 130 0 130
St Mary's, Twickenham 115 35 150
Staffordshire 25 15 40
Stirling 170 5 175
Stranmillis University College 130 0 130
Strathclyde 210 0 210
Suffolk 15 15 30
Sunderland 145 35 180
Sussex 45 0 45
Teesside 10 30 40
University College Birmingham 0 5 5
University of Wales Trinity Saint David 110 30 140
Warwick 25 0 25
West of Scotland 90 0 90
Winchester 215 5 220
Wolverhampton 65 105 170
Worcester 140 25 165
York St John 100 0 100

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