Postgraduate teacher training

CONTENTS

1. Postgraduate teacher training in the UK

2. What is the meaning of PGCE – and what is QTS?

3. What is a PGCE course?

4. Postgraduate initial teacher training in England

5. How to find postgraduate teacher training

6. Postgraduate teacher training funding

7. Scholarships and bursaries for trainee teachers

8. Qualifying as a teacher

9. Best universities for teacher training in the UK

Postgraduate teacher training in the UK

The best-known way to get into teaching is to take a PGCE at a university after graduating from an undergraduate degree. In England, postgraduate training includes other options, with school-led teacher training now taken by 50% of trainees. You can also complete undergraduate teacher training while taking your first degree.

Before applying for a postgraduate teacher training course, decide whether you prefer primary or secondary teaching. If you choose secondary education, it needs to be in a subject that’s a close match to the degree you studied. (In England, ‘subject knowledge enhancement’ courses can help you.)

Teacher training is usually completed in a year, so it’s a high-pressure course – especially as you’ll spend most of your time in schools. So, finding a good course is vital. We look at the pros and cons of university PGCEs versus school-led training and also give you graduate outcomes for university PGCEs.

If you’re worried about funding your studies, then there’s good news. Student loans are available to pay your tuition fees and provide living cost support. For some, salaried teacher training may be an option, meaning you won’t have to pay a thing. For others, scholarships or bursaries may be available. We cover all the funding options in this guide.

But there’s a lot of jargon around the subject, so we start with a quick primer to explain the most common terms.

What is the meaning of PGCE – and what is QTS?

If you’ve ever Googled ‘PGCE meaning’, you’re not alone! Teacher training uses lots of abbreviations, so here’s a handy list.

What is a PGCE?

It stands for Postgraduate Certificate in Education and is one of the main routes into teaching in the UK.

What is a PGDE?

This means Postgraduate Diploma in Education. All postgraduate teacher training in Scotland is through taking a PGDE at a university – this qualification is the same as a PGCE. But a PGDE at an English university is longer and worth 120 credits rather than the usual 60.

What is ITT?

ITT means Initial Teacher Training and refers to any official teacher training course. ITT is used in England; ITE is used elsewhere in the UK. ITE means Initial Teacher Education.

What does SCITT stand for in teaching?

SCITT means School Centred Initial Teacher Training. It means your teacher training will be led by a school or group of schools, not a university. You'll only come across SCITT providers in England.

What is QTS?

QTS stands for Qualified Teacher Status. You must have QTS to teach in a publicly funded primary or secondary school in England. You don't need QTS to teach elsewhere. QTS is awarded by the teaching regulator, not the course provider. This means a course might say ‘recommended for QTS’.

What is EYTS?

EYTS means Early Years Teacher Status and only applies in England. EYTS qualifies you to teach the birth to five age range. It does not qualify you to teach in a primary school in England – for that you’ll need to pass a QTS assessment.

What is a PGCE course?

A PGCE or PGDE is a postgraduate initial teacher training course that is also an academic qualification awarded by a university. A PGCE is recognised in all UK nations and across the world.

A PGCE usually takes one year if studied full-time. If you're taking a PGCE at a university, you’ll spend more than half that time in school, in two different school settings. It’s often the most challenging but rewarding part of teacher training, as you start to put your skills into practice.

On your PGCE you’ll learn about educational practices, theory and research. You'll gain practical skills in teaching, planning and assessment, and in classroom management. There's also academic work such as written assignments and action-based research.

For primary teaching, you take a general PGCE or PGDE. For postgraduate secondary teacher training, you must teach in a subject that’s closely related to your degree.

Not all PGCE courses lead to Qualified Teacher Status (which is what you need to teach in most schools in England). If you take a PGCE to teach further education or to teach early years (EYTS), it won’t lead to QTS. So, if you want to teach in England, look for a PGCE course ‘with QTS’ or ‘recommended for QTS’ – or iQTS if you're taking an international PGCE.

Postgraduate initial teacher training in England

In England, as well as a PGCE at a university, there are other ways to qualify as a teacher. School-led teacher training is a popular way to learn teaching if you're a graduate. But there are many versions of school-led teaching, which can be confusing.

• SCITT teacher training is led by schools that are approved to run their own courses.
• School Direct training is in a school that partners with a university or SCITT; the school may also deliver some of the teacher training.
• Postgraduate teaching apprenticeships are in a school, with training led by a SCITT or a university.
• Teach First is a SCITT programme for high-achieving graduates or career changers that helps schools in poorer areas.

These school-led courses all cover the same requirements as any PGCE programme. The training is always led by a recognised ITT provider, and you’ll have a mentor. Even though you will be based in one lead school, you’ll also experience teaching in another school setting. Ofsted inspects all providers and programmes, so you can check their quality.

The Teach First course is two years long; it includes a PGDE and focuses on leadership development.

Salaried teacher training

In England, you might not need to pay for your course tuition fees.

• If your training is directly from a university or SCITT provider, you must pay tuition fees and take out a student loan.
• If your programme is a postgraduate teacher training apprenticeship or with Teach First, you won't need to pay your fees. Plus, you’ll earn a salary as an employee. 20% of your time will be in off-the-job training.
• If you take a School Direct programme, it could be either of the above.

For paid teacher training, you generally need three years of work on your CV – or more. (Teach First will take recent graduates.) Your experience doesn’t have to be teaching-related. Schools can also use their discretion for hard-to-fill subjects.

How much does salaried teacher training pay?

The salary is that of an unqualified teacher, which may be less than you’re used to. In England, teaching unions recommend a minimum of £22,601 in 2025-26.

If you train with Teach First, the salary depends on where you are based and what you teach. The highest rates are for inner London.

• Primary or early years teaching salary: £21,731–£27,252.
• Secondary teaching in maths, science, or modern languages: £26,716–£32,238.
• Secondary teaching in other subjects: £24,244–£29,745.
• In Year 2, all salaries rise to £31,650–£38,766.

Once qualified, in England, you could earn up £51,048, or up to £62,496 for inner London. With Teach First's focus on leadership development, you can quickly step into high-paying senior roles early in your career.

Choosing between a PGCE or a school-led programme

If you take a university PGCE:

• You'll start at uni with a cohort of trainee teachers, giving you more peer support.
• You'll spend about a third of your time on academic learning.
• Your tutors will be academic experts and may be more research-oriented.
• You'll enjoy university life and support.
• Your university will organise your placements.
• Placements may be more intense, as you won't normally be in a school environment.

If your postgraduate initial teacher training is led by a school, you’ll be in school from the start – but you won't be standing at the front straight away.

• You'll start in school and may not meet other trainees.
• You'll learn from practising teachers, so you’ll get a real feel for day-to-day teaching.
• Mentoring could have a closer fit with your training.
• You'll learn your school’s approach to teaching, but probably less of the theory.
• You'll stay with your key school but will get a placement at another school.
• You could benefit from salaried teacher training.
• You may get a job at the end, but this isn't guaranteed.

School-led training might suit you better if you prefer to learn on the job, as it'll quickly immerse you in the role. If you prefer to learn about education theory and practice before getting hands-on, a PGCE at a university might suit you better.

Will you get a PGCE?

If you train to teach through a programme led by a school, it won’t always include a PGCE. You don’t actually need a PGCE to be a teacher in England. That said, a PGCE is an internationally recognised teaching qualification. It may be useful if you plan to move abroad – or even teach elsewhere in the UK.

Whether you can get a PGCE will depend on the training provider and what’s offered. You might have to pay extra to take the PGCE.

Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses

In England, if you're keen to train as a teacher but don't have the required subject knowledge, don't let this put you off. If you’re seen as a good candidate, your teaching provider may get you to take a Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course as part of your training. This might be if you have:

• An A Level in the subject, but not a degree.
• A related degree, for example if you studied accountancy and want to teach maths.
• An unrelated degree but relevant professional experience.
• A language degree, but you need to improve your knowledge of a second language.
• Not used your subject knowledge for a while.

You might take one of these courses before your training starts, or at the same time. You must have already been accepted onto a teacher training course to study an SKE.

How to find postgraduate teacher training

If you’re in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, it’s pretty simple: all teacher education is through a university-led PGCE or PGDE. Wales has an employment-based route if you already work in a school, but it involves studying part-time for a university-led PGCE.

But if you’re in England, with so many ways to qualify, how do you find the best postgraduate teacher training course for you? It may come down to what’s available in your area.

• Sometimes a school may offer more than one type of school-led training, depending on how it's funded.
• Postgraduate teaching apprenticeships are only offered when a school has vacancies, which may be at any time of the year.

If you want to study at a university, you can find PGCE courses on the Complete University Guide. This includes PGCE courses at universities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as England. Applications follow the usual academic cycle, making it easy to find courses and apply for places.

In England, the postgraduate teacher training course service lists all courses other than those led by Teach First. It includes school-led courses. Places may be advertised up to a year in advance.

Applying for teacher training

In England, most applications for postgraduate initial teacher training are via DfE Apply. For Teach First, apply via the Teach First website. For more information, see England’s Get into Teaching website.

In Northern Ireland, apply directly to the institution for PGCE courses. For further details, see the Department of Education in Northern Ireland.

For postgraduate teacher training in Scotland and Wales, applications are through UCAS Undergraduate. Apply before 30 June at 6pm; apply after this and your application will enter Clearing. See the Teach in Scotland website and Educators Wales website for more information on teaching in these nations.

Teaching entry requirements

You must have a UK undergraduate degree or equivalent.

You must also meet the minimum standards in maths and English:

• In England, Wales and Northern Ireland: GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths (5/B or above in Wales). 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) – equivalent qualifications are accepted.
• 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, or modern foreign languages. Teaching providers may want at least one National 5 in a modern language or science.

Different providers may have higher requirements.

To teach at secondary level, you’ll need to have covered enough of your chosen subject within your degree. In England, subject knowledge enhancement courses may be available (see above).

You’ll also need to pass health checks and Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checks as part of the admissions process (PVG scheme in Scotland).

Postgraduate teacher training funding

You can get a student loan for postgraduate teacher training as it qualifies for undergraduate student finance. This means you can apply for a tuition fee loan and maintenance support based on the usual rules in each UK nation.

If you’re in England, you can get a loan whether your course is with a university or an SCITT provider. This includes School Direct programmes if you don't get a salary. For any salaried teacher training, you won’t be able to apply for student finance as your fees will be paid by your employer, and you’ll be paid a salary. This includes any postgraduate teaching apprenticeships.

If you receive student finance for your postgraduate teacher training, you may be able to get extra grants if you support children or family. We cover these on our page about student finance and funding.

Scholarships and bursaries for trainee teachers

Incentives are mostly in postgraduate secondary teaching training, in subjects where there’s a shortage of teachers. You generally need to be eligible for student finance to qualify for the funding. If you receive a salary while training, you won’t qualify for the incentive.

The amount of scholarship or bursary offered this year may not be the same in the next year. This is especially true of funding in England, where the eligible subjects and amounts change each year.

Not all UK nations offer scholarships or bursaries for postgraduate teacher training – in Northern Ireland, there is no extra funding available.

Teaching bursary in England

In 2026-27, the following bursaries are offered for secondary subjects. You must have a degree award of a 2:2 or above. You don’t need to apply; if you meet the eligibility criteria, you’ll be awarded a bursary.

• £29,000 for chemistry, computing, maths, and physics.
• £20,000 for design & technology and languages.
• £5,000 for biology and geography.

In addition, scholarships are available. You usually need a degree qualification of a 2:1 or above. You can’t receive both a scholarship and a bursary.

• £31,000 in chemistry, computing, and physics.
• £22,000 in French, German, and Spanish (no other languages).

You can only get a scholarship or bursary if you're taking a course leading to Qualified Teacher Status.

You must apply for these to the charities that offer the funding:

• Royal Society of Chemistry for chemistry.
• BCS the Chartered Institute for IT for computing.
• Institute of Physics for physics.
• British Council for French, German, or Spanish languages.

You don't need to qualify for student finance to get a bursary or scholarship for languages or physics. This means international students can apply as well. Find out more about teacher training incentives from Get into Teaching.

Teaching bursary in Scotland

You’ll need at least three years’ work experience and a 2:1 in your undergraduate degree to be eligible for the teaching bursary in Scotland. You must have an offer of a place on a PGDE in one of the following subjects:

• Chemistry, computing science, home economics, mathematics, physics, technological education, or modern languages.
• Gaelic as a secondary education subject.
• Gaelic medium in primary or secondary school.

In 2025-26, bursaries of £15,000 were available. Find out about bursaries from Teaching Bursary in Scotland.

Teaching bursary in Wales

In 2026-27, you can get these bursaries if you're enrolled in a postgraduate initial teacher education course that leads to QTS. The incentives are paid during and after your PGCE, and after you complete your teaching induction.

• £15,000 in secondary biology, chemistry, design and technology, digital technology and/or computer science, mathematics, international languages, physics, or Welsh.
• £5,000 in secondary teaching in Welsh as a subject, or through the medium of Welsh.
• £5,000 for students from ethnic minority groups.

Your training provider will let you know whether you are eligible. If so, you’ll need to apply between 1st September and 15th November 2026. Find out about teaching incentives from Educators Wales.

Qualifying as a teacher

In England and Wales, if you pass your programme, you’ll be awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Trainee teachers in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland must provisionally register with a teaching council. These are:

• Education Workforce Council (EWC) in Wales
• General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI)
• General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

(England no longer has a teaching council.)

You then begin an induction period of one to two years, depending on the nation. Find out about your next steps from How to become a teacher: After qualifying.

Best universities for teacher training in the UK

If you want to find out the best place to train as a teacher in the UK, you can start by looking at their graduate outcomes. This table shows what postgraduate teacher trainees were doing 15 months after qualifying from a university PGCE or PGDE. These figures are for the qualifiers of 2021/22. Rounding will affect totals.