Provide training for postgraduate teaching apprentices
How initial teacher training providers can train postgraduate teaching apprentices.
Applies to England
Eligible initial teacher training (ITT) providers can train postgraduate teaching apprentices.
The postgraduate teaching apprenticeship is an ITT route leading to qualified teacher status (QTS).
These apprentices are trainee teachers employed by schools. They combine paid work with on- and off-the-job training.
The postgraduate teaching apprenticeship will be inspected as part of your normal initial teacher education Ofsted inspection.
Candidates who want to use the apply for teacher training (Apply) service to become a postgraduate teaching apprentice can find guidance on the Get Into Teaching website.
There is separate guidance for employers and local authorities on how to employ these apprentices.
Check if you are eligible
Accredited providers are higher education institutions or school-centred ITT providers that have been accredited to offer ITT.
You can only provide the training if you are on the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) and also either:
- accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver ITT leading to QTS
- subcontracted to a provider that is accredited by DfE to deliver ITT leading to QTS
Plan the apprenticeship
Check that apprentices meet the ITT entry requirements before they start. These are the same as for other teacher training routes.
Before the apprentice starts, you must agree:
- the overall structure of the apprenticeship with the employer
- a training plan with the apprentice
Apprentices can start at any point in the academic year, but the apprenticeship must last for at least 9 months.
The apprentice must spend a minimum of 278 of their paid hours in off-the-job training across the duration of the apprenticeship.
Register trainee teachers
You must record teaching apprentices on register trainee teachers (Register).
Assess the apprentice
You must assess whether the apprentice has met the standards for QTS.
If so, make the award and enter the details on Register.
Apprentice assessment
The apprentice assessment for the postgraduate teacher apprenticeship reflects the requirements for awarding QTS.
The knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the occupational standard fully align with the outcomes listed in the ITT criteria, and the assessment result confirms the apprenticeship has been completed.
Apprentices are not required to undertake any additional assessments.
Roles and responsibilities for the apprentice assessment are set out on the Skills England website.
The assessment must be carried out by an accredited ITT provider that is registered on the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) as an assessment organisation.
Use find an end-point assessment organisation for your apprentice to find a list of organisations that can do this.
Advertise courses
Use publish teacher training courses (Publish) to create courses and publish them to Find teacher training courses (Find).
Candidates can then use our Find and Apply services to search for and apply to courses.
If you’re already registered on Publish, you can list your courses using your DfE Sign-in account.
You can also put an advert on recruit an apprentice. It will not affect your funding if you do not do this.
Contact
Email becomingateacher@digital.education.gov.uk if you have any questions about the postgraduate teaching apprenticeships route.