What Grades Do I Need to Apply for Teacher Training?
Do you see yourself working with young children or secondary school students? Do you see yourself as someone who could inspire the younger generation to love learning? As someone who could help develop their essential social skills? Or grasp a key idea you've taught them? Or share your passion for a subject?
If you can answer yes to any of those questions then Teacher Training might be the right course and career path for you.
Teacher training degrees combine the study of curriculum subjects with learning teaching techniques and putting these into practice during hands-on school placements.
The three or four year course leads to QTS (qualified teacher status) to enable you to teach in a school or college and then, the world’s your oyster.
Teacher Training graduates go on to work all over the world everywhere from local primary schools to remote villages teaching the native children English.
Here’s more about studying Teacher Training…
What kind of Teacher Training degrees are available?
There are two types of undergraduate degree that will lead to QTS:
- Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees with QTS
On a BEd the focus will be on teaching, learning, and the related academic principles.
If you opt for a BA or BSc then the focus will be on the academic subject you’ve chosen to study but with the added bonus that you’ll be qualified to pass your knowledge on in a school or college after graduation.
If you’re not sure that you definitely want to become a teacher then an alternative would be to take a three year undergraduate degree in a subject of your choosing and then take a one year PGCE course to qualify you to teach.
What grades do I need to apply for Teacher Training?
If you want to become a primary or secondary school teacher then you’ll need at least one A Level from the following subjects:
- Art
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Design and Technology
- English
- French
- Geography
- German
- History
- IT
- Italian
- Maths
- Music
- Physics
- Physical Education
- Religious Studies (Theology)
- Spanish
If you want to become a primary school teacher you might also find CACHE (early years primary teaching/primary education teaching training) useful.
Remember, for primary teaching you must have GCSE Maths, English and Science at grade C or above. For secondary teaching you may be able to get away with not having Science GCSE at C or above but you’ll still need English and Maths.
You’ll also need to pass a professional skills test before you can start your Teaching Training course.
Are there any other entry requirements for a Teacher Training degree?
As Teacher Training is a vocational course rather than just a degree you’ll need to fulfil some non-academic requirements in order to be accepted on a course.
This includes:
- Work experience – most universities ask for at least two weeks of classroom experience before you apply. This could be observing and aiding lessons at your local school.
- Medical fitness – you may be asked to complete a health questionnaire to ensure you’re physically capable of becoming a teacher
- Declaration of criminal convictions – a criminal record won’t necessarily stop you becoming a teacher but you need to declare them and agree to an enhanced criminal record check
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) – this has replaced the CRB check and enables the university to check whether you’ve been barred from working with children and vulnerable adults
Where can I study Teacher Training?
You can study Teacher Training at universities across the UK. Here are some of your options:
- Strathclyde
- Kingston
- Chichester
- Winchester
- Hull
- Liverpool Hope
- Essex
- Durham
- Buckingham
- Bedfordshire
It’s important to check the entry requirements of each university you’re interested in. don’t just assume they’ll all ask for the same grades or A Level subjects.
What are my career prospects with a Teacher Training degree?
A teaching qualification can literally take you anywhere and many graduates do use their degree to combine their love of teaching with their love of travelling.
Common career paths include becoming a primary school teacher, special needs teacher, secondary school teacher, private tutor, careers adviser, learning mentor, or other educational professional.
Less common career paths, although some may need extra qualifications, include becoming a museum education officer, speech and language therapist, youth worker, or community education officer.
