Applying for teacher training
Applying for teacher training
Gill Golder, Director of Teacher Education at Marjon, offers advice on teaching training applications
Applications for teacher training programs starting in September 2024 are now open.
If you don't yet have a degree you can apply to an undergraduate course and you can search for places on the UCAS website. If you already have a degree you can take a postgraduate route into teaching and these are to be found on the Department for Education website.
Plymouth Marjon University has over 180 years in the field, making us the most experienced teacher-training institution in the South West. We've put together this guide to help you prepare your teacher training application, and you'll find our range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses listed on this page.
What are the entry requirements?
The entry requirements for teacher training are:
- For all routes into teaching GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Maths at grade 4 or above; also Science at grade 4 or above if you want to teach in the primary phase (or an equivalent qualification).
- For undergraduate routes UCAS points - these vary according to the University you apply to.
- Relevant experience in a school either through work experience, volunteering or paid employment is not essential but it will help you get a flavour of teaching today and whether a career in teaching is for you.
- For postgraduate course a 2:2 or above is generally accepted, but do check other providers.
When do I apply for teacher training?
Applications are now open for teacher training courses. It is advisable to apply early to secure your place.
In the last cycle we saw increased postgraduate applications and closed applications for some courses because all places were taken.
Undergraduate teacher training courses
If you do not yet have a degree you will need to do an undergraduate degree (i.e. a first degree) and in this case you have two options.
1. The best option for you is BEd or BA with qualified teacher status (QTS). These are three or four year degrees. The three year Bachelor of Education (BEd) programmes are your fastest way to train to become a teacher, and every step of the course is designed to prepare you for the career as a teacher in schools.
Plymouth Marjon offers three BEd degrees, all with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS):
- BEd Primary Education (with QTS)
- BEd Primary Education - Early Years (with QTS)
- BEd Secondary Education - Physical Education (with QTS)
- BEd Secondary Education - Science and Maths (with QTS)
2. You can complete an undergraduate degree or foundation degree plus top up year in a subject area e.g. Education, Social Sciences, English, Physical Education (PE), Science, Maths, and then go on to complete a one year postgraduate teaching course.
Postgraduate teacher training courses
If you already have a degree then you will need to complete a postgraduate route into teaching, there are a number of options which essentially fall into three categories:
- A University based PGCE
- A school-led postgraduate route (e.g SCITT or School Direct)
- Or a specialist route ( e.g researchers in school, teacher apprentice, teach first); these different options are explained on the Get Into Teaching website.
We offer a number of PGCE and School Direct courses:
- PGCE Primary
- PGCE Primary Education with Special Educational Needs and Disability
- PGCE Secondary Education with Art and Design
- PGCE Secondary Education with Biology
- PGCE Secondary Education with Chemistry
- PGCE Secondary Education with Drama
- PGCE Secondary Education with English
- PGCE Secondary Education with Geography
- PGCE Secondary Education with History
- PGCE Secondary Education with Maths
- PGCE Secondary Education with Modern Foreign Languages
- PGCE Secondary Education with Physical Education
- PGCE Secondary Education with Physics
- PGCE Secondary Education with Psychology
- PGCE Secondary Education with Religious Education
- School Direct - Primary
- School Direct - Secondary - with Art & Design, Biology, Chemistry, Drama, Design & Technology, Computing, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Music, Physical Education, Physics or Religious Education.
- Postgraduate diploma in Early Years with Initial Teacher Training - awards Early Years Teacher Status
PGCE or School Direct?
A PGCE enables you to divide your time between university and two schools, allowing you to mix practical and theoretical knowledge. The PGCE is based in school two-thirds of the year providing you with opportunities to put your learning into practice. School Direct is a school based, school-led training programme that lasts one year. Most of your time is based in a lead school and you benefit from on the job training. You can achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with either route.
Whatever route you choose, there are many reasons to train to teach at Marjon:
- Our trainees scored us 92% student satisfaction for postgraduate teacher training, putting us in the top 25% quartile of all providers in England (Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey, 2020).
- We have relationships with over 300 primary, secondary and special schools to give you a wide choice of learning experiences.
- Marjon education and teaching graduates are 3rd in all University providers for graduate earnings five years after leaving the university (Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2018).
- We are the UK’s first teacher training institution, established in 1838. We understand education.
To work out which one is right for you please see our in-depth look at PGCE or School Direct.