National Institute of Teaching joins Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers

The National Institute of Teaching has now been appointed as a registered apprenticeship provider for the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship.

The accreditation will mean that, from July 2023, the Institute will be able to provide a new, salaried route into teaching, alongside its traditional Initial Teacher Training offer.

The NIoT Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship is a fourteen-month programme that runs from July to August and leads to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which trainees can access while remaining in paid employment in school.

Apprentices can specialise in primary or a specific subject at secondary level. Our blended learning approach combines in-school experience, centre-based training and off-the-job training.

The apprenticeship route allows schools to provide a career development pathway, which supports recruitment and retention for experienced staff and enables schools to develop their own talent.

Trainees can access new opportunities for career progression and recognition, and will benefit from a structured, nationally recognised programme to formalise and extend their existing knowledge and experience, while paying no tuition fees.

This year, the NIoT will be focusing on candidates who are graduates currently working in the school they wish to train to teach in, with some teaching responsibilities, for example teaching assistants or HLTAs.

Candidates must have

• A degree awarded by a UK higher education provider, or a recognised equivalent qualification.
• A standard equivalent to grade C/4, or above, in the GCSE examinations in English and Mathematics.
• a standard equivalent to a grade C/4, or above, in a GCSE science subject examination (for primary)
• a degree in the subject the apprentice wishes to teach, although A-level subjects may be considered and Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses are also available (secondary)
• school experience – length and roles may vary depending on the experience of each individual.
• all apprentices must meet the ESFA Apprenticeship eligibility criteria.

The employer pays all salary and associated employment oncosts, and once QTS has been awarded, apprentices will be paid as ECTs and have the same employment rights as ECTs.

One of the NIoT’s founding Multi-Academy Trusts, Star Academies, has been running the apprenticeship through its successful SCITT since September 2022.

Lisa-Marie's story

Lisa-Marie Houldey works at Dorothy Goodman School, and said:

“I have been working at the school for a few years and I am very passionate about supporting the pupils in their education and felt that it was time for me to take the next step. I have high expectations of my pupils so felt being a teacher would give me the chance to really make a difference and support pupils to achieve their full potential.

“An apprenticeship seemed the best route for me. I was already working in a school where I was happy and where the management were ready to support me and as I already had a degree and some base teaching knowledge, this felt right. I learn better by doing so why not learn while doing the job?

“I love that the course brings a whole support group of people who understand and are there for you. I love that the tutors are passionate and supportive and that everything we get taught on a Friday we then have chance to go away and put into practice straight away and from this I can see a big difference in my teaching already.”

“I love how rewarding teaching is, especially in SEN where every small achievement is huge, and you get to really stretch pupils at their personal targets. All learning is adapted to the needs of each pupil and no two days are the same. I love that feeling when everything you have been practicing comes together and a pupil masters a new skill or remembers some knowledge we have been learning about.

The apprenticeship route is simply the best.

“The apprenticeship route is simply the best. I can do into my ECT years having already gained a full year of teaching in class. This means that I will be ahead of the game. I will already have made mistakes and learned from them, failed and tried again, discovered my teaching style and established my classroom rules and expectations. A more theoretical route to teaching or routes that give you less time in class will have you starting you ECT years with less hands-on experience.”

“My advice to others would be that it is 100% worth it. Yes, it is a rollercoaster journey with highs and lows but the sense of achievement and reward for doing it is second to none. You will not get the same sense of achievement from anything else. If I was to offer one bit of advice to someone else starting the course it would be to know that it is ok to feel like an imposter at times and to have moments where you feel you cannot do it because that is normal, but you can do it. Just make sure you talk to your mentors or tutors about how you are feeling because they are the best people to pick you up and remind you that you've got this and they have got your back.”