Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA) for schools
Harness potential teaching talent in your school. Applications for our 2026 PGTA are now open. Please register your school's interest if you'd like to receive more information directly to your inbox or to nominate a candidate for the programme.
What is the PGTA?
The National Institute of Teaching’s Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship is a 12-month training programme that allows recruits to gain QTS and a teaching apprenticeship qualification, whilst 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.
Programme Overview
- Programme start: August 2026, with an optional Flying Start induction in July
- Initial training: Apprentices begin with a 3-day Intensive Training and Practice (ITaP) from 25 August 2026
- In-school employment: Apprentices are based in school from September, working 4 days per week
- Teaching timetable: Apprentices teach a 60–80% timetable alongside structured training
- Weekly release: Schools must release apprentices every Thursday for centre-based training with National Institute of Teaching
- Initial Teacher Education: Apprentices complete a fully integrated ITE programme alongside employment
- Contrasting placement: Apprentices undertake several weeks in a second school during the spring term to broaden experience and meet statutory requirements
What are the benefits to your school?
Develop existing talent
The opportunity to develop the talent within your school, supporting your recruitment needs and improving staff retention.
More teaching capacity
Apprentices can start on a higher teaching timetable than other ITT trainees (up to 60% of their in-school time, rising to 80% for the last 6 weeks of the training year).
Teaching from day one
On the job training allows apprentices to continue their work in school. Apprentices are not supernumerary, meaning they can teach their own classes from day one.
Fees funded via levy
The training fee for your apprentice’s course can be released from the apprenticeship levy, providing your organisation contributes to this.
Sally Herbert Principal, Oasis Academy, Harpur Mount.
"The apprenticeship route was the perfect option for us to enable us to truly 'grow our own' and remove a potential financial barrier by funding via the levy. The training from the National Institute of Teaching genuinely builds reflective practitioners, which I believe is vital to developing a workforce committed to continuous improvement for the benefit of the pupils we serve."PGTA SEND
We've developed a specialist programme for those wishing to specialise in SEND settings. This programme has been designed to support trainee teachers working with pupils in special school settings or provision units within mainstream schools.
We feel the best route for SEND specialist teacher training is the PGTA, as we know many skilled staff members within special schools are doing great work with the children.
Find out more
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Costs and Salary grants
Schools can access grant funding of up to £29,000 per apprentice
Qualifications gained
Apprentices achieve QTS by July 2027, with the option to add a PGCE awarded by the NIoT
Subjects
An overview of subjects and teaching specialisms available for apprenticeship candidates.
Who can apply
Details on which staff are eligible to be nominated for the apprenticeship.
Eligibility
Find out what qualifications, experience, and criteria candidates need to be considered for the apprenticeship.
Nominating a candidate
Find out how to nominate a member of your school staff and the steps to take to prepare.