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Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

The Initial Teacher Training Programme at NIoT embraces various routes into the teaching profession. This innovative programme offers different pathways, including fee-paying, salaried, and the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship, accommodating various learning styles and commitments, fostering a rich and inclusive environment for aspiring teachers. The NIoT’s Initial Teacher Training is a fully immersive school-centred programme – aspiring teachers will be in the classroom from the very start.

For:
Graduate, Apprentice, Career Changer
Accreditation:
QTS and PGCE (60 Masters credits)
Start Date:
Summer 2025
Programme Length:
11 months (full-time) 16-20 months (part-time) 14 months (Apprenticeship)
Application Deadline:
July 2025
Cost:
See detail below
  • Overview
  • Benefits
  • Why study at the NIoT?
  • Curriculum
  • Subjects & course codes
  • Support
  • Time commitment
  • Location
  • Assessment
  • Eligibility
  • Provider codes for DfE Apply
  • How to apply
  • Cost/funding
  • FAQs

Overview

The NIoT’s initial teacher training is a fully immersive school-centred programme – aspiring teachers will be in the classroom from the very start. But full immersion does not mean that you will be thrown in the deep end: our trainees are mentored and have central training once a week. And you’ll have the confidence of knowing that you are participating in a programme that was designed by some of the most experienced teachers and leaders in the country, drawn from four leading school trusts with decades of teacher-training between them. We also know from experience what headteachers look for in new teachers – so we will ensure that you develop the skills necessary for finding an Early Career Teacher role.

All our courses lead to QTS, a PGCE, and 60 master's level credits’.
For our PGTA course, the PGCE is optional and subject to an additional fee for candidates.

If you are a school interested in the PGTA, visit the
Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship page for more information.

Benefits

  • Fully immersive: NIoT trainees are given 39 weeks of professional learning and teaching practice in a placement school.
  • Learning applied quickly: You'll learn something on a Thursday (at Core Training) and apply it the next day.
  • Fully supported: We care about the wellbeing of our trainees. So you'll have mentors who know you well, support your progress and cheer your successes.
  • Advice on tap: Trainees who have concerns about any area of teaching – from classroom behaviour to workload management – are offered detailed support and guidance either locally or nationally.
  • Spiral curriculum: Our curriculum is deliberately structured in order to reinforce previous learning. Your classroom practice will become more sophisticated as their knowledge builds.
  • Research-informed: Our researchers are continually examining what works best in teacher training and using these insights to shape the programmes we offer.
  • National cohort: You will belong to a network of like-minded individuals across the country.

Find out more about why you should study with NIoT.

Why study at the NIoT?

  • We are an institution dedicated to training teachers and school leaders at every stage of their careers – from trainee through to executive leader. We'll be by your side throughout your career.
  • We were founded by four leading school trusts, with an established record in nurturing talent, helping teachers and leaders carve out the career that is right for them and working with children in their local communities.
  • Our network of Associate Colleges across the country ensures that our programmes are targeted to their participants, reflecting local contexts and drawing on local expertise.
  • We are rooted in schools. We know the day-to-day challenges that teachers face - how unpredictable classroom life can be. Because we were set up by schools, we also know what senior leaders are looking for in a new teacher – information that will be invaluable when it comes to helping you secure a job.

Curriculum

Structure:

  • Pre-Autumn term: Flying start – a one-week programme for all NIoT new trainees, when we'll ensure that you have the basic tools necessary to prepare you for entering the classroom.
  • Autumn term: You will have one main placement for the whole of this term. The course is fully immersive, which means that you’ll be teaching from the very start – but your timetable will be very small to begin with, increasing as the year progresses. You will be in your placement school four days a week and training in your campus one day a week. This means that you'll be able to learn new techniques, practise them and then apply them in school immediately.
  • Spring term: You will spend four weeks of this term in a contrasting school placement. The aim is to broaden your experience and field of reference. This placement will be organised for you.
  • Second half of spring term and summer term: You will return to your main placement school. This will help you to strengthen existing relationships and to deepen your teaching knowledge, as well as providing continuity for your learners.

What you'll learn:

  1. Subject and curriculum knowledge: We'll support you with the fundamentals: why you're teaching an aspect of the curriculum, what's the best way to teach it, and how you can do it most successfully.
  2. Planning for progress: How to plan effective, objective-driven lessons by observing expert colleagues, conceptualising and sequencing pupil progress over time, and creating opportunities for deeper learning and challenge.
  3. Behaviour and relationships: How to nurture a culture of mutual trust and respect. How to create an inclusive and ambitious climate for learning, helping young people to achieve consistently high standards. How to provide a positive, predictable and safe environment for all pupils.
  4. How students learn – inclusive pedagogy: How to ensure all our pupils experience success at the highest level by teaching new content, building on their pre-existing knowledge, using explanations and modelling and diagnosing and implementing strategies for all. How to provide opportunities for practice and retrieval, so as to maximise the chances that pupils will retain new information. How to avoid overloading young people with information.
  5. Assessment and responsive teaching: How to draw on the different forms of assessment, in order to check for learner misconceptions and measure the depth of their understanding. How to use data effectively to support the needs of the pupils in your class.
  6. Professional behaviours: How to step into the role of a teacher. What will your professional obligations be? How can you look after your own wellbeing? How to reflect on your own teaching practice and make use of the support around you. How to use wider networks and communities in order to strengthen your own knowledge.

Subjects & course codes

  • Primary (3-7) (fee-paying: Z492)
  • Primary (5-11) (fee-paying: 28P6)
  • Primary with mathematics (3-7) (fee-paying: E792)
  • Primary with mathematics (5-11) (fee-paying: 3F2F)
  • Art and Design (fee-paying: F198)
  • Biology (fee-paying: 2KGW or salaried: 2KGD)
  • Chemistry (fee-paying: 2KGZ or salaried: 2KGY)
  • Computing (fee-paying: 2T3F or salaried: 2T3G)
  • Design and technology (fee-paying: 2KG7)
  • Drama (fee-paying: U042) *subject to university verification
  • English (fee-paying: 2KG2)
  • Geography (fee-paying: 2KH8)
  • History (fee-paying: 2KH6)
  • Languages - Arabic: (fee-paying: 2B66 or salaried: 2B64)
  • Languages - French: (fee-paying: 2B66 or salaried: 2B64)
  • Languages - Mandarin: (fee-paying: 2B66 or salaried: 2B64)
  • Languages - Spanish: (fee-paying: 2B66 or salaried: 2B64)
  • Languages - Urdu: (fee-paying: 2B66 or salaried: 2B64)
  • Mathematics: (fee-paying: 2B67 or salaried: 2B68)
  • Music (fee-paying: P450)
  • Physics: (fee-paying: 2KH3 or salaried: 2KH2)
  • PE (fee-paying: 2VHD)
  • RE (fee-paying: 3F7V)

Support

At the NIoT, we believe that readily available, empathetic support is vital to ensuring that our trainee teachers have a successful training year. The support package we offer includes:

  • A multi-layered school support network, designed to help protect your physical and mental health and your wellbeing
  • Personalised support with any specific areas of the programme that might be concerning you, such as behaviour management, workload or academic writing etc.
  • An NIoT support network, including professional tutors, regional welfare officers, subject leads and peer discussion groups customised to your cohort
  • Tailored support for neurodiverse trainees
  • Dedicated support for trainees who are registered disabled.

Read more about the specific support we offer our trainees.

Time commitment

Full-time option:

  • Five days per week (four days in school, one day in training).

Part-time:

  • Four days per week, with the course finishing at the end of the autumn term of year two. All academic work would be completed during year one. Training day (Thursday) not negotiable.
  • Three days per week, with the course finishing at Easter of year two. All academic work would be completed during year one. Training day (Thursday) not negotiable.

Location

We are a national charity and will be expanding our reach over the coming years. Check the DfE Find website to see where we deliver ITT near you.

Assessment

For QTS: Assessment is ongoing throughout the year, and includes observation of your practice and evidence of your success from mentors, tutors and yourself. Trainees are assessed against the NIoT ITT curriculum as the year progresses, and against the Teachers’ Standards at the end of the programme.

For PGCE: Assessment is by three master’s level assignments, which are both academically robust and grounded in your day-to-day practice.

NIoT currently works in partnership with the University of Birmingham (UoB). The UoB is the validating university and has responsibility for awarding the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) element of the NIoT’s programme. The NIoT has applied to the Office for Students (OfS) for registration and for New Degree Awarding Powers (NDAPs). The NIoT is currently awaiting the outcome of its applications. If the NIoT is awarded NDAPs prior to the start of the academic year 2025/26, then all new students shall be awarded their PGCE by the NIoT (rather than the UoB).

For Apprenticeship: You will complete an end point assessment at the end of your apprentice year.

Eligibility

NIoT's eligibility criteria:

  • A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent with a 2:2 or above
  • A GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths, or equivalent
  • Primary candidates will also need a GCSE grade 4/C or above in a science, or equivalent
  • Your degree or A-levels will need to be relevant to the subject/phase you wish to teach.

Find out more about eligibility criteria.

If you have any questions about your eligibility, please contact us on ITT@niot.org.uk. You can also read more about eligibility on the Get Into Teaching website.

Do you have what it takes to be a good teacher? Read more here.

Provider codes for DfE Apply

  • (1TZ) - NIoT@Harris Initial Teacher Education - London, the South East and the East of England
  • (7K9) - NIoT@Oasis Community Learning – South West and the West Midlands
  • (1GV) - NIoT@Outwood Grange Academies Trust - North East, East Midlands and most of Yorkshire
  • (2A6) - NIoT@Star Academies - North West & parts of West Yorkshire
  • (2H7) - NIoT@Inspiration Trust 
  • (1MN) - NIoT@Alban TSH 
  • (21P) - NIoT@Pen Green Centre
  • (21J) - NIoT@Kernow Initial Teacher Education
  • (4W2) - NIoT@White Horse Federation
  • (2HE) - NIoT@Windsor Academies Trust
  • (24P) - NIoT@Ormiston Teacher Training
  • (L06) - NIoT@North East SCITT
  • (1YF) - NIoT@Trinity Institute of Education
  • (1FE) - NIoT@David Ross Education Trust 
  • (5J5) - NIoT@Learn AT

N.B. for Subject codes see 'Subjects & course codes' above

How to apply

How to become a teacher with the NIoT

The following section is relevant for all applications to our fee-paying and salaried ITE courses. For PGTA applications, please visit the Post Graduate Teaching Apprenticeship page.

  1. Complete the 'Register your interest' form to submit your details.
  2. Attend a virtual information evening held by the NIoT, to learn more about training to teach with us. Visit Events at the NIoT
  3. You’ll need to work out the answers to the following questions before applying. Are you applying for primary or secondary? Which subject will you be specialising in? Are there any bursaries available for your subject? If not, what funding route would be best for you?
  4. Interview in the region you'd like to teach. If you are applying for a salaried position, you will attend a second interview with your placement school.
  5. Accept your offer to secure your training place.
  6. Start preparing for your career in teaching. Your offer will be subject to meeting certain conditions and safeguarding checks.

Find out more about how to apply here.

Cost/funding

The NIoT offers three different routes into its ITT programme. Each of these has different funding associated with it:

Fee paying - no salary:

  • The cost of training to teach is £9,250 for full-time study. Student finance and maintenance loans will be available.
  • The cost of training to teach part-time is £6,935 for year one and then another £6,935 pro rata according to how much of the second year is needed. Student finance and maintenance loans will be available.
  • Tax-free bursaries and scholarships are available from the DfE, for some subjects. This changes annually.
  • NIoT scholarships and support might be available for some subjects and phases (this varies from school to school).

Apprenticeship route:

  • If a school pays the apprenticeship levy, then the cost of the apprenticeship can be covered by the levy. Certain rules apply.
  • Student finance and maintenance loans are not available. You are paid a salary on the unqualified teacher scale (UNQ1). Certain rules apply
  • Cost to the trainee is £1,200 if they choose to do the PGCE academic award on top of QTS.

Salaried route:

  • Your school will pay your fees of £9,250. Student finance and maintenance loans are not available. You are paid on the unqualified teacher scale (UNQ1). Certain rules apply.

Find out more funding, including scholarships and bursaries.

FAQs

  • The cost is £9,250 for full-time study. Student finance will be available
  • Part-time cost is £6,935 in year one and then another £6,935 pro rata, depending on how much of the second year is needed (see below).
  • Bursaries are available for some subjects. This changes annually.
  • Apprenticeship trainees pay £1,200 in fees if they choose to do the PGCE academic award on top of QTS.
  • If a school pays an apprenticeship levy then the cost of the apprenticeship can be covered by the levy. Certain rules apply.
  • NIoT scholarships and support are available for some subjects and phases (also dependent on schools).

  • We offer full-time and part-time options.
  • The full-time option will start in August 2025 with Flying Start, and finish in July 2026.
  • Part time could be:
  • four days per week, meaning that the course would finish in December of year two. All academic work would be completed during the first day. Training day not negotiable.
  • three days per week, meaning that the course would finish at Easter of year two. All academic work would be completed during year one. Training day not negotiable.

  • Autumn term: You will have one main placement for the whole of this term. The course is fully immersive, which means that you’ll be teaching from the very start – but your timetable will be very small to begin with, increasing as the year progresses.
  • Spring term: You will spend four weeks of this term in a contrasting school placement. The aim is to broaden your experience and field of reference. This placement will be provided for you.
  • Second half of spring term and summer term: You will return to your main placement school. This will help you to strengthen existing relationships and deepen your teaching knowledge, as well as providing continuity for your pupils.

All weeks will follow the same structure. You will be in school for four days every week and then have training with NIoT on a Thursday.

This mean you will have the opportunity to learn more about being an expert teacher, as well to put evidence-based learning into practice immediately, in your placement schools.

These will be structured according to the latest and best research on what we know about building expertise quickly. The days will begin with expert input from a national or international expert, followed by an opportunity to understand and practise what you learn, before moving into subject groups to apply it through the lens of your phase-specific subject(s). You will also have the opportunity to receive feedback from expert colleagues before delivering a real lesson to pupils.

  • This is a week in the summer when we ensure that you have some basic tools to prepare you to enter the classroom.
  • This is followed by an intensive two weeks in late August/early September, when we make sure that you have foundational knowledge of how to begin to teach children.
  • These weeks will provide the fundamentals of great teaching and learning, allowing you to improve rapidly week on week, quickly progressing to more complex areas of pedagogy.
  • Learn more about what to expect from Flying Start.

  • We know that people learn best when they learn something new from an expert, and are then given the opportunity to practise what they’ve learnt and receive feedback on it.
  • Intensive training and practice focuses on a single or small number of areas, very intensely, to ensure that trainees make rapid progress in understanding and application, based on expert input.

  • We aim to place all trainees no more than one hour’s travel away from home if they live in London, or one hour and 30 minutes’ travel from home if they live in other parts of the country.
  • We will take into consideration your needs, in order to ensure we choose the right placement for you.

  • You must have a UK bachelor’s degree or equivalent (with ENIC proof of equivalence).
  • You must have GCSE grade C/4 or above in English language and maths or equivalent (with ENIC proof of equivalence).
  • Those wanting to teach at primary level will need a science subject at GCSE grade C/4 or above or equivalent (with ENIC proof of equivalence).
  • You’ll need to have DBS and fitness to teach checks.
  • You must be able to produce original certificates or documentation to support the qualifications above.
  • You must be motivated to teach and committed to ensuring better outcomes for the pupils you teach.
  • Find out more about eligibility criteria.

You'll need to apply for an equivalency GCSE. You can do this on equivalency.co.uk where you can book to take an equivalency text (this will be at your own cost).

You will need to apply to ENIC for a certificate of equivalency, and we will check that against the regulations that the government sets for entry into the profession.

If you also have non-UK GCSE equivalent examinations, send all of your certificates together.

(This will be at your own cost.)

You will need to apply to ENIC to get certificates of equivalency and we will check that against the regulations.

If you also have a non-UK degree, send all of your certificates together.

(This will be at your own cost.)

If your IELTS has an overall grade of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each of the subtests, we class this as equivalent to GCSE English language.

It must have been taken within the last two years.

You'll need to apply for an equivalency GCSE. You can do this on equivalency.co.uk where you can book to take an equivalency text (this will be at your own cost).

While having a degree in the subject may make you more confident when it comes to subject knowledge, it is not a requirement. We do ask that you have an A level in that subject at grade A or B.

The National Institute of Teaching delivers cutting-edge, evidence-based teacher training and professional development, informed by its ongoing research into best practice.

The NIoT was set up by four leading school trusts, with decades of teacher-training experience between them. Our programmes were designed by some of the most experienced teachers and leaders in the country.

The NIoT’s initial teacher training programme is fully immersive – aspiring teachers will be in the classroom from the very start. But we also offer comprehensive mentoring and support – including personalised assistance with areas such as behaviour management, workload and academic writing – so you won’t feel that you’ve been thrown in at the deep end.

We’re a government-funded national institute – but we’re also local. We teach from six regional campuses, each working with a number of Associate Colleges, which are responsible for delivering the programmes. So we can guarantee that you’ll be placed in a school near you, with a programme that reflects your local context.

And, because we are school-led, we know from experience what headteachers want from new teachers – so we will ensure that you develop the skills necessary for finding a job.

  • Primary (3-7)
  • Primary (5-11)
  • Primary with mathematics (3-7)
  • Primary with mathematics (5-11)
  • Art and Design
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing
  • Design and technology
  • Drama
  • English
  • Geography
  • History
  • Languages - Arabic
  • Languages - French
  • Languages - Mandarin
  • Languages - Spanish
  • Languages - Urdu
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Physics
  • PE
  • RE

Our interview process is as follows:

  • Complete a 5-minute lesson introduction task
  • Answer 5 interview questions based on our values and competencies
  • Complete a written assessment on your subject knowledge and English proficiency

If you are applying for a salaried position, and are successful with the above, we will invite you to a second interview with a member of the senior leadership team in the school you may be placed in.

Contact us

Please get in touch to find out more about our programmes and find out where we are delivering them near you.

Email:info@niot.org.uk

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