Home Become a teacherTeacher training programme

How you'll learn

Our research-led training, praised by Ofsted, sees you in the classroom from day one. Weekly training sessions are where you will learn the theory of teaching, and the classroom is where you will put it into practice.  

You will receive regular feedback through lesson observations and meetings with your mentor, giving you plenty of opportunities to develop and refine your teaching skills as you go. 

You will be supported every step of the way with expert training, mentorship, subject-knowledge development, and wellbeing support - so you have everything you need to excel in your teaching career. 

What you'll gain

  • Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which qualifies you to teach in schools in England 

  • If you choose to complete a PGCE, you’ll receive your certificate from our university partner Bath Spa 

  • A year’s worth of teaching experience, connections and opportunities – as well as a national network of teachers cheering you on as you launch your teaching career   

How you'll be assessed

You’ll be assessed by classroom observations, development of subject knowledge, and engagement with feedback. You will build an evidence base of how you meet each Teacher's Standard through weekly observations, lesson planning, reflections and progress assessments. 

Where you'll teach

Our school-based programme means you spend most of your time at your main school. In the spring term, a three-week placement at a second school widens your experience, knowledge, and network. 

When you apply, you get to choose the region you would like to train in, as well as your preferred schools. We do our best to match your preferences. 

All trainees are in the classroom from day one, full-time. Salaried trainees start on a timetable of 70% of a fully qualified teacher, gradually increasing to 80%. Fee-paying trainees start on a 30% timetable, rising to 70-80% by term 3. 

What you can expect from our teacher training programme

Summer institute
Weekly training
Mentoring
Curriculum
Assessment
Second school placement
PGCE
Wellbeing and support
Summer institute

Summer institute

Our 10-day summer institute has a mix of in-person and online training to help prepare you for your official September start. 

You’ll meet key members of the United Teaching team, as well as fellow trainees, and learn more about what you can expect from your training. You’ll also have plenty of chances to ask questions and get to meet some United Teaching graduates and hear their top tips.

After getting to grips with teaching basics like behaviour management, classroom presence, and teaching methods, you’ll finish the induction feeling confident and ready for your training year.

Weekly training

Weekly training

Training sessions are on Friday afternoons, led by the United Teaching team and subject leads.

These dive into the theory of teaching and cover aspects such as Rosenshine’s principles, professional behaviour, and curriculum. The benefit of a school-based programme is that you can quickly put your learning into practice in the classroom, adapting and refining as you go.

After each session, you will add to your training log to keep a record of what you’ve learned, how you plan on implementing it, and ultimately show how you have met each Teacher's Standard.

Most sessions are delivered remotely, but at least one each half term takes place in person at one of our regional training centres.

Mentoring

Mentoring

You will have three mentors, each offering tailored support.

Lead mentor

A member of United Teaching staff who visits you in your school to check in on your training and how it's going, and to oversee your lesson observations. 

Subject mentor

A subject expert in your school who supports your subject knowledge development, gives insight into best practice, and answers any subject-specific (secondary) or phase (primary) questions you might have.

Professional mentor

A school-based mentor who supports your overall professional development. You will have regular meetings to keep track of your progress, overcome any obstacles, and learn how you can continue to improve to become the best teacher you can be.

Curriculum

Curriculum

You’ll learn about what makes a good teacher and how to put this into practice. 

Our initial teacher training curriculum focuses on five core areas: 

  • Behaviour management
  • Pedagogy
  • Curriculum
  • Assessment
  • Professional behaviours 
Assessment

Assessment

To qualify as a teacher, you must successfully meet all Teachers’ Standards. 

Our assessment model focuses on formative assessment and target setting which allows you to develop continuously throughout your training year. You will maintain an online portfolio, as a folder of evidence of how you meet each Teacher Standard. This is a formal record of your training year and will form part of the final assessment.  

The final assessment takes place May-July and includes a joint lesson observation, progress and feedback discussion, and a review of your portfolio.

Second school placement

Second school placement

Alongside the main training in your host school, you will also complete a secondary three-week school placement in the spring term to give you experience teaching in different settings. 

It involves a mixture of observing lessons, teaching, and actively engaging with the school community. Weekly mentor meetings, lesson observations and training sessions continue as normal.  

You’ll attend an induction to familiarise yourself with the school before the official placement.

PGCE

PGCE

If you choose to study a PGCE, you’ll complete this alongside your school-based training.  

You will be assessed via two written assignments which are designed to work in conjunction with our curriculum: pedagogy for learning in the classroom and planning for learning in the classroom. These assignments ask you to reflect on and evaluate your own practice and that of your placement schools. They provide you with 60 credits at Level 7, which can be used as part of a future Masters degree (180 credits).  

You will be allocated an academic tutor who will support you throughout the course. For each academic assignment, you will be provided with taught sessions and 1:1 tutorials.  

To be successful, you will need to engage thoroughly with published academic research and educational theory.  

Wellbeing and support

Wellbeing and support

You will be supported from the very start with dedicated mentor support, high-quality resources, and excellent CPD opportunities. 

Here is who you can expect to support you in your journey. 

HR and Programme coordinator 

  • HR and finance related concerns
  • Weekly help forms  
  • 1:1 drop-in meeting  

Subject mentor (school based)  

  • Weekly meeting and target setting
  • Weekly observation and feedback
  • Professional learning conversations
  • Assessments and reports  

Professional mentor (school based) 

  • Termly observation and feedback
  • Professional learning conversations (with subject mentor)
  • Internal QA of assessments and reports
  • Internal QA of subject mentoring  

Lead mentor

  • Ongoing pastoral support for trainee teachers
  • Formal termly meeting to review progress
  • Termly observation and feedback
  • Quality assurance of mentoring  

Subject leads  

  • Subject study sessions (Friday training)  

University tutor (PGCE students only)  

  • Lead and facilitate Bath Spa PGCE sessions (Friday training)
  • PGCE assignment support and feedback 

Find out more about how we support you in your training year.

What you can teach

Ready to apply?

Apply now