You will spend most of your time in one school, which will employ you. You will also spend some time in another school and at a location where you will study.
With over 110 schools across the country, you can train to teach in a location that suits you. We directly place trainees in both United Learning primary and secondary schools and a large network of partner schools, including academies and independent schools, so you never need to search for your own placement.
We also welcome applications from school staff outside of our network who have their own placement schools and need an external provider for their training year. Please contact us for information.
When you apply, you let us know your preferred school. We then look for the best match, thinking about your subject, the school environment, and where you are most likely to do well. We aim to place you within about an hour’s commute, so your training feels realistic and manageable.
You will spend most of the year in your main placement school, where you will be based, teach, and build relationships. Alongside this, you will have a three-week placement in a contrasting school, giving you valuable experience of different approaches and settings.
Training happens online on Friday afternoons, with some sessions in person at a United Teaching Regional Training Centre.
If you are doing the PGCE, your university tutorials will also take place online and are built into the Friday sessions.
Trainees have a half day of theoretical training each week, which means you are off timetable for sessions on Friday afternoons to focus on developing your knowledge, skills, and understanding across curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, behaviour, and professional behaviours.