Employ a postgraduate teaching apprentice
How schools and local authorities can employ a postgraduate teaching apprentice.
Applies to England
Schools and local authorities can employ apprentices to do a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship.
This is an initial teacher training (ITT) route leading to qualified teacher status (QTS).
The apprentices are trainee teachers. They combine paid work with on- and off-the-job training.
You can recruit as many apprentices as you like, but you need to make sure you have the capacity to support them, particularly their off-the-job training.
You need to work with an accredited ITT provider. They will train the apprentice. There is separate guidance for ITT providers.
Guidance for candidates who want to apply to be a postgraduate teaching apprentice is available on the Get Into Teaching website.
Choose a provider
You need to work with an accredited provider to train the apprentice. These are higher education institutions or school-centred providers that have been accredited to offer ITT.
You must choose a provider on the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) that is also either:
- accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver ITT leading to QTS
- subcontracted to a provider that is accredited by DfE to deliver ITT leading to QTS
To check a specific provider, email itt.accreditation@education.gov.uk.
Plan the apprenticeship
Check that apprentices meet the ITT entry requirements before they start. These are the same as for other teacher training routes.
You must agree the overall structure of the apprenticeship with the provider before the apprentice starts.
You can employ an apprentice at any point in the academic year, but the apprenticeship should last for at least 9 months.
The apprentice must spend a minimum of 278 of their paid hours in off-the-job training.
Before the apprenticeship starts, you must have:
- an apprenticeship agreement with the apprentice
- a training provider
- a training plan agreed between the apprentice and the training provider
More information about the apprenticeship agreement is available in the apprenticeship funding rules for employers and employer-providers.
Get funding support
You can access the growth and skills levy to pay for apprenticeship training costs.
There is more information in the postgraduate teaching apprenticeships funding manual.
Pay the apprentice
You are responsible for:
- paying the apprentice’s salary
- clearly advertising salary rates before you employ apprentices
You should pay apprentices as full-time employees or on a pro-rata basis for part-time employees.
Maintained schools
You must pay apprentices at least the minimum of the unqualified teachers’ pay range for the training period.
The ITT criteria provide more information about this.
Non-maintained schools, academies and free schools
You can adopt pay arrangements that reflect your local circumstances if you meet all the statutory requirements.
Contact
Email becomingateacher@digital.education.gov.uk to discuss the postgraduate teaching apprenticeship route.