Upskill Your Support Staff Through The Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship 

The Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship is an ideal training pathway for individuals who hold a degree in any subject and are looking to become a qualified teacher.

This programme is perfect for: 

• Support staff looking to progress into teaching
• Unqualified teachers looking to gain QTS

To apply for this programme, your staff must meet the following requirements:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any subject with a minimum 2:2 classification*
• Have achieved at least grade 4 (C) in GCSE English and mathematics (or equivalent)
• If applying for Primary specialism, have also achieved grade 4 (C) in a science subject
• Must have held residency in the UK for the last three years**
  
  

*If their degree is an ordinary, or 3rd class, their application will be considered on a case-by-case basis by our team. 

**If they're not a British citizen, they will need to be able to evidence that their visa is valid for the entire duration of the programme.

The programme is completely free for the student teacher. Training is funded by your school's Apprenticeship Levy or, if you don’t pay into the Levy, with government co-investment.

Training is salaried, so student finance and maintenance loans aren’t available on this route.

Instead, student teachers will need to be paid a minimum salary between £21,000 and £27,000 (or more depending on location or experience) on the unqualified teacher pay scale (UNQ1). This is the responsibility of the school to pay. 

Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship grants

To support this, the DfE provides grants to ITT providers to help cover the cost of student teacher salaries and training. ITT providers are responsible for making sure that any grant funding intended for salary support is passed on to the employing school so it can be used as intended.

Our team will be able to talk you through the process if your school is eligible for a grant. 

Grants are paid per student teacher. For 2025–2026, we are offering:

The programme is full-time (minimum 30 hours per week) and runs over three terms, plus the End-Point Assessment (EPA). Your apprentice teacher will spend four days a week in your classroom, gaining practical experience while completing the programme over 10 months.

• Induction: Before the programme begins, apprentices attend an induction day to meet peers and prepare for classroom teaching, ensuring they are ready to contribute effectively from day one.
• Term 1: Main placement: Your school (School A) will be the apprentice’s primary placement. They will be in your classroom four days a week, with one day dedicated to online or in-person training. This allows them to start making a meaningful impact in your school while building their skills.
• Term 2: Contrasting placement: For six weeks, the apprentice will complete a placement at a different school (School B), arranged by our placement coordinators. This broadens their experience and exposes them to different teaching environments, which they bring back to enhance practice in your school.
• Term 3: Consolidation: The apprentice returns to your school (School A) to consolidate their learning, apply new skills and prepare for the recommendation of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
• Term 4: End-Point Assessment: After completing their practical training, the apprentice undertakes an End-Point Assessment. Successful completion results in a Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship Qualification on top of Qualified Teacher Status, leaving your school with a fully qualified teacher who has developed in your own classroom.

Our curriculum is designed to develop your apprentice teacher’s skills and confidence progressively, blending theory with practical classroom experience in your school.

The ITT curriculum is broad, balanced, and carefully structured to ensure apprentices gain expertise across all areas of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), preparing them for a successful, lifelong teaching career.

Training is built around three core areas:

• Behaviour Support & Classroom Management

• Curriculum Delivery

• Teacher Development

These are delivered through a combination of live webinars, in-school training and self-study, ensuring that learning is immediately applicable in your classrooms.

Core Training Days:
Apprentices attend core training days throughout the programme, delivered online or Face-to-Face at a local training centre. These sessions provide targeted support and guidance to enhance their teaching practice in your school.

Intensive Training and Practice (ITAP) Weeks:
Apprentices also take part in four ITAP weeks, focusing on evidence-based teaching theory and practice. During these weeks, they observe expert practice and embed new strategies, bringing these insights back into their classrooms to benefit your students.

By the end of the programme, apprentices are prepared to confidently teach up to 80% of the class timetable, providing significant value to your school while completing their journey to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Training to become a teacher is a big step. That’s why every school and student teacher is backed by a dedicated support network, designed to reduce pressure on staff while ensuring consistent progress.

A student teacher's support network includes:

Facilitators & SEND Experts
Our expert facilitators lead the core training, while subject specialists deliver webinars to help student teachers develop their teaching knowledge and skills.

Placement Team
The Placement Team works behind the scenes to arrange and coordinate placements at your school, ensuring that student teachers gain valuable, relevant classroom experience without adding administrative burden to your team.

Personal Tutor
A Personal Tutor will support both student teachers and mentors, visiting your school for observations and check-ins to ensure they are well supported.

In-School Mentor
Your school will designate a mentor (an experienced member of staff) who meets with the student teacher weekly, guides their learning, observes their teaching and helps set development targets. They act as the primary point of contact for all school-based support.

Wellbeing Lead
Should any challenges arise, the student teacher has access to a dedicated wellbeing lead who provides informal guidance and support, helping to safeguard both the student teacher and your school environment.

The Programme team

The Programme Team manages applications, organises interviews and handles any queries, providing a single point of contact for your school throughout the student teacher’s journey.

School-Based Mentors

We make mentoring as manageable as possible. With scaffolded session plans for weekly 1:1s, mentors can focus on supporting their student teacher without added workload.

Mentors are appointed by you and typically... 

• Are experienced teachers with at least 3 years’ teaching experience

• Have strong subject knowledge in the relevant phase

• Can provide structured support, including:

  • Regular classroom observations

  • Weekly progress meetings

  • Constructive feedback and clear development targets

✅ You will also receive a grant of up to £1,072 per mentor. 

Remote Mentoring – A Flexible Solution

To support schools in developing the next generation of skilled teachers, Best Practice Network can provide a dedicated mentor, enabling your school to host a student teacher effectively.

• No cost to your school

• Mentoring is delivered by BPN’s expert team

• Classroom observations carried out by your existing teachers

• Student teachers will continue to receive consistent, high-quality support
  
  

This flexible model removes barriers and enables every school to play a part in shaping the future of teaching.