What is the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship?
✔General Primary ✔ Primary SEND ✔ Secondary
The Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship is perfect for developing your graduate staff into qualified teachers.
Apprentice teachers earn while they learn with 12 months of training followed by up to 3 months for the End Point Assessment (EPA).
With fewer new teachers entering the profession and a decreasing number of ITT providers, Teacher Apprenticeships offer a practical solution to the recruitment challenges faced by schools.
Grant Funding - Supporting Apprentice Teacher Salaries
The Department for Education gives grants to Best Practice Network to contribute to the student teacher's salary. We will ensure that all grant funding designated to support salary costs, reaches the employing school so that it can be used for its intended purpose.
Grants are paid on a per trainee basis. For 2025 to 2026 , there will be grants of:
- £29,000 for chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
- £26,000 for French, German and Spanish (no other languages)
- £17,000 for other languages, biology, design and technology, and geography
- £1,000 for art and design, music and RE
How is the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship delivered?
Apprentice teachers complete their practical training in 12 months whilst continuing to work in their current school. This is followed by a 3 month End Point Assessment (EPA). On completion of the EPA, the Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship qualification can be awarded.
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- Pre-Autumn term: first day of learning and ITT Induction– programme for all new student teachers
- Autumn term: student teachers will be in their host school this term. They will be in school four days a week and training one day a week
- Spring term: student teachers will spend 6 weeks in a contrasting school placement. This placement will be organised for them by our placement co-ordinators
- Spring and summer term: student teachers will return to their host school to prepare for the recommendation of QTS
- End Point Assessment for Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship Qualification
What are the benefits of the Teacher Apprenticeship for your school?
Upskill your current graduate support staff
The Teacher Apprenticeship is a fantastic opportunity for your staff to advance their teaching careers, whether they are interested in becoming qualified teachers or becoming mentors for student teachers training in your school.
Do away with recruitment costs
By onboarding apprentice teachers, schools bypass the agency fees and recruitment expenses typically associated with traditional hiring methods.
Increased retention rates
With comprehensive training and mentorship, apprentices are more likely to feel supported and confident in their teaching abilities. This leads to higher job satisfaction and, in turn, improved retention rates, helping schools maintain a stable and committed teaching workforce.
Access to a complete professional development pathway
Aligned with the new ITT Core-Content Framework, apprentice teachers follow a curriculum designed to complement and build toward the Early Career Framework, with a clear pathway to National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) as they progress.
Personalised support
Schools benefit from having a dedicated apprenticeship tutor who will provide expert, personalised support tailored to your school’s values, ensuring the development of teachers who are a strong cultural fit.
Address the teacher shortage crisis
Apprenticeships are a cost effective way of recruiting and training new teachers. Schools and trusts can play a pivotal role in addressing the teacher shortage crisis while also nurturing the next generation of teachers.
School-based mentors
We know the importance of expert mentors and their impact on the development of student teachers.
As of September 2024, school-based mentors are required to complete up to 20 hours of initial mentor training. Our mentor training integrates 20 hours of training within scaffolded session plans designed to support the weekly mentor meetings. This unique approach helps ease the demand on school workload and capacity, encouraging participation with initial teacher training.
Grant funding
For the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship, the DFE will give grants to ITT providers to contribute to the trainee’s salary and training costs. ITT providers are responsible for ensuring that all grant funding designated to support salary costs, reaches the employing school so that it can be used for its intended purpose.Grants are paid on a per trainee basis. For 2025 to 2026 we are offering grants of:
| Subject | Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship grant 2025/2026 |
|---|---|
| Biology | £17,000 |
| Chemistry | £29,000 |
| Computing | £28,000 |
| English | X |
| Geography | £17,000 |
| Languages (French German and Spanish only) | £26,000 |
| Maths | £29,000 |
| Physics | £28,000 |
What is the Apprenticeship Levy?
Employers that pay the apprenticeship levy can use up to £9,000 from their apprenticeship service account to cover the cost of training. The Apprenticeship Levy is paid by large employers with a wage bill of over £3 million. These employers pay 0.5% of their total annual pay bill into the levy. Most state-maintained schools and multi-academy trusts pay into the levy.
The levy is designed to create long term sustainable funding for apprenticeships and to give employers more control to provide their staff with a range of training opportunities.
Apprenticeship funded training is designed for both new and existing staff members.
If your school is not an Apprenticeship Levy payer or has exhausted its Apprenticeship Levy funds, the government will pay 95% of tuition fees with your school paying the remaining 5%. Please contact us if you would like more information.
To be eligible for this programme your staff must:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent with a 2:2 or above
- Have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examinations in English and mathematics
- Have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examination in a science subject for those applying for Primary ITT
- Have held residency in the UK for the last three years
Please note applicants who have achieved or are taking an equivalence test, or hold other evidence of maths and English attainment that intend to undertake the Post Graduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA) will need functional skills qualifications or equivalent qualifications at level 2 in mathematics and English to meet the apprenticeship gateway entry criteria.
The Department for Education (DfE) is introducing new requirements for ITT mentors starting from the 2024/25 academic year. This is great news for schools as it will improve the quality of mentor training and support for student teachers, ultimately leading to better outcomes for both teachers and pupils.
Click below and visit our dedicated mentor page for more information.
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As part of their training, apprentice teachers undertake a 6 week contrasting placement during the spring term.
We are looking for schools to partner with us and support teachers by offering them a place to complete their 6 week contrasting placement.
For each apprentice teacher you support on their contrasting placement, you may be eligible to receive £60 per week and may also able to access the DfE government Mentor Grant of up to £1000 per mentor in your school (for mentoring a student teacher.)
We need schools that are:
✅Rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted (if not yet Ofsted rated, we can consider you as well!)
✅Have capacity to assign a mentor to the trainee
✅If Primary, have opportunities for teaching KS1 and/or KS2 (including SEND provision)
✅If secondary, have opportunities for teaching KS3 and/or KS4 in any of the following subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, French, Spanish, Maths, English, Geography or Computing
As a salaried and fee-free route route to QTS, the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship is in high demand among prospective student teachers.
If you are looking to fill a vacancy and would like us to present you with candidates in your area, please get in touch.
Our recruitment team will collect applications for your vacancy every week. Candidates will be invited to a rigorous screening interview to determine their suitability for the role and to be placed on the programme.
Successful candidates will be sent to you with their application and interview notes, so you can decide whether to invite them for a formal employment interview.
Interested in doing the Teacher Apprenticeship yourself?
Explore our trainee page