Course duration
12 Months + 3 month EPA
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
In-school placement
4 days a week
Teacher Training
1 day a week
Personal Tutor visits & observation
Full-time (minimum of 30 hours a week)
What is the Geography Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship?
The Geography Teacher Apprenticeship is a school-based training programme designed for those who want to inspire the next generation with a love for the world around them.
Unlike other teacher training routes, there are no fees for the Teacher Apprenticeship. That’s right—nada, zero, zilch! All training costs are covered by the Apprenticeship Levy.
During your training, you will be employed by a school and receive a salary on the Unqualified Teacher Pay scale (UNQ1) of £20,598 to £21,933 (depending on location).
Successful completion of this programme will award Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship Qualification, which will qualify you to teach in all schools in England.
- Learn in the classroom from Day 1
- Become a qualified teacher in just 12 months + End Point Assessment
- Earn a yearly salary of at least £21,731 while you learn
- Training costs are covered by the Apprenticeship Levy
- School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) (Learn more)
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Once qualified, start on a salary of £31-£43k (dependent on location)
100% of our 2023/24 graduates have secured teaching roles
How will I train to become a geography teacher?
Apprentice geography teachers can start their training in either June or September 2025. Over 12 months, you will complete practical training while being employed in a school. Throughout the programme, 1 day a week (20%) of your time will be dedicated to off-the-job training delivered by Best Practice Network.
Following the 12 months of teacher training and the recommendation of QTS, you will undertake a three-month End-Point Assessment (EPA). Upon successful completion of the EPA, you will be awarded the Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship qualification.
- Induction: you will have your first day of learning and ITT Induction before the start of your training to help you prepare for the programme
- Term 1: you will be in your host school this term. Training in school four days a week and attending online or in-person training one day a week
- Term 2: you will spend 6 weeks in a contrasting school placement. This placement will be organised by our placement co-ordinators
- Term 3: you will return to your host school to prepare for the recommendation of QTS
- Term 4: End Point Assessment for Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship Qualification
What will I be teaching?
During your training, you will learn and teach the national curriculum for geography. The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
- Develop contextual knowledge of the location of globally significant places – both terrestrial and marine – including their defining physical and human characteristics and how these provide a geographical context for understanding the actions of processes
- Understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- Are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
- Collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
- Interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- Communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps, numerical and quantitative skills and writing at length.
Why become a geography teacher?
Do you love discovering the world and want to inspire the next generation of explorers? Becoming a geography teacher could be the perfect career for you!
Here's why:
Bring the world into the classroom: Geography is all about our planet's amazing landscapes, diverse cultures, and fascinating ecosystems. You'll design engaging lessons that bring the world to life, sparking a love of discovery in your pupils.
Nurture the next generation of geographers: Geography goes beyond memorising countries and capitals. You'll help pupils understand the complex relationships between people and the environment, helping to shape the next generation.
Develop critical thinkers and problem-solvers: From climate change to sustainability, geography tackles global challenges. You'll give your pupils the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to navigate an ever-changing world.
How do teachers make a difference to young people's lives?
Why choose Best Practice Network for your teacher training?
Ofsted Outstanding: provider of the DfE’s full teacher progression pathway, supporting student teachers from entry into teaching through to executive leadership.
20+ Years Experience: Delivering teacher training and professional qualifications for teachers, school leaders, support staff and early years professionals.
Subject & Phase Specific Groups: As a leading national provider our enrolment enables student teachers to train alongside peers specific to their phase, subject and specialism.
Local Placement: Our network of 500+ schools provides our student teachers local access to in-school placements.
Supporting Wellbeing: Our pathway is QTS-only helping support student teacher capacity and wellbeing on their journey into teaching.
Award-Winning: Best Practice Network has been named Education Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year for the past two years.
100% of our 2023/24 graduate teachers have secured employment for September
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Apply to be a geography teacher
What qualifications do I need to train to be a geography teacher?
- 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 your degree is an ordinary, or 3rd class, your application will be considered on a case-by-case basis by our team.
**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.
***If you are not a British citizen, you will need to be able to evidence that your visa is valid for the entire duration of the programme.
Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE)
If you are considering choosing geography as a specialism, you may need to do a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course before you start your teacher training to top up your subject knowledge.
SKE courses are fully funded by the DfE, and eligible candidates receive an SKE bursary. As part of your interview, we will review your subject knowledge and if we identify you need to enhance your knowledge prior to starting your training. This will form part of your condition of entry to the programme.
You can find out more about SKE courses in this SKE Trainee Brochure.
How can I prepare for a geography teacher training interview?
You can apply directly through our website below. After an initial check, we will then contact you to arrange an interview. Once a successful interview has been completed and you have accepted a place to train to teach with BPN, we will then search for a school placement for you (if you do not already have a school that is willing to support your training).
How can I prepare for a secondary teacher training interview?
- Consider why you want to teach in a secondary school and why you want to train to teach your subject
- Reflect on why you've chosen to apply for either the teacher apprenticeship or fee-funded route
- Identify some personal qualities or characteristics that you possess that would make you a suitable secondary teacher
- Think about some examples of skills or knowledge from your education or work history that you could share at the interview that demonstrate your potential to train to teach, e.g. your knowledge of your chosen subject, previous experience of working with children or young people etc
- Familiarise yourself with the Secondary National Curriculum and your chosen subject's Programme of Study and use these to identify your strengths and areas for development in terms of your subject knowledge
- Research lesson plans and resources that are available for teaching your chosen subject using Oak National Academy or BBC Bitesize as a starting point
- Brush up on your literacy and numeracy skills so you are well-prepared for the Maths and Written Tasks
- Where possible, talk to current teachers or trainees so you can find out more about the teaching profession and the role of a secondary school teacher
- Research current issues in education using Schools Week or TES and think about how these might affect pupils, teachers and schools. Prepare any questions that you want to ask us about the Secondary ITT programme and/or training to teach
- Think about whether there's any important information that you need to share with us that would help you to access the programme, if you are offered a place. This could include reasonable adjustments, a learning support plan, or anything else you feel you may need support with.
Apply Here
Funded through the Apprenticeship Levy, the Teacher Apprenticeship will allow you to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship Qualification in 12 months + End Point Assessment.
During your apprenticeship, you will be employed by a school and receive a salary of at least £21,933 per year on the Unqualified Teacher Pay Scale (UNQ1).
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