FAQs – Ambition

How is in-school training different to training at a university?

Unlike university-based teacher training programmes, where you have a number of different placements, our programme allows you to do most of your training in one school. The big benefit of this is that you can put your academic learning into practice in a classroom environment where you feel familiar and comfortable.

You’ll learn through a combination of self-guided learning, face-to-face and online sessions with other trainees. In-school activities will include classroom teaching practice, peer support and one-to-one guidance from your mentor. The practical teaching experience you gain will mean you finish the training confident to teach in a classroom.

You will also have a dedicated mentor – an experienced teacher – throughout your training who works alongside you in your school to offer guidance and support.

What qualifications do I need to apply for the Teacher Training programme?

To be eligible, you will need:

An undergraduate bachelor’s degree with honours, generally 2:2 or above, or equivalent.
A GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths, or equivalent.
Primary school trainees will need a GCSE grade of 4/C or above in science, or equivalent.

If you don’t meet the GCSE eligibility criteria but would still like to train as a teacher, please get in touch via our enquiry form and we can discuss how we may be able to support you.

How long is the Teacher Training programme for full-time and part-time?

This is a one-year full-time postgraduate programme, alternatively, some of our partners are offering part-time placements. A part-time option is available over two years, but not all partner schools offer this option. Use our partner tool to see which of our partners are offering part-time options.

Why do I need to provide my work history?

You need to let us know about your previous work history for two reasons:

1) For us to review your previous employment experience and ask for further information or details where needed.

2) To confirm any gaps in employment to ensure we’re compliant with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023.

If you haven’t already done so, complete your work history by inputting details of each job you’ve held since the age of 18, this should include both part-time and full-time work.

Once complete this, you will need to tick the box to confirm the information is correct and save. If you don’t have any previous work history you won’t need to enter any information, but you will still need to tick the box to confirm this.

Completing your work history is compulsory, you can also upload your CV to the file section.

Where do I add my work history?

Go to My Teacher Training, in the ‘Pre-programme checks’ section, available from the homepage.

Are my international qualifications valid for this course?

We accept international qualifications that are equivalent to our below eligibility criteria:

An undergraduate bachelor’s degree with honours, generally 2:2 or above.
A GSCE grade 4/C or above in English and maths.
Primary school trainees will need a GSCE grade of 4/C or above in science.

Please note some of our partners will want you to have a degree and/or A Level related to the subject you wish to teach.

You will need to also provide an ENIC statement of comparability to progress with your application. For more information, and to apply for your ENIC statement, please visit UK ENIC

Please also note you must have permission to work in the UK full-time by the start and for the duration of the training programme. Unfortunately, Ambition Institute cannot sponsor your visa.

Do I need to have the right to work in the UK for the Teacher Training programme?

By the start of the training, successful candidates must have permission to work in the UK full-time for the duration of the programme. Unfortunately, Ambition Institute cannot sponsor your visa.

What locations can I train in to become a teacher?

Ambition Institute has the largest network of partners providing training to teachers in England. We currently have over 500 teacher training opportunities across the North West, North East, East London, Midlands and Essex.

Below is a current list of areas where we have opportunities for you to do your teaching training:

North of England

Manchester
Liverpool
Blackpool
Cumbria
Lancashire

Midlands

Birmingham
Derby
Nottingham
Leicester

East of England

Cambridgeshire/Norfolk
Peterborough
Northamptonshire
Hertfordshire
Essex
Suffolk
London

South East

Kent
Sussex

South West

Swindon
Wiltshire

What school will I teach in during the Teacher Training programme?

You will be based in one core school for most of your training. The first stage of applying is via our partner tool, which will ask you:

To choose where you want to train.
Whether you want to be in a primary or secondary school.
What subject you want to specialise in (for secondary) or phase (for primary).
Whether you want to train full-time or part-time.

Based on your answers to the above we will match you to a school for you to then complete your application.

Although most of your training will be in one school. You will also complete:

A 2-3 week placement in another school during the final term.
5-10 days in an alternative environment to your main school. For example, with a secondary, primary, or special educational needs and disability (SEND) school.

Will I learn to teach primary or secondary pupils and can I choose the subject?

It’s up to you! You can choose to teach in a primary or secondary school. If you’re hoping to teach in a secondary school, the pupils will be aged between 11 and 16. If you’re teaching in a primary school, the pupils will be aged between 4 and 11 you will need to be able to teach a wider range of subjects.

In a secondary school, you will have the opportunity to select your preferred subject. Some core secondary subjects are more popular than others, so it’s best to apply early.

How does Teacher Training link to Ambition Institute’s Early Career Teachers programme?

Our Teacher Training programme will link closely with our Early Career Teachers (ECT). ECT is the mandatory two-year induction course that you need to do after your initial teacher training and is usually provided through your school or local trust. The benefit here is that repetition is minimised when you do both your Teacher Training and ECT with Ambition Institute.

ECT will allow you to go deeper and advance your teaching skills using the same concepts and terminology that you learned through your initial teacher training.

Will I train with other people on the Teacher Training programme?

Yes, you will be training with other people on our programme. From the very beginning of the programme, you will become part of a regional network, working with others either in your school or in your local network, and you will become part of a national cohort of people training with Ambition. You will have regular opportunities to come together with other trainees to learn, share your experiences, and work collaboratively.

What qualifications will I gain at the end of the Teacher Training programme?

You’ll achieve qualified teacher status (QTS), a nationally recognised teaching qualification. When you’ve successfully completed the programme, you will also receive a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). This is an internationally recognised qualification, opening up opportunities for you to teach abroad. The PGCE is worth 60 credits towards a master’s degree if you want to go on to further study.

Can I receive a salary while doing the Teacher Training programme?

The DfE have confirmed that there will be salaried teacher training places for Sep 24/25 but the availability of these places will be dependent on our partners. When using the map tool to apply, please check to see if the partner you’ve selected offers salaried places.

Unless your partner has specified otherwise, you will need to fund the tuition fee. Our programme costs £9,250 for full-time study and £12,500 for part-time study.

Full-time trainees: £9,250
Payments are broken into three instalments across terms
(October: 25%, February: 25%, May: 50%)

Part-time trainees: £12,500
Payments are broken into three instalments across terms
(Year 1 October: 12.5%, February: 12.5%, May: 25%, Year 2 October: 12.5%, February: 12.5%, May: 25%)
For both programme lengths, payments will be due at the end of the month in October, February, and May.

If you decide to take a salaried route, you are employed as you train and would not be eligible for a bursary or student finance.

What funding options are available for the Teacher Training programme?

Depending on your subject choice, you may be eligible for a tax-free bursary or scholarship which you won’t have to pay back.

You must be eligible for student finance to receive a bursary or scholarship. The only exception to this is if you are training to teach physics or languages. Additionally, you cannot receive both a teaching bursary and a scholarship. You cannot receive a bursary, scholarship or student finance if you’re on a salaried teacher training course.

Bursaries for 2024 to 2025

£28,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
£25,000 in biology, design and technology, geography and languages (including ancient languages)
£10,000 in art and design, English, music and RE

You do not need to apply for a bursary. If you are eligible, you need to register with the Student Loan Company to receive it. You will then receive 10 equal payments directly to you throughout your training.

Applicants may be eligible for a bursary if they have either:

A bachelor’s degree class 2:2 (honours) or higher
A master’s degree
Or a PhD

Scholarships for 2024 to 2025

£30,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
£27,000 in French, German and Spanish (no other languages)

Scholarships are usually available to applicants with a 1st, 2:1, master’s, or PhD degree, though, in exceptional circumstances, they may be awarded to a graduate with a 2:2 and significant relevant experience.

All bursaries and scholarships are tax-free. To find out more about these, visit Get Into Teaching.

For Non-UK citizens, unless you are applying for languages or physics, you are unlikely to be able to receive UK government financial support. For more information about funding for non-UK citizens please visit Get into Teaching.

Tuition fees and maintenance loan for 2024 to 2025
if you are enrolled on an unsalaried placement, you can also apply for government funding to cover the costs of your tuition fees. Tuition fees for our Teacher Training programme are £9,250 for full-time study and £12,500 for part-time study. You will need to apply directly to Student Finance England.

You may also apply for a maintenance loan of up to £13,022 to help you with your living costs. You can do this even if you already have a student loan, regardless of whether you get a teaching bursary or scholarship. You will then only have to make loan repayments once you are earning.

Am I guaranteed a job at the end of the Teacher Training programme?

Placement schools often go on to hire their teacher trainees. You will have built up relationships with your school’s network so should have a few opportunities in your area. There’s a lot of demand for teachers in England so you should soon be able to secure your first teaching job soon after your training.

Do I need to apply for a DBS check?

You do not need to apply for a new DBS certificate. We will be contacting all successful applicants in the summer to collate the necessary documents for us to apply for a DBS check on your behalf.

I need to provide occupational health check, what is this?

The DfE requires all applicants to have an occupational health assessment to ensure they are physically and mentally fit to teach. This starts with a questionnaire about your health, we will be contacting all successful applicants in the summer to collate the information we need for this.

I still have a question, who can I contact?

If you still have a question and do not want to register your interest just yet, you can contact our Teacher Training Admissions Team via email at teachertraining@ambition.org.uk or call us on 020 3846 5828.

Please note emails and phone calls can only be answered Monday-Friday, 9-5pm.

Access to My Teacher Training

Once you have registered with the partner of your choice, you’ll need to complete and submit your application via the My Teacher Training platform.

If you are struggling to log in into the platform please contact our Teacher Training Admissions Team via email at teachertraining@ambition.org.uk or call us on 020 3846 5828.