To be eligible to train with us you must have:

• GCSE Grade C (4) or above in Maths and English
• Degree 2.1 or above (In some circumstances a 2.2 would be accepted)

Degree
Your degree should ideally be in or very closely related to the subject you wish to train to teach.

If your degree is not in the subject you wish to train to teach, you may be eligible for a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course.

Qualifications gained outside the UK
If you achieved your degree outside of the UK, you may be asked to obtain a statement of comparability to confirm that your qualification is equivalent to an honours degree

Statement of Comparability | UK ENIC

You may also need to supply a UK ENIC statement of comparability for your school certificates if your schooling was carried out overseas.

In addition you may be asked to take an Equivalency test to ensure that your Maths and/or English are up to GCSE Grade C (4) standard.

Equivalency Tests (GCSE)
If you do not have GCSE equivalent qualifications in Maths or English, we may ask you to complete an equivalency test. You will need to pay for this yourself.

IELTS
If English is not your first language, you may be asked to complete an IELTS test to evidence that your English is at the required level.
IELTS | Welcome to IELTS

Tuition Fees for post graduate Teacher Training courses are governed by the Department for Education.

Tuition fees for our PGCE with QTS programme are: £9,535 (UK applicants)

Tuition fees for international applicants may vary, and applicants may be subject to a fees assessment which would be undertaken by The University of Chester once a conditional offer has been made.

Bursaries & Scholarships
You may be eligible for a teaching bursary or scholarship of up to £31,000 when training to teach.
These are tax-free amounts of money you receive to train in certain subjects. You do not need to pay them back. Bursaries are paid automatically if you are eligible, and you must apply for a scholarship.

To be eligible, you must:-

• Hold a degree (2:2 or above) or a masters or PhD qualification
• Be a UK applicant eligible for student finance (unless you’re training to teach physics or languages)
• Meet the individual terms of the bursary or scholarship

You can find out more about bursaries and eligibility here: Teacher training bursaries | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK

Student Finance
You may also qualify for a student loan to support your studies. Any amounts received from Student Finance would be a load and must be paid in instalments once you are earning.

You can still apply for a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan if:

• You will be receiving a teaching bursary or scholarship
• You have previously received a student loan for previous study

You can find out more about eligibility and amounts here: Student finance for teacher training | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK

We will assess you level of subject knowledge through your qualifications, application and during your interview.  You may be eligible to complete a Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course.

SKE courses are designed to ‘top up’ your subject knowledge before you train to teach.

They are fully funded by the DfE, and are currently available in Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Computing and Languages. You could also be entitled to a bursary of £175 per week whilst you complete your SKE course.

Following you your interview we will make a decision on whether we feel you need a SKE.

We may ask you to complete a SKE if:

• You completed your degree more than 5 years ago
• Your degree is in a related subject
• You have an A-Level, but not a degree in the subject you want to teach
• You have an unrelated degree but relevant professional experience
• You want to train to teach languages but need improve your main language, or improve skills for a second language

*Please note: If you wish to train to teach Maths and your degree is non-related, you must also have a Maths A-level

You can find further information here:

Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK

Safer Recruitment Statement

Trainees recruited to our programme must meet relevant safer recruitment checks carried out by ourselves and The University of Chester.

As part of our commitment to Safer Recruitment all candidates will be subject to the following pre-recruitment checks:

• Full employment history including an explanation of any breaks in employment or education will be provided via DfE application form. Any unexplained breaks in employment/education history will be discussed in interview should candidate be shortlisted
• Verification of Identification – All candidates shortlisted for interview will be asked to provide Photographic Identification, Birth Certificate (if available), any certification confirming a name change (Deed Poll/Marriage certificate)
• Qualifications – Candidates must provide Degree and GCSE Maths and English certificates
• References – A minimum of 2 satisfactory references must be provided via DfE application form (1 Academic and 1 professional).
  • Where a candidate has been employed by or spent time in a School or educational establishment, we will require a further reference from that establishment.
  • Wherever possible, candidates should provide a professional e-mail address for all referees. Where a professional e-mail address is not available, candidates will be asked to explain why and a decision made whether to accept that referee.
  • If the detail provided within any reference is brief or unclear, we may ask for additional detail or further referees to be provided
  • If 318 Inspiring Futures approaches referees that have been provided directly by candidate a Consent form must be signed by the candidate to accompany our reference request
• DBS – All recruited candidates must apply for an Enhanced DBS and Children’s Barred list Check via University of Chester.
• Online Checks – as part of our due diligence we will carry out an online search for candidate name(s). We will only access information which is available publicly. If anything of concern is identified, it will be used to ascertain candidate suitability to work with children and may also be discussed during interview.
• In addition to the checks above, candidates who have accepted a conditional offer will be expected to meet University of Chester’s admissions criteria including completion of a Declaration of Heath questionnaire.