Teacher training

Teaching apprenticeship for non-graduates: What you need to know

Degree apprenticeship route into the profession will launch next year with a pilot for 150 maths trainees

Degree apprenticeship route into the profession will launch next year with a pilot for 150 maths trainees

A new apprenticeship route into teaching for non-graduates will launch in 2025.

The Department for Education will begin recruiting for a pilot of 150 maths trainees in the autumn, with training beginning next September.

Here’s what you need to know…

1. Why is the government creating this route?

Since the advent of the apprenticeship levy in 2017, schools, trusts and councils have struggled to find ways to spend the money they pay in.

Because teachers make up such a large proportion of schools’ workforces, the lack of an undergraduate route leaves leaders with few options. A one-year postgraduate route was created in 2018, but requires an existing degree.

The government is also under pressure to plug worsening gaps in teacher supply. They missed their secondary teacher recruitment target by 50 per cent this year.

The DfE has also said it wants to provide a route for teaching assistants to become teachers. Entry requirements will be GCSEs at grade 4 (or C) or above in English and maths, and also in science for primary.

2. How long will it last and what will trainees get?

The teacher degree apprenticeship (TDA) will last for four years, with trainees getting a degree at level 6 and qualified teacher status (QTS).

The DfE said QTS would be “awarded against the Teachers’ Standards – this is the same for all other routes into teaching”. The courses “must adhere to the ITT [initial teacher training] criteria [and] encompass all aspects of the ITT core content framework (CCF)”.

Apprentices would spend “around 40 per cent” of their time studying and the rest of the time in the classroom. It is not clear whether they will need to be supervised when teaching classes.

3. Who will deliver the training?

The DfE has said the apprenticeships will be delivered by organisations with “degree awarding powers”, such as universities, but said other teacher training providers could “partner” on the training.

There will be one apprenticeship standard, but individual courses will be “subject specific”, the DfE said. For example, providers will offer a TDA course in secondary maths or chemistry, or primary education.

The department said it was “working with subject experts and the trailblazer group to co-develop how universities and schools offering the TDA can ensure secondary subject specialism is comprehensive and high-quality”.

ITT content will be the same as other routes to qualified teacher status.

4. What will apprentices get paid?

Apprentices are paid on the job, but it is not clear what rate those on the degree apprenticeship route will receive.

The apprentice minimum wage is just £5.28 for those in their first year, but trainees on the current postgraduate route into teaching are paid on the unqualified teacher pay scale, which starts at just over £20,000 a year outside London.

The DfE said details on salary for teacher apprentices “is under review”.

5. Why are unions concerned?

Paul Whiteman, of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the threshold for entry to teacher training “should continue to include holding a degree”. He feared the proposals would “truncate degrees and teacher training”.

It is worth pointing out that the apprentices will have a degree by the time they finish their training. It is also already possible to enter undergraduate teacher training routes, such as a bachelor’s degree in education, without an existing degree.

The DfE said the structure of the TDA “will ensure trainees have sufficient time to attain their degree while also spending a portion of their time in school”.

6. What happens next (and who pays)?

Ministers will launch recruitment to the pilot scheme in the autumn. This will see the government “working with a small number of schools and teacher training providers to fund up to 150 apprentices to work in secondary schools to teach maths”.

Training providers “will bid to partake in the pilot and trainees will be recruited from this autumn and start their training the following year”.

The pilot will only include government funding for the training of one cohort.

After that, schools will have to use levy funding. The DfE said providers and schools could also “develop and run” apprenticeship courses with their own funding from September 2025.

Latest education roles from

Chief Education Officer (Deputy CEO)

Chief Education Officer (Deputy CEO)

Romero Catholic Academy Trust

Director of Academy Finance and Operations

Director of Academy Finance and Operations

Ormiston Academies Trust

Principal & Chief Executive

Principal & Chief Executive

Truro & Penwith College

Group Director of Marketing, Communications & External Engagement

Group Director of Marketing, Communications & External Engagement

London & South East Education Group

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

AI Safety: From DfE Guidance to Classroom Confidence

Darren Coxon, edtech consultant and AI education specialist, working with The National College, explores the DfE’s expectations for AI...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

How accurate spend information is helping schools identify savings

One the biggest issues schools face when it comes to saving money on everyday purchases is a lack of...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building Character, Increasing Engagement and Growing Leaders: A Whole School Approach

Research increasingly shows that character education is just as important as academic achievement in shaping pupils’ long-term success. Studies...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Educators launch national AI framework to guide schools and colleges

More than 250 schools and colleges across the UK have already enrolled in AiEd Certified, a new certification framework...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Teacher training

DfE swings axe on teacher training bursaries after recruitment pick-up

Cuts revealed for teacher training incentives in English, maths, biology, geography music, and languages - despite Labour's recruitment pledge

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Teacher training

Revealed: 5 key findings from Ofsted teacher training review

'Inconsistent' mentoring experiences, the changing profile of applicants, and SEND training challenges

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Teacher training

NPQs take-up collapses after government funding cut

Starts on qualifications for aspiring leaders fall by a third after most subsidies withdrawn

Freddie Whittaker
Teacher training

12 teacher training providers set for reaccreditation

Twelve institutions that lost teacher training accreditation following a bruising market review are on course to be reaccredited

Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2 Comments

    • What age is that? “Most apprentices” are well in to their 20’s. In fact apprentices embody anyone 16-65 (and beyond). What most are missing is this route will be full of career changers and even if they aren’t they will have completed a 4 year apprenticeship before they are “unleashed” so would be 22 if they enrolled at 18 which is the same or older than most NQT’s?