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Key Takeaways
- Multiple routes lead to qualified teacher status, differing in whether you study first or train while employed.
- Shortage subjects attract substantially better funding, including bursaries and scholarships in some cases.
- University-led and school-led routes lead to the same qualification through different experiences.
- Salaried routes let you earn while training rather than paying course fees.
- Applications run on their own cycle, separate from the autumn milkround, and popular routes fill early.
The main routes
University-led training. A postgraduate course combining university study with school placements, typically over an academic year. More theoretical grounding, structured cohort experience, and placements arranged for you.
School-led training. Training based primarily in a school or group of schools, with academic input delivered alongside. More time in the classroom from the outset, and a strong link to the school where you train, which frequently leads to employment there.
Salaried routes. Training while employed by a school and paid as an unqualified teacher rather than paying course fees. Competitive, and financially transformative if you cannot fund a training year.
Assessment-only routes exist for people with substantial existing teaching experience who need the qualification formalised.
All lead to qualified teacher status. The route affects your experience and your finances rather than the qualification itself, which is worth remembering when the choice feels overwhelming.
Scotland and other nations differ. Requirements and structures vary across the UK, so check the specific nation you intend to teach in.
Funding and shortage subjects
This is the variable that matters most financially.
Bursaries and scholarships are available for training in certain subjects, and the amounts differ substantially by subject and by year. Physics, mathematics, chemistry, computing and modern languages have typically attracted the strongest support, reflecting persistent shortages.
Subjects with less shortage attract less or no funding, which is a genuine financial consideration when choosing what to train in.
Salaried routes remove the fee question entirely, since you are employed rather than studying.
Student finance is available for fee-paying routes.
Figures change every year. Check the current cycle's funding rather than relying on remembered numbers, since this is exactly the kind of detail that goes stale.
Requirements
A degree, with the subject mattering more for secondary than primary teaching. Where your degree does not match your intended subject, subject knowledge enhancement courses exist to bridge the gap.
Prior qualifications in English and mathematics at the required level, and science for primary teaching.
School experience before applying is strongly advised and frequently expected. Time in a classroom demonstrates you understand what the job actually involves, and it is what makes a personal statement credible.
Interview and selection by the provider or school, typically including a subject knowledge discussion, a written task, and frequently teaching or working with pupils.
Applying
Applications run through a centralised system with its own cycle, opening in the autumn for training beginning the following September.
Apply early. Popular subjects and providers fill, and applications are considered as they arrive rather than after a deadline.
Get school experience first. It strengthens the application and, more usefully, tells you whether you actually want this.
Write the personal statement about teaching, not about yourself. Why this subject, why this age group, what you have seen in classrooms, and what you understand about the difficulty. Generic enthusiasm about wanting to make a difference is what everyone writes.
Apply to more than one provider, and consider both university-led and school-led routes.
What the first years are like
The training year is demanding. Placements, planning, assignments and observation simultaneously.
The first year of teaching is harder than the training year for most people. This is close to universal and it improves markedly in year two once you have materials and the management instinct has developed — the same pattern that holds internationally.
Induction support is provided for newly qualified teachers, and the quality varies enormously by school. Asking about induction, mentoring and behaviour policy in an interview tells you more about your likely first year than anything else.
Pay follows published scales, which makes it unusually transparent — you can see exactly what you would earn now and in five years.
Understanding the realistic timeline from application to classroom
Factor in the full timeline from application through training to your first year as a fully qualified teacher when planning, this is a genuinely multi-year commitment, worth entering with realistic expectations about the sequence rather than only focusing on the immediate application stage.
If considering a career change into teaching from a different field, be honest with yourself about the adjustment this represents, both financially during the training period, particularly for fee-paying routes, and in terms of the genuinely different skill set classroom teaching demands compared to many other professions.
The routes, and the funding difference
All routes lead to qualified teacher status; what differs is how you train and whether you pay or are paid.
| Route | Structure | Money |
|---|---|---|
| University-led (PGCE) | University study plus school placements | You pay fees; bursaries in shortage subjects |
| School-led, fee-funded | Based in a school, academic input alongside | You pay fees; bursaries available |
| Salaried routes | Employed by a school, paid as an unqualified teacher | You are paid; no fees |
| Assessment-only | For those with substantial existing experience | Lowest cost, narrow eligibility |
Bursaries are set by subject and revised each year — physics, maths, chemistry and computing have carried the largest awards, while other subjects carry little or none. Check the current year's figures directly rather than relying on a previous cohort's numbers.
Do's and Don'ts
Do
- Compare funding before comparing routes
- Check this year's bursary for your subject
- Consider salaried routes if funding a year is hard
- Ask where placements will actually be
- Check requirements for the UK nation you will teach in
Don't
- Assume all routes cost the same
- Rely on last year's bursary figures
- Pick a route without visiting a school
- Assume English requirements apply in Scotland
- Ignore school-led routes that often lead to a job there
Scenarios: which route to pick
Scenario 1: You cannot fund a year without income
A salaried route pays you while you train. The qualification at the end is identical to the fee-paying routes.
Scenario 2: You teach a shortage subject
Check this year's bursary before choosing. Physics, maths, chemistry and computing have carried awards large enough to change the decision entirely.
Scenario 3: You already have classroom experience
Assessment-only may formalise what you can already do without a full training year. Eligibility is narrow but worth checking.
Tip: Compare the funding before the route. A salaried route pays you while you train; a fee-paying route costs you a year's fees — the qualification at the end is identical.
Common Mistakes
- Not getting school experience before applying. It strengthens the application and tells you whether you want the job.
- Ignoring the funding difference. Choosing a route without understanding the funding difference. Shortage subjects and salaried routes change the finances substantially.
- Applying late. Popular providers and subjects fill on a rolling basis.
- A personal statement about yourself. The most common weakness.
- Assuming all routes are equivalent for you. They differ in cost, structure and experience even though the qualification is the same.
- Not asking about induction support at interview. It largely determines your first year.
Making the most of school experience before applying
Treat any pre-application school experience as a genuine, serious opportunity to learn, not simply a box to tick for your application, ask the teachers you observe genuine, specific questions about their approach and the real challenges of the role, this both strengthens your eventual application and helps you make a genuinely informed decision about whether this career suits you.
Seek experience across more than one school if possible, ideally with some variation in the type of setting, different schools can have meaningfully different cultures and challenges, and broader exposure gives you a more complete, realistic picture before committing to a specific training route.
Related Guides
Keep building on this with the related guides in this series:
- UK Accountancy Graduate Routes - Qualifications and Employers
- UK Training Contracts - How Qualifying as a Solicitor Actually Works
- The UK Civil Service Fast Stream - What the Process Involves
- UK Cover Letters for Graduates - When They Matter and What to Write
- The UK CV Format for Students and Graduates
- Degree Classification and UK Employers - How Much It Actually Matters
You can also check your resume's ATS score for free, generate a tailored cover letter, or build a portfolio website in minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a degree in the subject I want to teach?
For secondary teaching it matters considerably, and subject knowledge enhancement courses can bridge a partial gap. Primary teaching is broader.
Can I get paid while training?
Yes, through salaried routes where you are employed by a school as an unqualified teacher. These are competitive.
How much funding is available?
It varies substantially by subject and changes each cycle, with shortage subjects attracting the most. Check current figures for the year you are applying.
Which route is best?
They lead to the same qualification. University-led offers more structured grounding; school-led offers more classroom time and a closer link to a potential employer.
When do I apply?
Through the centralised system, opening in the autumn for training starting the following September, with rolling consideration.
Is teaching a good career for an international graduate?
It requires the right to work, and the Graduate route permits it. Longer term, whether a school can sponsor under the Skilled Worker route varies, so check before committing.
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