Primary Training Course Information
Primary school teachers need to be proficient in teaching all subjects, ensuring a well-rounded education for their students. We offer trainees the option to specialise in one of two consecutive age phases: 3-7 years (EYFS and KS1) or 5-11 years (KS1 and KS2).
All of our courses lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - explained here.
Entry Requirements
To be eligible for our primary training courses, you must have proof of:
- GCSEs at grade 4 (previously grade C) or above in English, Mathematics and Science*, or equivalent
- An undergraduate degree, or equivalent (excluding BA (HONS) route)
If you are unsure about whether your experience meets this criteria, please contact us.
*If you do not have these GCSEs, you may be eligible for equivalency testing. Please click here for more details.
Programme Structure
Typically, our courses run for 38 weeks, with 1 day expert-led learning at our training centre and 4 days in school for practical learning and application. Assessment is undertaken on an ongoing basis through performance during school experience and through academic coursework.
You will:
- Learn all of the subject knowledge required for your chosen age range
- Gain experience in two different schools (see a list of our partner schools here)
- Get professional mentorship, including weekly mentor meetings and observations
- Have the opportunity to complete a PGCE (explained here), which is validated by the University of Buckingham
- Attend employment fairs to help you secure a permanent role after your training
- Take part in broader experiences such as visiting Whipsnade Zoo to learn how to plan a trip and visiting Luton Town Football Stadium to learn about their outreach programme for schools
Specialisms
We also offer specialised primary training courses, where you will receive additional training sessions in your chosen specialism. These are:
Routes Into Teaching
We offer a variety of routes to gaining QTS, all listed below. To find out more about any of these routes, please contact us.
Fee-funded route
Trainees on this route will be required to fund the course themselves. There are several options offered by the government to help you pay these fees, including loans, bursaries and scholarships. For more information on funding and eligibility, please click here.
Tuition fees for this route are as follows:
Primary (general):
- QTS Only: £8,400
- QTS with PGCE: £9,250
Primary with SEND/Maths/PE:
- QTS Only: £8,750
- QTS with PGCE: £9,520
Employment-based route
This route is available to those who are already employed by a school, such as unqualified teachers, technicians or teaching assistants*. While you train, you will earn an unqualified teachers salary, which varies between schools.
The tuition fee for courses under this route are:
- Primary (general): £7,250
- Primary with SEND/Maths/PE: £7,600
This fee may be partially or fully covered by the employing school if agreed upon in advance.
If you wish to complete a PGCE alongside your training, a fee of £1,250 will need to be paid for by yourself and not by the school. There are several options offered by the government to help you pay these fees, including loans, bursaries and scholarships. For more information on funding and eligibility, please click here.
*If you already have teaching experience, you may be eligible for our assessment only route. Please click here for more details.
Postgraduate apprenticeship
This route is available to those who are already employed by a school, such as unqualified teachers, technicians or teaching assistants*. While you train, you will earn an unqualified teachers salary, which varies between schools. Unlike the other routes, the apprenticeship will last for 13 months - from September to October the following year. QTS will be awarded in the summer term, with an End-Point Assessment (EPA) in the autumn term to complete the course.
You will not be required to pay a tuition fee. However, if you wish to complete a PGCE alongside your training, a fee of £1,350 will need to be paid for by yourself. There are several options offered by the government to help you pay this fee, including loans, bursaries and scholarships. For more information on funding and eligibility, please click here.
*If you already have teaching experience, you may be eligible for our assessment only route. Please click here for more details.
BA (HONS) Primary and Early Years Education with QTS
For a full description of this course, please click here.
We deliver this course in partnership with Two Mile Ash ITT Partnership and Birmingham City University. It is a school-based, 3-year undergraduate course leading to a bachelor's degree (with honours) and QTS.
Entry requirements:
- A minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade 4 (previously grade C) or above. These must include English Language, Mathematics and Science or equivalent (For GCSE Science, an equivalent in BTEC level 2 Applied Science with a minimum Merit grade will also be accepted. Please note that the two remaining subjects need to be actual GCSEs).
- 112 UCAS tariff points from A levels or other Level 3 qualifications.
Programme structure:
This course allows you to specialise in age phases 3-7 or 5-11 years. You will be placed in a host school for 2 days a week, and attend lectures, tutorials and workshops for 3 days a week. You will learn how to teach the full range of the primary curriculum as well as how to manage classrooms to promote high achievement for all, adapt your teaching to suit the needs of different learners and assess learners knowledge to inform your teaching.
As part of our partnership with Birmingham City University, you have access to the university's library facilities many of which are online.
How to apply:
Applications for all degree courses need to be made via UCAS.
UCAS applications generally open around September for courses that start the following year. Please check the UCAS website for more information.
Our Course Code is UE18 and our Institution Code is T89.
How to apply
Applications to our training courses are made via the DfE 'Apply' portal.
DfE applications open in October time for courses that start September the following year.
Apply at: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-teacher-training
Click here to view the course codes - you will need this for your application.
Please contact us if you have any questions, and we will be happy to help.
If you are looking to apply for the BA(HONS) route, please see the BA (HONS) Primary and Early Years Education with QTS section above.