On Thursday 14th June 2012, Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, announced further reforms to Initial Teacher Education in England for 2013 and beyond. These changes affect recruitment, selection and training of new teachers. The Teaching Agency subsequently confirmed that, despite the considerable strengths and successes of the Graduate Teacher Programme, it will cease to run beyond 2013.
Regrettably, therefore, the 2012/13 cohort we have just/are currently recruiting for the Graduate Teacher Programme will be our last. Although most places have been allocated, there is a small number of funded/granted places available in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Modern Foreign Languages. We will continue to recruit to fill these places right up to September 2012, so please contact us if you are interested in applying for one of these places or inquiring about them on someone else's behalf - a potential applicant working at your school, for instance.
A number of alternative training options will be made available for new teachers to enable them to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England. The University of Sussex, for instance, has 18 places on offer for the Assessment-only route to QTS. This new initiative for experienced but unqualified teachers starts with a 'needs analysis' and does not involve direct training.
Alternatively, the 'School Direct Training Programme' offers two types of teacher training - one salaried and one not. The unsalaried route is available to all graduates and is funded by tuition fees paid by the trainee who may be eligible for a bursary from the Teaching Agency. The second route is employment-based and is available to graduates with three or more years' teaching career experience. The trainee is employed by a school as an unqualified teacher and their salary and training is subsidised by the Teaching Agency.
More details about the changes can be found at http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching
Information for applicants wanting to apply for the last few places on the Graduate Teacher Programme 2012/13
Download the GTP Information Booklet: March 2012 [DOCX 74.49KB] for detailed information about this course and how to apply.
Entry requirements
You must have a degree in your subject specialism, plus GCSEs (or an equivalent level grade) in Maths and English. More details about entry requirements can be found in the GTP Information booklet, including information about Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses.
You are likely to have worked in another area before deciding to be a teacher - perhaps you worked in education in a different capacity. To be a suitable candidate for the GTP programme you must be confident, independent, proactive, able to manage your own professional development and meet the following additional entry requirements:
- have appropriate experience and maturity
- have previous experience working, or at least observing teaching, in a mainstream secondary school
- have significant experience working with children or young people in a setting other than the home
- have never been excluded from working with children
- have experience and knowledge of ICT