Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship

Information for schools Information for applicants FAQs

Information for Schools

We welcome interest in partnership with Schools to provide a high-quality Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship. The programme will be 11 months long and lead to QTS.

Schools can employ and train apprentices in partnership with The University of Warwick across Early Years, Primary and Secondary age phases in a wide range of subjects (For Secondary Subjects offered, please see the FAQ section below).

Off-the-job training can be offered online or on campus, with Apprentices spending four days a week working in school and one day on training with Warwick. The programme provides the same quality of training and curriculum as all our PGCE courses, which have been consistently rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

Apprentices or employing schools can elect to follow the Level 6 professional route, where all fees are covered by the apprenticeship levy fund or opt for an uplift to a full Level 7 PGCE for an additional fee.

Entry requirements are the same as for our PGCE courses: a Batchelors degree or equivalent and either GCSE grade 4 and above (or equivalent), in English and mathematics (plus a GCSE science qualification for Early Years and Primary).

As well as developing excellent teachers in your own school context, you will have access to impactful mentor training resources, the support of an experienced lead mentor and opportunities for wider staff development with the University.

Salary grants (for start in September 2026)

Grant funding is available to contribute to school costs for qualifying trainees on postgraduate teaching apprenticeship courses.

£29,000 for chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
£20,000 for design and technology, and languages
£5000 for biology and geography

Contact us

Interested schools should contact the Centre for Teacher Education at .

A smiling teacher and a smiling student working together

Information for applicants

The PGTA training programme begins with the first day of term in your employing school. After an intensive foundation training week, you will be based in your school for four days a week, during which you will build up to an 80% teaching timetable.

For one day each week, you will join a larger cohort of trainees in your age range and subject specialism. This off-the-job training can be completed on campus or through high-quality online learning, including weekly synchronous sessions.

You will complete your training in May, and during the final six weeks, you will be assessed to demonstrate that you meet the standards required for the award of QTS. The qualification will be completed in July, so you will be ready to take up a qualified teaching post the following September.

You can choose a fully funded Level 6 Apprenticeship or upgrade your qualification to a full PGCE for an additional fee. This choice can be made up to a month from the start of the course, so you can find out what works best for you.

FAQs

Who can apply?

Interested schools can enter a partnership with the University in order to recruit an Apprentice Teacher. This could be someone already working in the school who you wish to support through the qualification, or you can advertise and recruit to the vacancy externally.

If you are working in school and are interested in this route, we recommend that you seek the support in principle of your employing school and ask them to contact us on the link above.

What age ranges and subjects can I apply for?

Age ranges

Primary ages 3-7
Primary ages 5-11
Secondary 11-18

Subjects

Art and Design
Biology
Business Studies and Economics
Chemistry
Computing
Design and Technology
Drama
English
Geography
History
Mathematics
MFL
Music
Psychology and Sociology
Physics
Physical Education
Religious Education

What are the entry requirements?

The apprentice will need to have the following:

A Batchelors degree awarded by a UK higher education provider, or a recognised equivalent qualification with a supporting ENIC certificate.
A standard equivalent to grade 4 or above, in GCSE English and Mathematics.
For Early Years and Primary, a grade 4 or above in a GCSE science subject.
To teach at Secondary level, a degree in a subject related to that which you will train to teach. For less well-related subjects, A-level qualifications may be considered, and Subject Knowledge Enhancement coursesLink opens in a new window may be available in some subjects.

In addition, it is strongly recommended that you have some experience working with children in a school setting. As an employee, you will be expected to take on an accelerated level of responsibility in your teaching.

How much will I earn?

Apprentices are paid on the unqualified teacher scale (minimum scale UNQ1) and are employed full-time for the duration of their training contract (September 2026-August 2027).

How much are the fees?

The standard apprenticeship cost is £9000, which is paid for from the apprenticeship levy. If the school contributes to the levy, there is no fee for either the apprentice or the school. Schools that do not contribute to the levy will make a contribution of 5% of the training costs.

For the uplift to a full PGCE qualification, an additional fee can be paid by the apprentice or the school. This fee will be confirmed shortly but there will be an option to select this uplift up to 4 weeks after the start of the training programme.