Initial Teacher Training (ITT)

Our Initial Teacher Training (ITT) course is a school-centred ITT route leading to qualified teacher status (QTS), with the option to add a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The PGCE is validated and awarded by the University of East London (UEL), our partner university. 

Our ITT course will help you to:

• Gain QTS and an optional PGCE

• Develop knowledge, understanding and practice of your chosen phase and subject

• Develop research-based teaching and learning practice to use in the classroom

• Gain knowledge of different school contexts through practical experience in the classroom

• Develop the ability to reflect critically and think on your feet

• Gain knowledge and develop skills of effective teaching and learning by following our curriculum which embeds the DfE’s ITT Core Content Framework

Our course will help you to gain research-informed, knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning, with opportunities to practice in the classroom and develop your teaching skills, coached by well-trained, expert colleagues.

To join our ITT course you must:

• Have achieved a standard equivalent to GCSE grade 4/C in English language and mathematics (and science if you’re training to teach at primary level). Candidates with overseas qualifications should provide an ENIC statement to demonstrate the equivalency of their qualification. See the Get into Teaching website for guidance. Applicants who haven’t achieved grade 4/C but are otherwise suitable may be able to take an equivalency test*

• Hold a Bachelor's degree** from a UK higher education institution or equivalent qualification

• If you have studied English as a foreign language you may be required to provide evidence that you have passed a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at level B2 or above of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) with an approved provider within the last two years. See our FAQs for information on the available providers

• Possess the appropriate qualities, attitudes and values expected of a teacher. These are skills such as resilience, commitment, adaptability, along with good communication skills

• Show competency in fundamental skills in English and maths before the award of QTS

• Satisfactorily complete all safeguarding checks before the start of training (and such checks must not identify you as being unsuited to working with children)

• Meet the Secretary of State’s requirements for health and physical capacity to teach

• Meet the Department for Education's (DfE's) financial eligibility criteria in order to be accepted for a publicly funded place on this ITT course

Our ITT course is delivered in partnership with a number of schools in Essex, Greater London and Kent. We offer a primary (age 5-11) and a secondary (age 11-16) ITT course in key teaching subjects including: art and design, biology, chemistry, computing, design and technology, drama, English, geography, history, maths, modern foreign languages (MFL) – French, Spanish and German, music, physical education (PE), physical education with EBacc (PE with EBacc), physics, primary, primary with maths, religious education (RE). A 14-19 ITT course is available in business studies.

Routes: ITT employment based and ITT fee-funded

There are two ITT training routes available, ITT employment based and ITT fee-funded, both lasting one academic year. Both routes allow you to train in our partnership schools as a member of the school team and learn your skills from experienced professionals. You’ll gradually start to take lessons alongside training and, in time, take shared responsibility for pupils. You’ll also attend school professional studies and professional development training. On the employment based route, you may be teaching your own classes from the start of the course.

Looking to gain QTS in your own school?

Our Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship is available as an alternative ITT employment based route to gaining QTS and an optional PGCE if you want to train in your own school, anywhere in England, rather than one of our partnership schools. 

Discover our Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship

Your in-school mentor and subject/phase-specific pathway tutor

You’ll have weekly meetings with your experienced in-school mentor who will support you throughout your course. You’ll also be appointed a personal pathway tutor who will provide you with regular feedback on your progress, and coach and mentor you on subject knowledge and teaching practice development. They’ll work with you to develop your online work, and will visit and support you in school.

Online teaching courses

Throughout your course, you’ll have the equivalent of one day per week for your online study and you’ll participate in online learning via an innovative and interactive e-learning platform where you can access course materials, lessons and tutorials, making learning extremely flexible. If you opt to undertake the PGCE as well as QTS you’ll also benefit from access to our partner university’s e-library when completing the PGCE assignments.

Partnership face-to-face workshops

Our partnerships deliver regular (weekly or fortnightly) face-to-face workshops as part of your ITT course. These workshops are usually delivered in the lead school and are designed to support our delivery of the DfE Core Content Framework for ITT. They will support you to contextualise your training and discuss your developing practice, as well as providing a network of colleagues from within your partnership of schools.

The PGCE option

Both our ITT routes give you the option to add a PGCE that will be awarded by UEL. If you choose this option, you’ll be required to complete a number of additional written assignments to the level specified by UEL.

ITT part-time (fee-funded route only)

Our part-time ITT fee-funded route includes everything we offer with our full-time course but with more time and flexibility, so you can fit your training around your existing commitments.

You’ll spend three days per week in school with the equivalent of one day per week for your online study; spread over four terms and two academic years (starting in September of year one and completing in December of year two).

If you choose the PGCE option, you’ll complete two assignments in-line with the full-time trainees. You’ll then receive your PGCE award after you complete your school practice in December of year two, and get submitted to the next University Assessment Board.

Kelly Campbell

I am a qualified teacher who has worked in various roles within school and teacher education for nearly 20 years. I graduated from the Institute of Education, London with a BA (hons) Geography and have since completed a Master’s degree in education and a National Professional Qualification in leading teacher development. I am passionate about education which I believe has the power to change individuals’ lives, families, and communities. I have worked in and with schools in some of the most challenging socio-economic areas in the southeast and understand the support that is required to truly have an impact on the quality of teaching and in turn outcomes for children.

I joined Tes Institute in 2016 and have worked across our teacher education programmes but am currently leading on aspects of Tes Institute’s primary and secondary ITT programmes including school based ITT, and Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship. My responsibilities include ITT curriculum design, and implementation and training, education and development of mentors in ITT. I have designed and am responsible for delivering all mentor professional development and support including authoring a suite of online independent study sessions. 

Katie Hobbs

Since starting my primary teaching career over 20 years ago, I have gained considerable experience in education through various leadership roles. However, it was my role in leading and delivering ITT and CPD programmes in school that ignited my passion for teacher training. Since then, I became a pathway tutor at Tes Institute in 2017, working across multiple programmes for many years, and have then gone on to work as a lead practitioner, supporting schools and trainees on their journey to QTS.

I feel incredibly privileged to work with our next generation of teachers, and I am dedicated to ensuring they have the knowledge, skills and behaviours they require to become reflective practitioners who have a lasting impact on the pupils they teach.

Tuition fees for trainees who meet the full entry/eligibility criteria set by the DfE, us and our partnership schools for the academic year 2023/24 are:

£8,625 incl VAT ITT leading to QTS only.

£9,250 incl VAT ITT leading to QTS and a PGCE.

Fees for the part-time course are the same as for the full-time course as you’ll receive the same support and both lead to the same achievement.

You may choose to use your ITT bursary (see below) to cover some or all of your tuition fees if available.

ITT bursary and scholarships

Depending on the subject you wish to teach and whether you meet the eligibility criteria, you may be eligible to receive a tax-free ITT training bursary from the DfE. On the part-time course you’ll be eligible for the same bursaries, but they’ll be paid over the longer period of the course.

You are only eligible for a bursary if you are entitled to support under the DfE student finance criteria. 

For the academic year 2025/26, the DfE are offering bursaries of:

• £29,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
• £26,000 in biology, design and technology, geography and languages (including ancient languages)
• £10,000 in art and design, music and religious education (RE)
• £5,000 in English

Applicants may be eligible for a bursary if they have a 1st, 2:1, 2:2, PhD or Master’s.

For the academic year 2025/2026, the DfE are offering scholarships of:

• £31,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
• £28,000 in French, German and Spanish (no other languages)

Please see the DfE's scholarships and bursaries page for more information.

Teacher training grants and loans

You may be able to apply for a tuition fee loan and/or a maintenance loan to cover living costs through the Student Loans Company (Student Finance England SFE)***.

To check if you're eligible to apply for tuition fees and maintenance loans, please visit Gov.uk

Our ITT course starts at the beginning of September at the start of the teaching term. The actual start date may vary by ITT lead partner school but all will be at the beginning of September. We recommend you contact your lead school directly for their September term start date.

You can apply for our ITT course using the Government’s Find postgraduate teacher training courses search. Search for Tes Institute (H40) as the provider, then select which age group you want to teach. Select the subject you want to teach and press the 'Find courses' button. This will display the courses available. Select the partnership that you wish to train with.

Successful applicants will be invited to interview in one of our partnership schools. Our selection day activities include:

• A presentation on a subject specific topic to demonstrate your subject knowledge

• A teaching activity (we will conduct an in-person or remote interview where you will plan and discuss a lesson on a given topic and explain how you would deliver the lesson)

• Completion of fundamental maths and English audits and assessment

• An interview to discuss your suitability to teach your chosen phase and subject

Checks of your suitability, health and fitness to train to teach and full safeguarding checks are made once an offer has been made and accepted

Tes Institute is a designated ITT provider, accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver initial teacher training (ITT). Tes Institute acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to fulfilling its duties to ensure safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and DfE requirements

* Tes Institute accept GCSE equivalency tests from any UK university or our own Tes Institute GCSE equivalency tests in English, maths and science or equivalency tests from A Star Equivalency Testing.

**  A Bachelor's degree comprises 300 HE credit points of which 60 must be at Level 6 of the QCF. Applicants with a foundation degree will need to supplement this qualification with at least 60 credits at Level 6 (HE level 3) in order to attain an equivalent single qualification.

*** For full details of the ITT bursaries and eligibility criteria visit the government's Get into Teaching scholarships and bursaries webpage.