Becoming a teacher in England
To teach in a state school in England, you must have a degree, and gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by following a programme of Initial Teacher Training (ITT).
You must have achieved minimum requirements in GCSE English, maths, and science if you wish to teach at primary-level. You can teach in independent schools, academies, and free schools in England without QTS, but it’s a definite advantage to have it.
Find postgraduate teacher training
Use the Department for Education's 'Find postgraduate teacher training' service to find teacher programmes in England.
Already have a degree?
Find out about postgraduate university and school-led programmes, including PGCE and PGDE, School Direct, SCITT, and Teach First.
Eligibility for teacher training
Find out about required qualifications, school experience, and subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses.
Fees and funding
Find out more about funding, including bursaries, scholarships, and tuition fee and maintenance loans you may be eligible for to support your training.
How to apply
Where you want to study will determine how you apply. Check our advice to find out which application service to use.
If you don’t already have a degree, you can apply via the DFE's dedicated service for teacher training programmes.
Explore your options
Which teacher training route is right for you? Are you a school leaver, recent graduate, or career changer? Use our interactive tool to narrow your search and explore your options.
Support from the Department for Education (DfE)
The DfE's Get Into Teaching team offers free one-to-one advice on everything to do with teacher training, from fees and funding, to arranging school experience. Register online now, or call them on 0800 389 2500.