Before Applying
What is a SCITT programme?
A SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training) programme enables graduates to enter the teaching profession through a school-based route. This enables them to learn to teach on the job.
A SCITT provider is an organisation which has been accredited to award Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
What is QTS and PGCE
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is a legal requirement for many schools in England and is considered desirable for teachers in the majority of schools.
A Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a postgraduate qualification studied at level 7 that sits alongside QTS. These credits are earned at Master's level.
By successfully training with Future Teacher Training you would gain both QTS and a PGCE.
When do applications open / close?
Applications open every October, and run continuously until the end of the academic year.
Our courses are highly competitive and we will close each subject offer once it is full; therefore, we would encourage early applications to avoid disappointment.
How is the course structured?
For the majority of time you will learn ‘on the job’ through school-based training. Placements are vital in providing you with the broadest range of experience to help prepare you in becoming an outstanding teacher.
We believe the most effective way to experience all aspects of school life is to be based in one main host school for the majority of the course, with supplementary placements during the training year, designed to diversify and tailor your training experience against your own individual development needs.
These shorter, more focused placements will include a second placement during the spring term which will offer a contrasting experience within our network of excellent schools. Furthermore, trainee teachers will also benefit from a pre-age or post-age phase placement within a primary school, in order to benefit from understanding curriculum progression across the phases.
Our ITT professional training programme has been designed to allow trainees the opportunity to take responsibility for their own classes from the start of the academic year, whilst receiving high-quality mentoring and training. As the year progresses, you will increase the number of classes for which you are responsible.
What funding options are available?
That depends on the route.
Most of our courses are fee paying programmes and the course fees are £9,535.
Many trainees will be eligible for a tax-free bursary paid through the Department for Education and other funding, with amounts varying depending on the route.
Please take a look at the 'Routes' page on our site for more information.
Can I apply overseas?
Overseas applicants from countries outside the EU must have the right to remain in the UK.
Applicants from other EU/EEA Countries
EU applicants must have ‘pre-settled status’ or ‘settled status’, this excludes the Republic of Ireland who are eligible to apply with an Irish passport.
Citizens from a country inside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, could apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Applicants from the Republic of Ireland
Irish citizens can continue to enter, work and study in the UK under the Common Travel Area.
They are charged the same fees as UK nationals, and may be eligible to some of the same funding.
Applicants from non-EU/EEA countries
For any of our courses you will need to have the right to study or work and this must be valid for the duration of the course.
Financial or funding entitlements for this route are not guaranteed for overseas applicants and we are not able to provide visa sponsorship.
I have non-UK based qualifications. Can I still apply?
In order to prove that you have suitable qualifications for our training routes, we require applicants who have not received their education in the UK, to obtain a 'statement of equivalency' from ENIC (formerly known as NARIC) in order to formally verify that your qualifications are equivalent to the UK standard. We recommend that this is done before you apply.
There are equivalency testing services available to acquire these qualifications before the start of your training. However, please speak to a member of the team to clarify any advice you receive as some courses may not be deemed acceptable. We are happy to advise on suitable equivalence testing agencies to include A Star Equivalency.
Can I apply if I am still on my degree course, or waiting for GCSE results?
If you are still studying your degree, you may apply but any offer of a place will be conditional on you obtaining your degree as per the entry criteria required to train to teach within the UK.
All trainees will need GCSE English language and mathematics at a grade 4 / C or above (or equivalent qualification).
You may apply before you have your GCSE results, but any offer made would be conditional on you obtaining a Grade C/4 or above in each of the required GCSE qualifications.
After Applying
What will happen at my interview?
If we feel you meet our criteria, we will formally invite you to a first-stage interview. This initial interview will assess a candidate's suitability to ‘train to teach’ on one of our teacher training courses. The interview will involve:
- Pre-interview tasks
- Online panel interview
- Post-interview tasks
Applicants applying for one of our salaried courses will then continue to a final school-based interview. This provides an opportunity for you to meet your potential employing school and aims to explore your suitability to manage the demands of a higher teaching load and responsibility for classes.
There may be some instances where a second-stage interview is required to further explore the suitability of a candidate applying for one of our unsalaried courses.
Pre-interview tasks
You will be asked to complete and return a series of tasks prior to your interview. This includes:
- a short essay on ‘What makes great teaching?’
- a lesson plan outline on a set learning objective specific to the subject you have applied for
Online panel interview
The online panel interview will last around 45 minutes and will be recorded.
We will ask you a series of questions about why you have chosen teaching as a career, and why you have chosen our route and specifically us as a provider. There will also be the opportunity to ask any questions you may have at this point.
Post-interview tasks
After the interview we will ask you to complete a subject-knowledge task. This will be a GCSE-style question, for which no preparation is required.
Depending on the GCSE (or equivalent) qualifications you hold you may be required to complete a literacy and / or numeracy assessment.
How long will it take to hear back?
We will endeavour to notify you about the outcome of your application within three working days after your interview, but there may be instances where it takes slightly longer.
We will notify you via the DfE’s Apply service and, for successful candidates, confirm this via email.
Following this, successful candidates will receive a formal training offer which will outline any conditions that must be met prior to the start of training.
These are usually standard conditions set by all teacher training providers as part of our safer recruitment practice but, for some applicants, may include completion of a Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course prior to the start of training.
Full guidance on how to meet your conditions and, where required, register on a SKE course will be provided during our ‘onboarding’ (registration) process.
What qualities we value
We are looking for aspiring teachers who combine expert subject knowledge with a genuine commitment to making a difference in young people’s lives. Strong applicants will demonstrate:
Subject expertise and passion
A strong academic background and clear subject expertise, alongside genuine enthusiasm for your discipline and a commitment to inspiring this in others.A strong sense of moral purpose
A clear motivation to make a positive difference to pupils’ lives, aligned with the Future Academies ethos of freedom through education, the belief that a knowledge-rich education empowers young people to think critically and shape their own futures, alongside a commitment to the transformative power of education.Commitment to academic challenge
A willingness to engage with educational research, think critically about teaching and learning, and embrace the intellectual demands of the programme.Reflective and proactive approach to development
The ability to respond to feedback, reflect on your practice, and take ownership of your professional growth throughout the training year.FAQs
What documentation will you need to see before I can join the course?
At either interview or induction stage, we will take copies of the following documents. As a minimum, please ensure you are able to provide original copies of these documents when requested.
- GCSE Maths certificate
- GCSE English certificate
- Degree certificate and transcript
- Any other relevant qualifications (as requested)
- ID documents
- Proof of address (posted and received within three months of the date being viewed)
- Right to Work in the UK
For all qualifications, we can only accept original certificates. Provisional statements of results (often issued alongside certificates on results day) or headed and signed letters will not be accepted. You can order certified copies from the awarding body if necessary.
You will then need to:
- Complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
- Undergo an Occupational Health assessment to assess fitness for teaching
- Meet any further conditions as relevant and outlined in your formal offer letter
These are standard requirements that all teacher training providers are required to carry out. To support our ‘onboarding’ process, full details will be provided within our registration form, where we will be available to guide you through the process in time for the start of your course.
My questions isn't on the list?
No problem!
Please feel free to get in touch and we will get back to you as soon as possible.