Who is eligible for teacher training?

Leigh Academies Trust provides support for recent graduates who feel they are ready to enter the classroom, as well as for experienced professionals from industry who are seeking a career change.  Your experience and knowledge are what will ultimately determine what training route will suit you most.

Aside from your background, there are mandatory criteria which every trainee will need to satisfy in order to be accepted onto the programme.

Entry criteria

GCSE requirements

The basic requirements for GCSE grades if you want to train to teach are:

  • GCSE grade C/4 (or equivalent) in maths and English to be able to teach at secondary level;
  • GCSE grade C/4 (or equivalent) in maths, English and science to be able to teach at primary level.

If you have overseas qualifications, you should contact your preferred training provider to check on eligibility, as they make the final judgement on equivalency and may need you to provide ENIC-recognised qualifications.

If you don’t meet these criteria, you should contact us, as we make the final decision on equivalent qualifications and we may offer you the opportunity to sit a GCSE equivalency test.  If this choice is not available, you could consider a part-time GCSE or open-access course at your local further education college. You’ll need to cover the cost of any such course yourself.

Degree requirements

You need a degree to gain qualified teacher status (QTS). 

For postgraduate courses, the class of your degree may help to determine the level of funding you could receive during your training; find out about funding for teacher training.

How to apply

In order to undertake teacher training, you will need to complete an application via the Apply website.  Please note that all courses are registered under The Leigh Academy (24Q).

It’s important to get this part of the process right, otherwise it may delay your application reaching us.  We can help you with everything from picking the right course code to supporting you to write your personal statement.

In the meantime, get in contact and our team can answer any questions you may have.  We can support you with your application to ensure you have everything you need.  It is worth taking a look at the national Get into Teaching website too, as there is plenty of useful information on the application process.