Trainee FAQs

Yes. Have a look at the different routes into teaching available to you.

You must have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to take up a teaching post in England in a state maintained school. A Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) is an academic qualification which, without QTS, restricts the state maintained schools in which you can teach.

Read our trainee case studies to learn about individual experiences. The retention rate in the independent sector is very high. Some schools may offer you a year as a teaching assistant or unqualified teacher to assess whether to invest in your training the year after. This also gives you an opportunity to discover if teaching is for you.

No. Children come from a wide range of family backgrounds and circumstances. About a third of children are on means tested bursaries. Schools have made great efforts to raise money to fund these places. Some families will make significant sacrifices to afford fees. Grandparents, aunts and uncles are often contributing to fees.

Independent schools place much value on the extra-curricular life of the school and are very keen to draw on the particular interests of teachers, whether that is playing football, directing drama, singing in a choir, creative writing, playing chess, writing computer programmes, dress making or the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

Yes. Have a look at the assessment only route and how to apply for this.

Yes. Have a look at the IStip website. The Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel manages the induction of NQTs in the independent sector.

Yes. You can complete your NQT year in an independent school wherever you have done your initial teacher training year. The NQT accreditation is transferable. For more information on the NQT year please see the IStip website.

Yes. The qualifications are national ones recognised by the Department for Education and are not sector specific. They are totally transferable between sectors.

Heads will be interested in how your initial teacher training experience has prepared you for working in their particular school.

Schools vary a great deal within both sectors. One of the most obvious differences is likely to be that independent schools may have smaller class sizes. The school day may also be extended and there may be a broader range of rich extra-curricular activities.

There are a lot of skills and experiences that are transferable. Make sure when you apply that you include what you think is relevant in applications and bring it to the attention of any future Head.

There is no list of such schools as independent schools will offer places only when they have a relevant vacancy. Posts are advertised normally in the TES and may indicate that a non-qualified teacher will be considered with a view to offering training for QTS. Even if the advertisement does not say this, it is worth enquiring of the school, if you think you would meet the requirements in other ways.

Schools will normally advertise in the TES and TES online. Some of the ISC member associations also have jobs advertised on their websites:

• The Girls' Schools Association (GSA)
• HMC Teaching Careers
  
• Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS)
• Independent Schools Association (ISA)
• The Society of Heads
• COBIS

Because independent schools are keen to encourage good graduates into teaching and can offer high quality training with excellent practising teachers.

There are strengths in both routes.

You need to ask them.

Yes. The strength of continued professional development is an attractive feature of independent schools. See the Careers section.

Many independent schools will happily appoint a teacher who is "untrained" as long as they have a good and relevant degree. But not all will and many will encourage you to train on the job.

You should start looking at adverts in the TES from October onwards for the following January, April or September. The peak of advertising is January to March but some vacancies arise in the summer for the following September.

Yes.

Obtain a good degree from a good University. Do some work experience in a school. Show enthusiasm on your CV for some of the activities schools offer e.g. sport, Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, drama and music.

Yes. You can do your NQT year in a British International School that has successfully completed a DfE-approved British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspection. See the COBIS website for more information

You need to check your qualifications for UK equivalency. You can do this by contacting UKNARIC. You also need to check with the provider of the teaching qualification.

You need to check current immigration and employment legislation. Then it will largely be a matter for each school to decide but you can check the equivalency of your qualifications by contacting UKNARIC.

To some extent it will depend on the individual training provider and the school but they may recommend that you take a subject knowledge enhancement course (SKE) in the subject you want to teach. The universities that offer these can be found in the SKE Directory.