Government announces cut to the duration of apprenticeships, opening up more training opportunities to get thousands of more teachers into the classroom
More people will soon have the opportunity to train to teach, as the government cuts apprenticeship red tape as part of steps to get thousands more teachers into the classroom.
As the government steps up work to recruit an additional 6,500 teachers, postgraduate teaching apprenticeship (PGTA) courses will be slashed from twelve months to nine, aligning to the school year and getting newly trained teachers into the classroom sooner.
Courses currently run from September to September, meaning trainees typically have to wait months before kicking off their careers, and making it challenging for schools to support apprentices while training.
The change will be made from August this year and is expected to open up more opportunities to train to teach, as well as accelerating trainees’ journeys to the front of the classroom.
The PGTA has seen a 58 per cent growth over the past few years, showing how popular the offer is, giving participants the chance to earn while they learn and gain hands-on experience in the classroom.
More than 1,400 people trained to teach via this route this year, but demand for places currently far outstrips supply, with around 2,800 eligible applicants last year unable to secure a place on a coveted course.
The change supports the government’s drive through its Plan for Change to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers, and follows early progress on teacher recruitment, with over two thousand more people training to become secondary school teachers this year, alongside a 25% boost in the proportion set to begin training in shortage STEM subjects.
Schools Minister, Catherine McKinnell said:
Apprenticeships are a brilliant way for schools to recruit and train the high-quality teachers they need, while supporting more people to gain the skills and experience they need to become expert teachers and build a successful career in teaching.
The government is offering schools up to £28,000 to cover the cost of training apprentices in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing, and modern foreign languages – the subjects which have the highest teacher shortages. This means apprentices pay nothing for their training and will earn a salary while they are training before moving on to full time teacher pay salary.
The apprenticeship changes build on wider steps the government is already taking to support teacher recruitment and retention, including last summer’s 5.5% pay award and a targeted retention incentive, worth up to £6,000 after tax for early career teachers working in shortage subjects.
Action is also being taken to tackle the systemic challenges that the sector faces which drive high workload and poor wellbeing. This includes improvements to the accountability framework, prioritising SEND reform, reviewing the curriculum through the curriculum and assessment review, supporting schools to use technology effectively and addressing child poverty.
PGTA apprentice teacher in biology at Outwood Academy Acklam, Dan Harrison, shared his experience so far:
National Institute of Teaching Executive Director of Programmes, Reuben Moore said:
Courses will still offer the same high-quality content but at a reduced length with trainees gaining Qualified Teacher Status after they have completed the programme, going on to build successful careers in teaching.
As part of the work to drive high and rising standards in schools the government’s landmark Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill is also introducing measures to ensure new teachers have or are working towards Qualified Teacher Status, so that children can benefit from high-quality teaching. Parents want to be confident that there is a professionally qualified teacher leading their children’s learning, and we expect the same.
As well as the PGTA, there are a range of apprenticeships available to individuals who are considering entering the teaching profession including a new degree level teacher apprenticeship as well as teaching assistant apprenticeships.