Teacher Training Courses

Whilst studying with us you will learn the latest in child and education psychology, how to work alongside the National Curriculum Framework and how to devise and deliver engaging lessons with confidence. This academic study is supported by hands-on placement experiences in local schools, which makes up a significant portion of your course.

Teacher training time is dependent on your previous qualifications. If you don't yet have a degree and are joining us on an Undergraduate course, you can train for 3 or 4 years. This route allows you to achieve a Bachelor's degree (BA Hons) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). If you already have a degree, even in another subject, you can train to be a teacher in a year through a PGCE programme.

Teaching is a reliable career, seeing huge levels of demand now more than ever. In fact, the UK is currently observing a shortage of qualified teachers. With 97% of our students going into employment or further study after graduating (HESA 2024) and many of our Early Career Teachers being recruited for teaching jobs before they graduate, you can feel assured that teaching holds employment opportunities in abundance.

Some of our school-based partners offer a limited number of salaried placements which vary year to year. Most teacher training courses are not salaried, however, as a full-time education student, you can benefit from an array of loans, bursaries and scholarships to support you while you study. You can explore funding opportunities with University of Cumbria or through the DfE here.

Although it is not free to train to be a teacher, the government does offer an array of student loans. Student loans operate differently from standard loans, often described as more akin to a tax. What’s more, you don't have to start paying them back until you are earning over a government-mandated salary threshold. In most cases, you won’t start repaying your student loan until you have been teaching for a while and have progressed in your career.

Although some schools are permitted to employ teaching staff who are not formally qualified, most state schools require QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). Moreover, undertaking formal training prepares you to be a dynamic, capable teacher and increases your chances of employment.

The large proportion of trainee teachers are graduates undertaking a PGCE qualification, however, at the University of Cumbria, you can study for your undergraduate degree with QTS embedded, meaning you are fully qualified to teach when you graduate. Accreditation for the award of QTS is through our accredited partner. All academic awards are made by the University of Cumbria.

We offer teacher training options to suit every student. If you're looking to train remotely, why not explore our part-time PGCE Online programme, which you can supplement with a QTS Direct Assessment to become fully qualified to teach. At the University of Cumbria, we work with school-based partners, located in the North West and beyond. This means that you can train remotely with one of our partners, whilst benefitting from the guidance of one of the UK's leading providers in teacher education.