Teaching Apprenticeships

So you’ve watched Dead Poets Society or School of Rock and decided you want to inspire the lives of the future generation?

Why wait? Teaching Assistant apprenticeships start at Level 3. This means that you just have to get your GCSEs and you’re in!

Teaching is an incredibly rewarding career. But you have to put the work in. Teachers have to train hard to become fully qualified, not to mention have the patience of a saint.

Interested? Keep reading to find out more about how to become a teacher by choosing apprenticeships!

Can you do an apprenticeship in teaching?

Yes, you can! If you’re a school leaver aged 16+ and interested in becoming a teacher, teaching apprenticeships are a brilliant place to start. You’ll get to work in a classroom straight away and support students (including those with special educational needs) with their learning.

Teaching apprenticeships allow you to combine work and study. As an apprentice, you’ll split your week between working for your employer, receiving on-the-job training, and studying towards nationally recognised qualifications at a college or training provider.

Not only that, you’ll get paid too. Does it get any better?

What do teaching apprenticeships involve?

Once you’ve signed up for your teaching apprenticeship, you’ll work as a teaching assistant in a primary, secondary or special needs school, supporting the class teacher and ensuring students are meeting all their learning objectives. Your responsibilities might include:

• Listening to children read

• Providing study support to those who need it

• Helping teachers plan learning activities.

Generally, teachers set a curriculum and teaching assistants reinforce this curriculum. They’ll work with students and help them develop their understanding of a particular topic.   

Apprenticeships come in levels, with teaching apprenticeships starting at Level 3. This means you’ll need five GCSEs graded at 9 – 4 (A* – C), including passes in Maths and English.

What types of teaching apprenticeships can I do?

These are the types of apprenticeships you can currently do:

Early Years Educator

Level 3
Duration: Typically 18 months

Early Years Educators play a key role in a child’s early development. They are highly trained and specialise in childcare from birth to 5 years old.

As an apprentice, you must also successfully complete the Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid. If you don’t already have Level 2 in Maths and English, you’ll need to get them before you can complete the programme.

Click here to see the full criteria for this role.

Teaching Assistant

Level 3
Duration: Typically 18 months

Teaching Assistants work in either Primary, Secondary or Special schools, teaching pupils of all ages. It’s their duty to create a safe environment for the pupil while supporting their education and mental health. Promoting self-belief and social inclusion is integral to ensuring a child’s well-being.

You’ll need to have at least an english and maths Level 2 qualification to proceed with this apprenticeship. If not, you can work towards these qualifications alongside doing your apprenticeship.

Teaching

Level 6
Duration: Typically 12 months

We all know what a teacher is. We’ve all had teachers throughout our school journey. Good ones, bad ones, some that shout a lot, and some that never shout at all. From the age of three, all the way up to 18, we spend as much time with them as we do our parents.

A teacher’s first concern is the education of their students. It sounds obvious, but that is the role of a teacher: to help children and teenagers achieve their academic potential. To do this, all teachers need to have really good subject knowledge. They also have to keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date as the curriculum is always changing.

Your average week in this kind of apprenticeship would consist of 4 days on-the-job training. This means, as an unqualified teacher, you will be teaching for four days of the week in two different schools. The remaining day will be for other activities, such as planning lessons and shadowing other teachers.

How much will I earn?

Your salary on a teaching apprenticeship will depend on the area and the school. You'll be paid the National Minimum Wage for an apprentice, but employers usually pay well above this.

And, once you’re all finished, the average wage of a teacher is just over £39,500.

How do you apply for teaching apprenticeships?

There are a couple of steps you’ll need to follow to apply for a teaching assistant apprenticeship. We’ve broken them down below:

First of all, you’ll need to find an employer and a vacancy. In this case, it will be a school. You can have a look online and see if any local schools are hiring.

Once you’ve found a vacancy at a school, you’ll have to fill out an online application form. These forms include the usual personal details you’ll find on a job application, including your educational history.

NOTE: The entry requirements for these schemes are as follows:

• 5 GCSE passes (grades 9 to 4) or equivalent. This includes passes in English and maths

So, considering the above, mention your English and maths grades on the form.

The last step is preparing for interviews… Trust us, it’s not as scary as it sounds. But you do have to be PREPARED.