ROUTES INTO TEACHING
'PGCE WITH QTS' - PARTNER LED
WITH THE LION ALLIANCE & THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
1 year, full time ‘PGCE with QTS’.
Pay a tuition fee for the course.
Specialise in Primary (5-11) or a range of Secondary Subjects (11-18).
When you apply via ‘DFE Apply’ – YOU choose your university provider (Warwick University) AND your Delivery Partner (the Lion Alliance). A key benefit when choosing this route; you get to select the school you want to train to teach in when you apply.
Entry requirements: minimum 2.2 degree, grade 4 in English, Maths (and Science for Primary).
The Lion Alliance offers additional support and guidance including ITaPs (Intensive Training and Practice Sessions); access to ‘Meet the Expert’ training; organising your second placement (with your requests considered); recruitment opportunities & membership of Lion Alliance alumni.
Our partner led ‘PGCE with QTS’ course is ratified by the University of Warwick, who is the official provider for the course.
The Lion Alliance is a lead partner with the University of Warwick. As such, we are able to offer the partner led ‘PGCE with QTS’ (previously known as School Direct).
For full eligibility details and more information, please visit our ‘PGCE with QTS course’ pages.
TEACHING APPRENTICESHIP
WITH THE LION ALLIANCE & NITE: COVENTRY UNIVERSITY
A 12 month programme (July to July), leading to QTS. Currently offered in a range of Secondary subjects. Employed by a host school as an unqualified teacher. Work full time. Host school covers all training costs. Entry requirements: minimum 2.2 degree (will consider 3rd), grade 4 in English, Maths (and Science for Primary) 20% off the job training (50 – 80% teaching timetable that builds up incrementally across the 3 terms).
For full eligibility details and more information, please visit the NITE: Coventry University website ‘QTS Apprenticeship route plus PGCE’
'PGCE WITH QTS' - UNIVERSITY LED
WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
1 year, full time ‘PGCE with QTS’. Pay a tuition fee for the course. When you apply via ‘DFE Apply’ – you choose your university provider only. You will be assigned your host and placement schools by the university. Many of our partner schools host university led placements from the University of Warwick each year.
For full eligibility details and more information, please visit the University of Warwick website: ‘Study with us’
ASSESSMENT ONLY (AO)
WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
Please note: you must be currently employed by one of our partner schools to be eligible for this route.
A fast track route to QTS for unqualified teachers; providing you are already employed in a school environment. You will have been observed by your school and your teaching graded as “Outstanding” or “Good”. You will be able to demonstrate that you have recent experience teaching across consecutive age ranges in two or more schools/settings, including the school/setting you are currently working in. You will need to have at least 2 years of teaching experience in total. You will have begun to put together an Initial Portfolio of Evidence against the national Teachers’ Standards
For full eligibility details and more information, please visit the University of Warwick website: ‘Assessment Only (QTS)’
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 'UNIVERSITY LED' AND 'PARTNER LED' PGCE ROUTES?
Essentially these courses are very similar. Throughout the year, both ‘university led’ and ‘partner led’ students are taught together at university sessions. There are regular tutorials with your university tutors as well as weekly mentor meetings in school and, on some occasions, visits by tutors to your placement schools. Academic assignments will be the same for students that go through either route.
However, the ‘partner led’ route application process allows you to identify a school (from our partners) who you would like to train with, offering you far more control. We also always take trainee preferences into account for the complementary placement (several weeks spent in a second school) again offering you more influence on the location and ‘type’ of school in which you train.
UNIVERSITY LED ROUTE
If you feel passionate about teaching and would like a programme offering placements in a range of schools this may be the best option for you. In the past this has been the traditional route into teaching where your chosen university will provide you with a good academic grounding upon which you will build your professional skills and understanding in schools. You may not be placed in a school immediately at the start of your course as your chosen university may ask you to join them for academic study to begin with. You will then be assigned placement schools throughout your training year at the university’s discretion.
PARTNER LED ROUTE
If you would rather be immersed in the classroom environment and school culture, consider the ‘partner led’ route where you’ll spend the year in our alliance schools, as part of our ever expanding network. We can offer you an authentic, practical and realistic experience of what it’s like to be in schools right now and you will be working with experienced colleagues from the outset who will mentor and support you throughout your PGCE year.
If you are unsure if this is the right route for you, you can find testimonials from our past PGCE teachers here: https://thelionalliance.co.uk/trainee-testimonials/
It’s important to note that this route is similar to the university led route (indeed most university based sessions will be taught together), but a massive benefit of choosing the ‘partner led’ route is that the choice of school you train to teach in rests in your hands; you will choose a specific base placement school when you apply for our courses. If you’ve applied and your chosen school is no longer available, we are really flexible and will work with you to see if there is another school in our alliance that you are interested in.
If your application is successful, the school you’ve chosen is where you will be placed for the majority of the year so that you can learn to teach and develop lasting relationships with your students and colleagues. You’ll also complete a complementary placement in another one of our alliance schools for a shorter period of time; this is something we will arrange for you based on your school preference.