Frequently Asked Questions
If you cannot find the answer to your question here please email us at admin@yhtt.co.uk
What are the requirements for teacher training?
What are the requirements for teacher training?
What if my qualifications are not equivalent to UK qualifications or I do not have a
GCSE in English/Maths/Science?
Where will my placement school be?
How do I apply for the bursary?
When do I receive the first bursary payment?
What is involved in the interview process?
I did not get an interview; can I appeal this decision?
Where will the training take place?
What qualifications will I have at the end?
Can I take holidays during the course?
Qualifications
To be eligible for teacher training you will need GCSEs in English and Maths of level 4 (old GCSE grade C) or above. If you want to train as a primary teacher you will also need a GCSE Science level 4 (old GCSE grade C) or above.
In addition you will need a undergraduate degree. We only accept applicants with at least a lower second class degree.
If your qualifications are from abroad you should apply to ENIC for a statement of comparability before you apply. This will confirm to us that your qualifications are of a comparable standard to UK qualifications. For further information and to apply for a statement of comparability please go to https://www.enic.org.uk/Qualifications/SoC/Default.aspx
Equivalent Qualifications
Functional Skills qualifications and Adult Numeracy and Literacy qualifications are not considered to be equivalent to GCSEs and we do not accept them.
We also do not accept the ESOL or IELTS as an equivalent qualification.
We do not accept university entrance exams as equivalent to GCSEs.
What if my qualifications are not equivalent to UK qualifications or I do not have a GCSE in English/Maths/Science?
You can complete something called a GCSE equivalency test. We would expect candidates to complete this before applying so that we can be sure that they meet the entry requirements. We accept any of the equivalency test providers below.
A Star Equivalency | GCSE Equivalency Tests & Courses
School Experience
While not an essential requirement for teacher training, we recommend that all our candidates complete at least a couple of days of school experience before applying, ideally in a couple of different schools. This is to make sure that teaching is the right career for you and that you have chosen the right subject/phase of education (primary/secondary/post-16). This is particularly important if you are a career changer who maybe has not been in a classroom environment for a long time.
All our secondary schools are signed up to the DfE’s school experience programme and school experience days can be booked via https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/school-experience
For experience in a primary school please email us admin@yhtt.ac.uk.
Placements
Where will my placement school be?
Our core placement schools are spread from Bridlington in the North, down the east coast via Hornsea and Withernsea to Hull and then south of the river Humber to Grimsby. Once you have secured a place on the course, we will ask you for your preference and while we cannot guarantee a place at a certain school we do consider where you live and other factors (whether you drive or not etc. and which school will best be able to support you through your training year). Not all placement schools are able to offer every subject every year as we can only place trainees where an experienced mentor is in the department. For a full list of placement schools please see here.
Finance
What about the course fee?
The course fee for the full time course is £9,250 and for the part time course £6935 per year. You can take a tuition fee loan out from Student Finance England to cover the costs of this. In financial terms the teacher training course ins comparable to your undergraduate degree. To apply and for further information please go to https://www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance.
You will also be able to apply to Student Finance England for maintenance loans. Further information about eligibility can be found here https://www.ucas.com/student-finance-england/living-costs-full-time-students
Am I eligible for a bursary?
The list of subjects that are eligible for a bursary can be found here https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-my-teacher-training/bursaries-and-scholarships-for-teacher-training.
To check your eligiblity you must apply for student finance (even if you do not intend to take out a tuition fee loan). Instructions on how to do this can be found here.
How do I apply for the bursary?
You do not need to apply for the bursary separately. Once you are formally enrolled on the course (after your first day of attendance) and we have confirmed your eligibility (we have received the original of your degree certificate) your bursary will be processed automatically.
When do I receive the first bursary payment?
Bursary payments are made in 10 equal instalments on the last working day of the month from October to July of your training year.
Scholarships
Information about Scholarships available can be found here https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/funding-my-teacher-training/bursaries-and-scholarships-for-teacher-training. These are awarded by external organisations whose conditions you will have to meet in order to qualify for their scholarships.
Information about the different scholarships available can be found here:
Institute of Physics https://www.iop.org/education/teach/itts/page_52632.html#gref
Institute of Mathematics https://ima.org.uk/support/mathematics-teacher-training-scholarship/
Royal Society of Chemistry https://www.rsc.org/awards-funding/funding/teacher-training-scholarships/#eligibility
The Application Process
DfE Apply
All applications are made via DfE Apply.
For further information and to apply via DfE Apply please go to https://www.apply-for-teacher-training.service.gov.uk/candidate.
The Interview Process
What is involved in the interview process?
Secondary:
The interview process consists of a subject knowledge test (to test your subject knowledge at GCSE level) and 2 short papers to test your subject knowledge in Maths and English (arithmetic & grammar). The subject knowledge required for these is at the level of a Year 6 student.
There will also be a short lesson planning task. The format of this tasks depends on whether your interview is face-to-face or online. For online interviews you will be asked to plan a lesson and submit your lesson plan 2 working days prior to interview. For face-to-face interviews you will be asked to deliver the activity you have planned to a class of students. You will be emailed instructions together with your interview invite to give you plenty of time to prepare. The exact content of this task varies from subject to subject and we do not give further information on this before this stage.
Finally, there is the formal interview. Your interview will start with a discussion of your lesson plan (for online interviews) or the lesson you have delivered (for face-to-face interviews).
Primary:
Our primary candidates are required to complete a lesson planning task for a PSHE lesson in advance of the interview. You will be emailed this task together with your interview invite to give you plenty of time to prepare.
In addition to that there will be 3 short written tests, arithmetic, grammar and writing. These are at the level of the KS2 SATs.
Finally there is the formal interview. This us usually conducted by our SCITT Primary Lead and a Headteacher from one of our primary partners.
I did not get an interview; can I appeal this decision?
For our appeals procedure please see here. The best course of action is to ask for feedback why your application was rejected and then act upon this feedback.
Places on the course are allocated on a first come first served basis. Once a course is full all remaining applicants will be rejected. There is no right of appeal against this decision.
What qualifications will I have at the end?
At the end of our course you will receive QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) and a PGCE.
Can I take holidays during the course?
Our course is a 44-week, term time only course. You will be able to take holidays during the school holidays. Leave of absence during term time will not be authorised.
Should you already have a holiday planned for the academic year that you are planning on starting your teacher training in, please talk to us at the latest at interview stage. Depending on the length of the holiday you may have to defer the start of your course.
