Primary Teacher Training Comparison Table

Use the table below to compare the key features of our Fee-Funded Initial Teacher Training and Teacher Apprenticeship programmes at a glance.

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Fee-Funded ITT Teacher Apprenticeship
🎓 Awards Qualified Teacher Status only Qualified Teacher Status + Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship 
(opportunity to achieve a distinction grade!) 
💰 Funding Student loan or self-funded £0 – fully funded by the school's Apprenticeship Levy
💼 Salary Unsalaried salaried employee (unqualified teacher pay scale) 
🧭 Placement School Organised for you by BPN

You must be employed by a school.

If you are not currently employed by a school, you will need to secure one to employ you.
📅 Start date September

June or September - the choice is yours!
🗓️ Programme length 11 months  12 months + End Point Assessment
🎯Ideal for Graduates not employed in a school Graduates already working in a school
📚 Study style

4 days a week in the classroom, 1 day online or in-person training

 4 days a week in the classroom, 1 day online or in-person training
📍Qualification  requirements

Level 6 Bachelor's degree 

English, maths and science GCSES (Grade C/4)

Level 6 Bachelor's degree

English, maths and science GCSES (Grade C/4)
🏠Residency requirements

3+ years UK residency or a valid visa for the duration of the programme

3+ years UK residency or a valid visa for the duration of the programme
(We cannot sponsor visas)

  How will I train to become a primary teacher?


Over 12 months, you will complete practical training while in a school. Throughout the programme, 1 day a week (20%) of your time will be dedicated to off-the-job training delivered by Best Practice Network.

Upon completion of your practical training, you will...

  • Present your portfolio and demonstrate your readiness to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in July.
  • (For Apprenticeship route only) complete your End Point Assessment, which includes a lesson observation and a professional discussion with an external examiner—giving you the opportunity to achieve a distinction-level award.

 


  • Induction: you will have your first day of learning and ITT Induction before the start of your training to help you prepare for the programme
  • Term 1: You will be in your host school this term. Training in school four days a week and attending online or in-person training one day a week
  • Term 2: you will spend 6 weeks in a contrasting school placement. 
  • Term 3: You will return to your host school to prepare for the recommendation of QTS
  • Term 4 (Apprenticeship only): End Point Assessment for Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship Qualification, where you can reach distinction level in addition to your QTS!

Hear what our student teachers have to say...

 

Why choose Best Practice Network for your teacher training? 

  • Ofsted outstanding: provider of the DfE’s full teacher progression pathway, supporting student teachers from entry into teaching through to executive leadership.
  • 20+ Years experience: Delivering teacher training and professional qualifications for teachers, school leaders, support staff and early years professionals.
  • Subject & phase specific groups: As a leading national provider our enrolment enables student teachers to train alongside peers specific to their phase, subject and specialism.
  • Local placement: Our network of 500+ schools provides our student teachers local access to in-school placements.
  • Supporting wellbeing: Our pathway is QTS-only helping support student teacher capacity and wellbeing on their journey into teaching.
  • Award-winning: Best Practice Network has been named Education Apprenticeship Training Provider of the Year for the past two years.
  • 100% of our 2023/24 graduate teachers have secured employment for September



  



 What qualifications do I need to train to be a Primary teacher?

To be eligible for our teacher training, applicants MUST hold:

  • A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with a 2:2 or above
  • GCSE grade 4/C* or above in English and maths and science (or recognised equivalent*) 
  • While school experience is not mandatory, we highly recommend it as a valuable way to confirm your interest in a teaching career


Qualifications in key and functional skills at level 2 are not equivalent to GCSEs in terms of breadth of content.

 The Application Process

What Happens After You Apply?

  1. Application review

    Once you’ve chosen the age phase you’d like to teach and submitted your application, our team will conduct an initial review.

  2. Online interview

    We’ll contact you to arrange an online interview. You'll be asked to complete some pre-interview maths and English task as well as a presentation. 

  3. Conditional offer

    If your interview is successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer to join the programme.

  4. School placement support

    Don’t have a school to support your training yet? No problem! Our dedicated placements team will work with you to secure a placement school, ensuring you’re ready to begin your teaching journey.

  5. Enrolment and onboarding process begins 

 "I can't find a school to employ me" - Apply Here

Finding a school willing to employ you as a teacher apprentice can be challenging. Many prospective apprentices who struggle to secure a placement instead opt for fee-funded Initial Teacher Training (ITT).

Schools are often more open to hosting self-funded student teachers. While this route isn't salaried like the Teacher Apprenticeship, it significantly improves your chances of finding a suitable placement and provides other key benefits to support your training.

Choose from one of two age ranges for our fee-funded Initial Teacher Training:

Specialism Age Range Application Portal
Fee-funded Teacher Training - General Primary 3-7 Apply here →
Fee-funded Teacher Training - General Primary 5-11 Apply here →

 "I will find a school to employ me" - Apply Here

If you're not currently employed by a school, you must secure employment before starting the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship. For tips on contacting local schools, please see our helpful guide: Finding employment in a school.

It's normal to contact several schools before finding the perfect match. Stay persistent, and your efforts will pay off! But please remember, you must confirm your school employment by Friday, the 9th of June. 

If you are confident you can find employment in school, please see the Teacher Apprenticeship links below:

Specialism Age Range Application Portal
Teacher Apprenticeship - General Primary 3-7 Apply here →
Teacher Apprenticeship - General Primary 5-11 Apply here →

 "I am already employed in a school" - Apply Here

If you are currently employed in a school or have found a school that will support your training, the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship is an ideal pathway to achieve Qualified Teacher Status and a Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship in just 12 months + End Point Assessment. 

All training costs are covered by your placement school’s Apprenticeship Levy, so there are no fees to pay. 

During your apprenticeship, you will be employed at your placement school and receive a salary of between £21k-£27k per year on the Unqualified Teacher Salary (UNQ1) and upon qualification, you’ll step straight into a starting teacher salary of £31k–£38k.

Choose from one of two age ranges – both are full time.

Specialism Age Range Application Portal
Teacher Apprenticeship - General Primary 3-7 Apply here →
Teacher Apprenticeship - General Primary 5-11 Apply here →

Meet the team!