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Why Become a Special Educational Needs Teacher?
SEND teachers play a vital role in supporting students with special educational needs during their most formative years. Here’s why choosing to be a SEN teacher is an incredibly rewarding career choice:
- Inspire a lifelong love of learning: Spark curiosity and creativity in your pupils, making learning fun and rewarding. Through storytelling, hands-on activities, and engaging lessons, you'll inspire the next generation.
- Shape well-rounded individuals: Teaching goes beyond academics. You'll nurture social, emotional, and physical growth, empowering children to become confident, resilient and well-rounded individuals.
- Celebrate growth every day: There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the progress children make. From their first “a-ha” moments to newfound confidence, you’ll be at the heart of their journey, celebrating every milestone.
Which teacher training route is right for me?
We offer two routes to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS):
- The Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship – ideal for those already working in schools
- Fee-Funded Initial Teacher Training (ITT) – best for those not currently employed by a school
Whichever route you choose, you’ll receive expert support, school-based training and a nationally recognised qualification. Not sure which route is right for you? There is more guidance below:
SEND 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.
📱 On mobile? Swipe sideways to see the full table →
How will I train to become a SEND teacher?
Over the academic year, you will complete practical training in two schools. 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 mainstream 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
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Meet the team!
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