Teacher Training

Learn with England’s largest professional development provider
We are England’s largest professional development provider for teachers and school leaders. In 2023/24 1 in 9 teachers and leaders in state-funded schools developed professionally with Ambition.​
When your programme is complete, you also have the option to progress your career further and move on to our two-year training for Early Career Teachers, which will help you develop your expertise.

Improve children’s lives.
Our mission is to help young people reach their full potential, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Join us and give every child the best possible start in life.

Train in school.
You’ll do most of your training in one school, giving you immediate opportunities to practise the theory you’ve learnt in a classroom. Our school training approach allows you to build relationships with teachers, staff, and the wider school community. By the end of your training, you’ll have the confidence to teach in a classroom independently. You’ll also stand a great chance of securing a permanent role.

Be guided by a mentor.
To make sure you are supported through your training, we match you with an experienced teacher who will guide you every step of the way.

Get a placement to suit you.
Whether it be the city where you studied or the town you grew up in, through our national network of partners you can train in a school in a location that suits you.

Become an expert in a subject you're passionate about.
At least 50% of your weekly modules will focus on your chosen secondary subject, for context, typically other SCITT programmes offer a 30% subject focus. This means, through our programme, you'll be given the foundation skills and knowledge to become an expert teacher in your chosen subject.

Learn flexibly.
We offer a range of training routes for both full and part-time learning to make sure you are supported to be the best teacher you can be.

Benefit from blended learning.
We blend the high-quality academic training you’d expect to get from a university with immersive, classroom learning. You’ll benefit from a combination of face-to-face training sessions and theoretical study on our easy-to-use online learning portal.

Earn a decent salary.
Once you’ve qualified, the world is your oyster. You can work your way up the teaching ladder into a headship or leadership role, or travel the world as your qualification is recognised internationally.
In England, teachers earn a starting salary of at least £31,650 with head teachers earning upwards of £140,000 in some schools. Teachers are also entitled to a substantial pension and generous holidays.

Marie Hamer is the Executive Director at Ambition Institute. She is a former school leader and teacher, and in the past has held roles as Head of Ark Teacher Training, an Outstanding SCITT, and was the National English subject lead at Teach First. She has worked closely with the Department for Education as an Expert Advisor for the development of the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework and was a member of the Expert Working Group developing the International Qualified Teacher Status Core Content Framework.

Dr Neil Gilbride is an Associate Dean of Learning Design at Ambition Institute contributing to the curriculum for our Teacher Training programme. Over the past 17 years, Neil has amassed experience within schools and Higher Education around children's learning, special educational needs, teacher development and school leadership. Neil's research explores the psychology of decision making, complexity theory and leadership development.

Melissa Thomlinson is a Dean in our Learning Design team overseeing the golden thread of curriculum from Teacher Training through the Early Career Teacher programme. She was a teacher and national subject leader for a multi-academy trust before joining a founding team which set up a SCITT. She has consulted on national framework design for the Department for Education.

Genevieve Field is the Director of Ambition's Teacher Training programme. She is a former teacher and senior leader who was part of the founding team and later led Initial Teacher Training for Ark Schools. Since becoming a Director at Ambition in 2018, she led a national DfE-funded school improvement contract, Early Careers Framework (ECF) pilot for the Education Endowment Fund and led the early roll-out and post-covid expansion of the DfE funded ECF programme across England. She is a long-term school governor and a trustee for multiple trusts in England.

You’ll learn through a combination of weekly self-guided learning, face-to-face and online sessions with other trainees. These sessions are paced and structured to give you the opportunity to take a complex area of teaching and unpick it with the help of education experts.

Your practice builds straight from your weekly study activities and includes classroom teaching practice, peer support and one-to-one coaching from your mentor

You’ll also have:

• Focused topic weeks where we take a complex area of teaching and study it with the help of additional experts in education.
• Additional placement days outside of your school where you will experience the breadth of the education system in England.

You’ll learn about what makes a good teacher and put this learning into practice inside and outside the classroom. At every step, you will be supported by your own dedicated teaching mentor.

Teacher Training is divided into five strands:

• Behaviour: How you can create calm, safe and purposeful places of learning where all children and young people can achieve.
• Instruction: How you can support all children and young people to learn in the classroom – from thinking about how you present information to helping them learn independently in lessons.
• Curriculum: How you can design lessons and curricula that help children and young people learn new and more complex ideas over time.
• Assessment: How you can better understand the impact your teaching is having and how to respond when your pupils struggle.
• Professionalism: Looking at what it is to be a teacher and how to prepare for your professional career.

Each module starts by introducing you to the ideas and theories underpinning the practice. You will then learn, step-by-step, how to apply these ideas in the classroom. Your tutors and mentor will make sure you have plenty of opportunities to see great teaching in action and understand the key learning before you put it into practice yourself.

We have designed the curriculum so that you:

• Build confidence in teaching your subject
• Focus intensely on areas of teaching we know can be complex and difficult to master.
• Tackle areas, like pupil behaviour, right from the beginning of your training.
• Revisit all your learning over time so that you keep improving.

If you're teaching a secondary subject at least 50% of your weekly modules will focus on your chosen secondary subject, providing an excellent opportunity for you to develop your expertise in teaching this subject.

If you're teaching a primary phase your weekly modules will focus on different subjects, supporting you to develop your subject-specific expertise across the full breadth of the primary curriculum.

You will be assessed through a mixture of written assignments and classroom observation.

We’ll make sure your assessment is energising, supportive and manageable. In your day-to-day training there will be opportunities to show us what you can do and where we can help you further. We’ll use a range of assessment tools to help you showcase your growing capabilities, inside and outside the classroom.

This is a 12-month, full-time, postgraduate programme. You may also be able to do part-time training, spread across two academic years.

Qualified teacher status (QTS)
Once you have completed your training, and demonstrated what you have learned in the classroom, you’ll receive qualified teacher status (QTS). This is a nationally recognised teaching qualification that allows you to teach in any school, run by a local authority in England.

Postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)
When you have successfully completed our programme, you will also receive a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). This is an internationally recognised qualification, opening up opportunities for you to teach abroad. The PGCE is worth 60 credits towards a Master’s degree, should you wish to go on to further study.

Getting a job
Ambition Institute’s in-school training gives you the advantage of building a network of colleagues and a solid foundation with a school or trust. Trainees often go on to work in their placement schools – meaning you may not need to apply for jobs elsewhere.

Early career teachers
Once you complete your Teacher Training, you’ll be known as an early career teacher (ECT) for the next two years of teaching. During these two years, you can receive a package of training and support through Ambition Institute. We’re a Department for Education-approved provider of this induction programme which will build upon what you learn in your Teacher Training.

By doing both programmes with Ambition Institute, you will have a consistent, stable and secure start to your career, helping you to progress.

We also offer continuing professional development for teachers throughout their careers.

Find out more about our Early Career Teachers programme.

Applications for our September 2025 cohort are now open, you can start your application by our visiting our Where to train page.

If you're not quite ready to apply but want to find out more about this programme, you can register your interest here.

Training is open to anyone who might have an interest in becoming a teacher, has a degree or equivalent and has permission to work in the UK before their training begins. You might be:

• A recent graduate looking for the first step in your career.
• A teaching assistant looking to transition into teaching your own class.
• Looking for a completely new career path.

We welcome candidates of all ages, from all backgrounds, and with all types of experience.

To be eligible, you will need:

• An undergraduate bachelor's degree with honours, generally 2:2 or above, or equivalent.
• A GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths, or equivalent.
• In addition to the above, primary school trainees will also need a GCSE grade 4/C or above in science, or equivalent.

Please note some of our partners will want you to have a degree and/or A Level related to the subject you wish to teach.

We accept international qualifications that are equivalent to our eligibility criteria below:

• An undergraduate bachelor's degree with honours, generally 2:2 or above, or equivalent.
• A GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths, or equivalent.
• Primary school trainees will need a GCSE grade 4/C or above in science, or equivalent.

You will need to provide an ENIC statement of comparability to progress with your application. This costs £49.50 + VAT. It takes 15 working days to complete your order from the date ENIC receives your qualification documents and payment. For more information, and to apply for your ENIC statement, please visit UK ENIC.

Please also note you must have permission to work in the UK full-time by the start and for the duration of the training programme. Unfortunately, Ambition Institute cannot sponsor your visa.

Application:
Use our partner map tool to select your preferred school partner in a location suited to you. You can then complete the form to register for your chosen partner. You will receive an email with a link to complete the application form - this will take you approximately 15 mins to complete.

Interview:
Our friendly team will assess your application and if you are eligible, will pass your application to your preferred school partner. You will then be invited to attend an in-person interview by this partner. The interview will include a set of five questions and one task, the details of which you will receive beforehand from your chosen partner.

Please note you will also be asked to complete some short online multiple-choice tests as part of the assessment stage, no revision or preparation is required for this. Additionally, you will need to share your proof of eligibility as part of this stage.

Offer:
If you are successful at the interview you will be provided with a conditional offer. Please note the conditions of the offer are dependent on you completing the relevant pre-programme checks, such as checking degree certificate gradings and DBS check.

Unlike university-based teacher training programmes, where you have a number of different placements, our programme allows you to do most of your training in one school. The big benefit of this is that you can put your academic learning into practice in a classroom environment where you feel familiar and comfortable.

You’ll learn through a combination of self-guided learning, face-to-face and online sessions with other trainees. In-school activities will include classroom teaching practice, peer support and one-to-one guidance from your mentor. The practical teaching experience you gain will mean you finish the training confident to teach in a classroom.

You will also have a dedicated mentor – an experienced teacher – throughout your training who works alongside you in your school to offer guidance and support.

To be eligible, you will need:

• An undergraduate bachelor's degree with honours, generally 2:2 or above, or equivalent.
• A GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths, or equivalent.
• Primary school trainees will need a GCSE grade of 4/C or above in science, or equivalent.

This is a one-year full-time postgraduate programme, alternatively, some of our partners are offering part-time placements. A part-time option is available over two years, but not all partner schools offer this option. Use our partner tool to see which of our partners are offering part-time options.

You need to let us know about your previous work history for two reasons:

1) For us to review your previous employment experience and ask for further information or details where needed.

2) To confirm any gaps in employment to ensure we’re compliant with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2023.

If you haven’t already done so, complete your work history by inputting details of each job you’ve held since the age of 18, this should include both part-time and full-time work.

Once you complete this, you will need to tick the box to confirm the information is correct and save. If you don’t have any previous work history you won’t need to enter any information, but you will still need to tick the box to confirm this.

Completing your work history is compulsory, you can also upload your CV to the file section.

Where do I add my work history? Go to My Teacher Training, in the ‘Pre-programme checks’ section, available from the homepage.

We accept international qualifications that are equivalent to our below eligibility criteria:

• An undergraduate bachelor's degree with honours, generally 2:2 or above.
• A GSCE grade 4/C or above in English and maths.
• Primary school trainees will need a GSCE grade of 4/C or above in science.

Please note some of our partners will want you to have a degree and/or A Level related to the subject you wish to teach.

You will also need to provide an ENIC statement of comparability to progress with your application. For more information, and to apply for your ENIC statement, please visit UK ENIC or call Get Into Teaching at +44 800 389 2500 to get a free verbal assessment.

Please also note you must have permission to work in the UK full-time by the start and for the duration of the training programme. Unfortunately, Ambition Institute cannot sponsor your visa.

By the start of the training, international candidates must have a visa with permission to work in the UK full-time for the duration of the programme. Unfortunately, Ambition Institute cannot sponsor your visa. Most people will require either a Student Visa or a Skilled Worker visa, you can find out more about which visa to apply for by visiting Get Into Teaching.

Ambition Institute has the largest network of partners providing training to teachers in England. We currently have over 650 teacher training opportunities across the North West, North East, East London, Midlands and Essex. 

Below is a current list of areas where we have opportunities for you to do your teaching training:

North of England

• Manchester
• Liverpool
• Blackpool
• Cumbria
• Lancashire

Midlands

• Birmingham
• Derby
• Nottingham
• Leicester

East of England

• Cambridgeshire/Norfolk
• Peterborough
• Northamptonshire
• Hertfordshire
• Essex
• Suffolk
• London

South East

• Kent
• Sussex

South West

• Swindon
• Wiltshire

You will be based in one core school for most of your training. The first stage of applying is via our partner tool, which will ask you:

• To choose where you want to train.
• Whether you want to be in a primary or secondary school.
• What subject you want to specialise in (for secondary) or phase (for primary).
• Whether you want to train full-time or part-time.

Based on your answers to the above we will match you to a school for you to then complete your application.

Although most of your training will be in one school. You will also complete:

• A 2-3 week placement in another school during the final term.
• 5-10 days in an alternative environment to your main school. For example, with a secondary, primary, or special educational needs and disability (SEND) school.

It’s up to you! You can choose to teach in a primary or secondary school. If you’re hoping to teach in a secondary school, the pupils will be aged between 11 and 16. If you’re teaching in a primary school, the pupils will be aged between 4 and 11 you will need to be able to teach a wider range of subjects.

In a secondary school, you will have the opportunity to select your preferred subject. Some core secondary subjects are more popular than others, so it’s best to apply early.

Our Teacher Training programme will link closely with our Early Career Teachers (ECT). ECT is the mandatory two-year induction course that you need to do after your initial teacher training and is usually provided through your school or local trust. The benefit here is that repetition is minimised when you do both your Teacher Training and ECT with Ambition Institute.

ECT will allow you to go deeper and advance your teaching skills using the same concepts and terminology that you learned through your initial teacher training.

Yes, you will be training with other people on our programme. From the very beginning of the programme, you will become part of a regional network, working with others either in your school or in your local network, and you will become part of a national cohort of people training with Ambition. You will have regular opportunities to come together with other trainees to learn, share your experiences, and work collaboratively.

You’ll achieve qualified teacher status (QTS), a nationally recognised teaching qualification. When you’ve successfully completed the programme, you will also receive a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). This is an internationally recognised qualification, opening up opportunities for you to teach abroad. The PGCE is worth 60 credits towards a master’s degree if you want to go on to further study.

The DfE have confirmed that there will be salaried teacher training places for Sep 25/26 but the availability of these places will be dependent on our partners.

Unless your partner has specified otherwise, you will need to fund the tuition fee. Our programme costs £9,535 for full-time study and £7,145 per year for part-time study.

Full-time trainees: £9,535
Payments are broken into three instalments across terms
(October: 25%, February: 25%, May: 50%)

Part-time trainees: £7,145 per year
Payments are broken into three instalments across terms
(Year 1 October: 12.5%, February: 12.5%, May: 25%, Year 2 October: 12.5%, February: 12.5%, May: 25%)
For both programme lengths, payments will be due at the end of the month in October, February, and May.

If you decide to take a salaried route, you are employed as you train and would not be eligible for a bursary or student finance.

Depending on your subject choice, you may be eligible for a tax-free bursary or scholarship which you won’t have to pay back.

You must be eligible for student finance to receive a bursary or scholarship. The only exception to this is if you are training to teach physics or languages. Additionally, you cannot receive both a teaching bursary and a scholarship. You cannot receive a bursary, scholarship or student finance if you’re on a salaried teacher training course.

You can receive a bursary or scholarship in addition to a tuition fee loan or maintenance loan.

Bursaries for 2025 to 2026

• £29,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
• £26,000 in biology, geography and languages
• £10,000 in art and design
• £5,000 in English.

If you are eligible for a bursary, you must register with the Student Loan Company to receive it. You will then receive 10 equal payments directly to you throughout your training.

Applicants may be eligible for a bursary if they have either:

• A bachelor’s degree class 2:2 (honours) or higher
• A master’s degree
• Or a PhD

Scholarships for 2025 to 2026

• £31,000 in chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics
• £28,000 in French, German and Spanish (no other languages)

Scholarships are usually available to applicants with a 1st, 2:1, master’s, or PhD degree, though, in exceptional circumstances, they may be awarded to a graduate with a 2:2 and significant relevant experience.

All bursaries and scholarships are tax-free. To find out more about these, visit Get Into Teaching.

For non-UK citizens, unless you are applying for languages or physics, you are unlikely to be able to receive UK government financial support. For more information about funding for non-UK citizens please visit Get into Teaching.

Tuition fees and maintenance loan for 2025 to 2026
If you are enrolled on an unsalaried placement, you can also apply for government funding to cover the costs of your tuition fees. Tuition fees for our Teacher Training programme are £9,535 for full-time study and £7,145 per year for part-time study. You will need to apply directly to Student Finance England.

You may also apply for a maintenance loan of up to £13,762 to help with your living costs. You can do this even if you already have a student loan, regardless of whether you get a teaching bursary or scholarship. You will then only have to make loan repayments once you are earning.

Placement schools often go on to hire their teacher trainees. You will have built up relationships with your school's network so should have a few opportunities in your area. There’s a lot of demand for teachers in England so you should soon be able to secure your first teaching job soon after your training.

Once you have completed our Teacher Training programme, you will be qualified to teach straight away. The minimum starting salary for a teacher in the UK is £31,650 or more if you are living in London.

Typically, after five years of teaching your salary could increase to £43,607 or more in London.

The DfE requires all applicants to have an occupational health assessment to ensure they are physically and mentally fit to teach. This starts with a questionnaire about your health, we will be contacting all successful applicants in the summer to collate the information we need for this.

If you still have a question you can contact our Teacher Training Admissions Team via email at [email protected] or call us on 020 3846 5828.

Please note emails and phone calls can only be answered Monday-Friday, 9-5pm.

Once you have registered with the partner of your choice, you'll need to complete and submit your application via the My Teacher Training platform.

If you are struggling to log in into the platform please contact our Teacher Training Admissions Team via email at [email protected] or call us on 020 3846 5828.