Applying for teacher training

Your application is your chance to make a great first impression, so do your research and take your time to ensure you land a teacher training place

Most teacher training routes across England ask for an application form to be completed, which includes some sort of personal statement. Before completing your teacher training application form, you need to:

• choose your training route, age range and/or subject and provider
• make sure you meet the minimum qualification requirements.

For more help with choosing your pathway, see how to become a teacher.

While not a mandatory requirement for teacher training, gaining school experience enhances your personal statement and helps you to decide if teaching is for you and which age group to teach. To find out more, visit Get Into Teaching - Get school experience.

If you have any questions about teaching or the application process, register for the Department for Education's (DfE) Get Into Teaching mailing list, where you will receive personalised help from teaching experts.

How do I apply for teacher training?

Postgraduate teacher training applications in England are made through the DfE's Apply for teacher training service.

Allow yourself plenty of time to create an account and complete each section, so that you can check your application before sending it off.

What are the application deadlines?

You can start applying for courses from October, ready to start the following September (some courses may start at other points during the year).

Places are allocated as people apply and close once courses are full. If there's a particular course you want to apply for, then it's wise to do so as soon as you can.

The earlier you apply the more time you'll have to arrange your funding and meet any requirements such as completing a subject knowledge enhancement course before you begin.

What details do I need to provide?

You'll need to create an account and then complete an online application form, applying for up to four training programmes. You don't have to apply for all four courses at the same time.

You’ll need to provide:

• your qualifications including GCSEs, A-levels and your degree (or equivalents)
• a work history that mentions all the jobs you've had since school, any unpaid experience that supports your application and any gaps in your history
• details of reasonable adjustment or support if you're disabled, have a mental health condition or educational needs.

You don't need to complete the form in one sitting, you can save it and return to it later.

What do I include in my teaching personal statement?

In a teaching personal statement, you'll demonstrate your suitability for a career in teaching as well as a place on a course.

Your personal statement can be up to 1,000 words. The majority of successful candidates write 500 words or more. You do not have to write it all at once and

successful candidates often spend a few weeks writing it.

You need to cover:

• why you want to be a teacher
• why you want to teach the subject and/or age range
• the experience and skills you have, and why they would make you a great teacher.

You'll need to tailor your statement to the path you'd like to take, into either primary or secondary school teaching, and convey your drive and passion for the work.

Who should my references be?

You'll need to provide two referees on your application who can write at least 500 words about your character and teaching potential. You could ask your university tutor, manager, headteacher of the school you work at or a mentor. Do not ask a friend, family member or partner to be your reference.

Contact them beforehand to ask if they're happy to do it, explain what they'll have to do and a little about your motivations for becoming a teacher. They’ll need to confirm how they know you and if they know any reason why you should not work with children.

What happens after I've applied?

It's likely you will be contacted by email so keep checking your inbox. Training providers should respond to your application within 30 days. If your application is successful, you will be invited to an interview. Prepare for this by looking at some teaching interview questions.

If you're unsuccessful you will receive feedback on your application. This could be the need for additional qualifications, more information on your application or a better interview technique. You can apply again as many times as you want and many people succeed on the second or third attempt.

Find out more

• Consider what it takes to teach in England with Get Into Teaching.
• Explore routes into teaching in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• Discover what's involved in the Teach First application process.