Do you thrive on helping others? You’ll get full marks in a teaching apprenticeship!
We all remember our favourite teacher, don’t we? That one person who made us feel extra confident in our abilities and helped us thrive in our best subjects.
Some teachers really are like fairy godparents, guiding us through some of our most difficult life experiences like exams and school submissions (and algebra!). In fact, having an awesome teacher can be the difference between loving and totally hating a subject.
If you feel motivated to support students with their personal growth and achievements, why not check out one of these awesome teaching apprenticeships?
The basics
Teaching is an ancient profession and still forms the foundation of our society today. Teachers do more than just deliver lessons, they’re responsible for helping students of all ages grow and prioritise self-improvement. In addition to helping you understand history, geography and so many more subjects, teachers aim to inspire your curiosity and creativity.
Good education also has a positive impact outside the classroom, too. It can help societies address social issues, promote a culture of innovation and build more skilled workforces. So, great teaching has far-reaching benefits.
Types of roles in teaching
Primary school teacher
A primary school teacher works with young children ages between four and eleven. Day-to-day, a primary school teacher plans and delivers engaging lessons across core subjects like math, English, science and history. As the children are younger, the teachers often use creative learning methods like games and hands-on activities.
Secondary school teacher
Secondary school (high school) teachers work with older children aged eleven to eighteen. They provide lessons that build on the foundational knowledge students gained throughout primary school, helping students understand more complex subjects and get ready for the real world of work.
University lecturer
Whereas primary and secondary teachers’ knowledge spans multiple subjects, a university lecturer is an expert in a particular field. They use their expertise to design comprehensive courses and lead seminars and tutorials for older students. Aside from teaching, university lecturers often conduct active research in their field and publish papers or conduct studies to supplement their reputation.
Teaching assistant
A teaching assistant, also called a TA, is vital for supporting teachers and students in a classroom, especially in special needs or primary schools. They might do some behind-the-scenes work, like preparing classroom materials or setting up crafts and activities. Equally, TAs take on a hands-on role by supervising students and providing extra support.
Online tutor
Students and their parents hire online tutors to provide teaching through digital platforms like video calls. Usually, their role is to supplement extra learning in subjects students might struggle with. Online tutors can work with students of all ages and backgrounds and sometimes specialise in particular subjects, such as languages or maths.
Entry requirements
Generally, you’ll need a grade 4 or above in English and maths – plus the same in science if you want to teach primary school. If you’re completing your A Levels, the teaching apprenticeship course provider determines the entry requirements.
Traditionally, teaching apprenticeships have always been open to students with an undergraduate degree. However, the government is making some changes in an effort to get more people in front of the whiteboard.
The government has recently launched a new initiative called the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA), with applications opening in autumn 2024. It’s the first teaching apprenticeship that’s open to students with GCSEs and A Levels – a degree is not required. We’ll talk more about TDAs in the next section.
Apprenticeship levels
Teaching apprenticeships don’t really exist for:
- Level 2 (intermediate) – equivalent to 5 GCSEs (at grades 9 to 4)
- Level 3 (advanced) – equivalent to 2 A-levels
- Levels 4 and 5 (higher) – equivalent to a foundation degree
Instead, most teaching apprenticeships are degree-level programmes…
Levels 6 and 7 (degree) – you’ll get a full bachelor’s and/or master’s degree. Yep, that’s right: with some high-level apprenticeships you can achieve a full degree at the end, without going to university.
At the end of the new Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA), you’ll graduate with an undergraduate degree and a certification that means you have qualified teacher status (QTS). You can find this apprenticeship at universities around the UK, including:
- The University of Derby
- University of Nottingham
- University College London
- University of Brighton
You can become a primary or secondary school teacher by completing the TDA.
Sector spotlight
We briefly discussed online tutoring earlier, but this flexible and well-paid job deserves more conversation. An online tutor has many similar responsibilities to teachers, such as planning and delivering lessons and supporting students’ learning. One big difference is that, with online tutoring, you can work from anywhere and build a successful career as a self-employed person (if that’s what you’re interested in!).
It is possible to work as a freelance teacher – in this case, you’ll usually work for a third-party agency that will secure your placements in various local schools. With this pathway, there are some limitations to your flexibility compared to online tutoring. Although self-employment doesn’t always give you a reliable and stable job (after all, you can’t just book a day off when you’re sick!), you can build up a portfolio of clients that will guarantee you a great income.
