Stonebridge logo
  • Courses

    Course Categories

    Nursing Midwifery Health Professionals Social Science Medicine and Healthcare Professions Science Humanities Business & Management Social Work Education All Access to Higher Education
    A Level Psychology A Level Biology A Level Chemistry A Level English Language A Level Maths A Level Accounting A Level English Literature A Level Sociology A Level Business Studies A Level Physics A Level History A Level Economics
    GCSE Psychology GCSE Biology GCSE Chemistry GCSE Economics GCSE English Literature GCSE Sociology GCSE Business Studies GCSE Physics GCSE History GCSE (9-1) English Language GCSE (9-1) Mathematics Foundation Tier
    Accountancy and Bookkeeping Law and Business Management Customer Care Human Resources (HR) Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Sales and Marketing Business Skills Healthcare Skills Law Skills IT Skills
    Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Coaching Early Years Educator and Childcare Education and Teaching Education, Teaching and Coaching Personal and Parenting Teaching Assistant
    Anatomy and Physiology Animal Care CBT, Psychotherapy and Counselling Complementary Therapies Foot Health Practitioner Health and Social Care Nutritional Sciences Psychology Sports and Fitness Stress Management
    English and Maths Functional Skills GCSE
    Agriculture, Horticulture and Gardening Animal Care Art and Photography Beauty, Hair and Nails CBT, Psychotherapy and Counselling Conservation and Environment Criminology and Security Hospitality, Catering and Event Management Travel, Tourism & Aviation Web Design and IT Writing and Journalism
    Canine and Feline Qualifications Animal Welfare Qualifications Veterinary and Zoology Qualifications All Veterinary Science and Animal Care Qualifications
  • How it works
  • Help and support
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Access My Learning
  • View My Basket
Student Login

OR

Click here to login
Atom LMS Logo

Forgot Password?

  • Stonebridge Home
  • Our Blog
Our Blog
September 28, 2020

How hard is it to become a Teacher?

Written by Adam Looker
SAC - How hard is it to become a Teacher - Header

As is the case with many professions that require training or specific qualifications, becoming a teacher is a process. And one that requires a fair amount of effort.

Depending on the route you take, becoming a teacher can require years of study before you can qualify.

However, once you have qualified, you’ll be embarking on a lifelong career in which you’ll be making a lasting difference to thousands of children.

Whether you choose to teach at primary or secondary, you will have a direct hand in helping children understand the world around them. Whether that’s history, mathematics, the sciences, religious studies and beyond.

As a secondary school teacher, you will have the opportunity to specialise in a particular area of study, supporting students on their journey towards university.

In most instances that will mean studying that subject at university, so you’ll need relevant qualifications first.

What Qualifications do I need to be a Teacher?

To become a primary school teacher, you will need to be educated to degree level. This can be an undergraduate degree in a subject of your choice followed by a subsequent year of study on a PGCE programme.

Alternatively, you can study an Initial Teacher Education or Training (ITET) degree with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Secondary school teachers study their chosen subject at undergraduate level and then take a PGCE. If you so choose you can also study a masters or PhD course before taking your PGCE. But no matter how qualified you are, that qualification is a requirement.

PGCE

The PGCE route is most used for secondary education. This is because the subject of your degree generally determines what you’ll teach when you are qualified.

However, that’s not to say it isn’t useful for those seeking to get into primary education. Having extensive knowledge in a specific subject can be of real value to primary schools and opens up opportunities to be a subject lead at your school.

Bachelor of Education Degree

This route is more common for primary school education as it shaves off a year from your studies. This is because you only need an undergraduate degree and won’t have to do an extra year for the PGCE.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BSc) education degrees with QTS are just as useful. This is especially the case if you have a specific subject in mind that you want to teach.

Minimum requirements for university

As with many degrees and associated professions, teaching requires a minimum standard.

This is to ensure you have the basic competencies needed to teach, whether that’s at primary or secondary level.

In the majority of cases, you will need GCSE maths and English GCSE grade C/4 or above and ideally 3 others. Although some universities will be content with those two.

You will also need at least two A Levels or an Access to HE Diploma in Education. It’s also advisable to check the course requirements with the university you wish to apply to.

While these are the most common requirements that isn’t to say there aren’t others. Or, perhaps more importantly, exclusions.

Access to Higher Education Diplomas

Depending on what you want to study at university, you will need the prerequisite qualifications.

If you’re changing career you may not have the relevant qualifications. Or any qualifications.

An Access to HE Diploma is a recognised alternative to A Levels, introduced to help anyone get into university

Each course is designed in consultation with universities to ensure that the material is up to date. This ensures the best possible grounding in the subject.

Part of the course covers study skills and essay writing. So you can go to university confident that you’ll be able to keep up in lectures, and do the work.

So, if you want to become a History teacher, an Access to HE Diploma in History will get you on to a History degree. From there you can study a PGCE.

Alternatively, you can study an Access to Higher Education Diploma in Education and then study a Bachelor of Education degree.

If you’re considering secondary over primary school, we recommend the former approach. Most secondary schools will be looking for a degree in your chosen subject.

Another advantage is you only need to take one course and qualify within a year. Although you can take up to two if you need to.

One other thing that is important to consider is the way in which the course is graded. While you gain credits for completing each part of the course, your finishing mark will dictate the number of UCAS points you diploma is worth.

Top marks will be the equivalent of 3 As at A Level. Obviously the better your finishing marks, the more UCAS points your Diploma will be worth. In turn that gives you a lot more options in terms of the degrees you can apply for.

Start your learning today

Stonebridge Associated Colleges is one of the UK’s leading online learning providers. We offer a range of courses from Access to HE Diplomas, including Education, to meet your learning objectives.

All our courses are guided by experienced tutors who support you throughout your learning experience. We also have flexible payment options to help you spread the cost if need be.

For more information on how to prepare for your online learning experience read our blog here.

If you’re ready to get back into education contact a member of our sales team or enrol online today.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn


More from Access to Higher Education Diplomas Primary Education Courses and Advice Secondary Education Teacher Courses and Advice

A Levels Access to Higher Education Diploma GCSEs Teacher

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Our Associations.

fld cma ncfe-logo abc awards asso. for coaching ccc mo ecdl fht ahha European Union Social Fund Logo BIIAB Innovate Awarding Open College Network West Midlands RFHP world fia nus cache vtct activeiq

What our customers think.

Trustpilot

Sign up to our Newsletter.

There's a whole lot happening at Stonebridge and in the world of learning. Sign up for our newsletter and you'll be among the first to know about it! All fields are required.

Stonebridge logo
Stonebridge Associated Colleges Limited is registered with the UK Register of Learning Providers: UK Provider Reference Number is 10006352.
Cookie policy | Data Protection and Privacy Statement Content and Images © Stonebridge Colleges. All rights reserved, 2021.
  • Community
  • Privacy Notice
  • Careers
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Distance Learning Courses
  • Home Learning Courses
  • Home Study Courses
  • Blog
  • Request Prospectus
  • FREE when you enrol
  • Refer a Friend
  • Information for USA Students
Chat with us