Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE)
The PGCE offers a phased transition into professional life, consisting of at least 12 weeks based at the ITT provider (e.g. a university) with other student teachers and 24 weeks teaching in two different schools. School placements are arranged by the ITT provider. Many courses last one year, though some can take up to two years.
Some courses focus on one or more community language(s); others provide courses for those who speak a community language in addition to French, German or Spanish. Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses can be useful for ITT courses where French or German is accepted as a subsidiary rather than main language.
For a list of community languages PGCE providers, visit the Qualify to teach community languages page on the CILT website.
Applications for PGCE courses can be made online via the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR).
School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
SCITT programmes usually last 1 year and are designed and delivered by groups of local schools and colleges and are often tailored towards local teaching needs. The SCITT route is for student teachers who want to spend more time training in the classroom and putting theory into practice. Some SCITT courses, though not all, will award you with a PGCE validated by a HE institution as well as QTS. Student teachers on SCITT courses are not paid a salary.
Applications for SCITT courses can be made online via the GTTR, though some SCITT providers do require direct applications.
Employment-based postgraduate routes
Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP)
The GTP is for graduates who have the relevant experience to cope with a significant teaching load and professional duties at the same time as their training. Training lasts between one term and a year depending on previous experience and there is tough competition for places. Whilst some providers can help find a school, candidates in community languages often already have a suitable teaching post.
Trainees on the GTP receive a monthly salary, usually based on the unqualified teachers' scale (from £15,113 FTE, 2008-09 figures). Applications can be made direct to Employment Based Initial Teacher Training (EBITT) providers (see details opposite).
