Secondary Teaching Apprenticeship

'Grow your Own'

Red Kite Teacher Training now offers the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) route giving schools the chance to upskill graduate staff with a trusted provider.

Your school can access funding from the government’s apprenticeship levy to make training your staff more financially achievable.

Red Kite Teacher Training are not able to provide employing schools for apprentices. The apprentice should have secured employment in a school who would support the application and agree to pay the applicant as an unqualified teacher, scale point 1, for the duration of the apprenticeship. Some secondary subjects are eligible for grants, which contribute towards the cost of or fully cover the salary. 

2025 to 2026 Grants	Subjects
£29,000	Chemistry, Computing, Mathematics and Physics
£26,000	French, German and Spanish
£17,000	Other languages, Biology, Design and Technology, and Geography
£1,000	Art and Design, Music and RE

Click here for full details

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Overview of the programme

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Course Components

Apprentices follow the same high-quality ITT curriculum as the postgraduate fee funded route. An apprentice must have a minimum of 20% training when they are considered ‘off the job’ and not in school. Apprentices will be supported to develop their teaching through attendance at Professional Development Days (Training Base, Subject and the University of Leeds), alternative school visits to partnership schools, as well as through their Teaching Impact Studies. A distinctive feature of our programme is our evidence-based approach, which supports apprentices to critically evaluate their teaching using recent and relevant theories from wider reading and research. Apprentices work alongside expert colleagues in schools who advise them when applying their knowledge and skills in the classroom.  

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Teaching Percentages

Most training happens at the end of the week so schools can create a timetable for classes at the beginning of the week. The total amount of teaching time builds up across the year and RKTT provides a detailed overview of the training programme and materials to support the work of both the apprentice and the school.

To meet the Teachers’ Standards, apprentices must have a sustained period with a class so they can demonstrate progression through sequences of lessons. They must demonstrate they can teach the age range for which they are trained. 3-7 apprentices would need time in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. 5-11 apprentices need time in Key Stage 1&2. 7-11 apprentices would need time in years 3 to 6.

Teaching Apprentices must not perform more than 80 per cent of the teaching duties normally required of a full-time qualified teacher.

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Support

The school will need to provide a school-based mentor to support on the job training and provide feedback, guidance and support. This includes lesson observations and a weekly mentor meeting. RKTT provides training for the mentors, which they will need to attend at key points throughout the year. It is essential that mentors attend the training in order to effectively support the apprentice.

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Benefits

For the school	For the apprentice
‘Grow your own approach’ to staff development Gain QTS in one year Open for primary, secondary and specialist schools Training fees are funded by the apprenticeship levy You will be assigned a RKTT Early Career Leader	Gain QTS in one year No fees for training Earn a salary during the training period Gain a level 6 apprenticeship qualification Train to teach with a trusted outstanding provider Access to a support network including trained mentors and Early Career Leaders

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Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria: