Frequently Asked Questions

PGCE stands for Postgraduate/Professional Graduate Certificate in Education. This is an academic award which universities award alongside QTS. It is the academic, theoretical study which is taught by a university on an ITT programme. Only a university can offer this award, as they have degree awarding powers. We work with a university partner so that our trainees can gain the professional award of PGCE alongside their QTS award. However, we are able to offer QTS-only for a reduced fee for interested candidates.

QTS stands for Qualified Teacher Status, and this is the qualification you need to teach in state schools in England.

Ripley ITT is our legal name as a provider of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). SCITT stands for School Centred Initial Teacher Training. It means that we are able to confer the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and that we can train teachers in our schools. It is therefore an alternative to a university ITT course.

On the Ripley ITT programme your training is led by our school partnership, so our schools play a much bigger role in your training than they would if they were just offering a school placement for a university PGCE. Our school staff are involved in interviewing, selecting and training you. They deliver all of the programme content and you will have all your curriculum conferences hosted by our partner schools, where the best teachers and professionals will be deployed to teach you everything they know. Our curriculum is modern, up to date and relevant, meaning that we are training teachers with the skills and expertise which our schools need now. Our trainee employment rates are testament to this!

All applications are via DfE Apply for Teacher Training which opens in October each year. Do apply early for popular subjects! We will close to applications once our places are full.

ITT providers are no longer allowed to demand school experience as an entry requirement, but you need to know what the job involves – we have all been pupils, but a good teacher makes it look easy, and you need to find out what it is really like to be a teacher. We can normally help you by providing some school experience so that you are making the right decision.

Look out for the Department for Education School Experience Programme or contact us directly. If you are still at university see if you can do any enrichment or modules which involve spending time in a school. If you are taking a year out between completing your degree and applying for ITT it is a great idea to spend some time working as a teaching assistant or cover supervisor – this experience will help you enormously once you start the programme.

Ripley ITT do not sponsor student visas. However, if you are already an international student in the UK, you can apply for a graduate visa on successful completion of your degree. To apply, you will need to have been sponsored by a Home Office licensed student sponsor over the course of your studies.

The graduate visa will allow you to study, work, or look for work in the UK for up to 2 years after completing your studies (3 years for PhD students) without a sponsor. This includes training as a teacher on a salaried or fee-paying initial teacher training course.

You will be able to switch from a graduate visa to another visa (such as the skilled worker visa) without having to leave the UK, if you meet the requirements for the other visa route.

Other useful information for international applicants can be found on the getintoteaching website here.