Why study this course?
This Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship (PGTA) in Primary (5-11) will allow you to develop your career with confidence in the school where you are currently employed. This rewarding course prepares you to teach five to eleven-year-olds. It combines a successful ‘on-the-job’ approach within your current school with the best aspects of a university training route.
For this route you are ideally already in a school and are looking to develop your career further. The programme is a nationally recognised route into teaching, which offers a professional qualification with no tuition fees, primarily for those who have a good understanding of what it means to work in a school and have built up some experience as a teaching assistant or similar role.
On completion of this practical course, you’ll gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education at Level 6. Many of our previous apprentices are still employed in local schools, with some going on to become mentors for new trainee teachers.
Please note, you should only apply for this route if you are sponsored by your employer. London Met will not provide a matching service. If you wish to find a school to sponsor you through an apprenticeship, please consider applying via one of our school partnerships.
Please only apply for this apprenticeship if you are currently employed in a school.
More about this course
Our apprenticeship is built upon well-established and successful foundations. This course combines the expertise of our course tutors who are experienced classroom practitioners and teacher trainers with a dynamic curriculum designed to cater to your needs as a developing teacher.
You will be employed by your school on the Unqualified Teacher pay scale and will undertake off-the-job training for 20% of your working week (one day per week.) This training time is split between face-to-face training at the University and independent training tasks in your workplace. This allows you to stay in your employer school, giving you consistent immersion in the school environment alongside a comprehensive and strongly supportive university programme and the encouragement of being part of a powerful network of apprentices.
You’ll also be taught by our wider team of education experts to give you in-depth learning experiences on some of the key areas of professional practice. These include the cognitive science of learning, working with children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and students with English as an additional language.
You’ll be encouraged to reflect on your own practice and engage with research, policy and pedagogy, leading to a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education award with 60 Honors level credits and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Assessment
You’ll be assessed by practical work, portfolio and coursework, there are no final exams.
For your modules completed on placement, you’ll be assessed on whether you are meeting the Teacher Standards by the end of the second placement. This assessment is completed by your university tutor, in collaboration with the school mentors and yourself. The assessment is partly based on observations of your teaching and partly on your portfolio of evidence.
Fees and key information
Apply nowEntry requirements
You will be required to have:
- employment as an apprentice teacher in one of our partners schools
- a UK degree, preferably grade 2.2 or equivalent
- GCSE English, Mathematics and Science grade C/4 or above, or equivalent* (*if you undertake a GCSE equivalency test, you may also be required to undertake a Functional Skills test as a part of the course)
- a valid Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Certificate
- confirmation of Fitness to Teach – a London Metropolitan University health check, which you will be advised to apply for after an offer is made
- literacy and numeracy tests — these are university-based tests, which you will be asked to undertake at your interview.
A non-UK citizen is usually eligible for funding if they have permission from the UK government to live in the UK (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the start of the apprenticeship.
Professional requirements
Before you can be permitted to enrol to this course:
- you must not already hold QTS or be qualified to teach in another EU/EEA country
- you will be required to undertake a skill scan assessment to ensure that this is the most appropriate route into teaching for you.
International students and English language requirements
Due to statutory requirements, we are not able to offer sponsorship under the Student visa route for this course. We will be happy to consider those falling into this category for an alternative suitable course on request.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).
English language requirements
To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa (previously Tier 4) you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.
If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2026/27 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 1 modules include:
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Thursday
This module enables apprentice trainee teachers to develop the curriculum, pedagogical and subject knowledge required to become effective and reflective primary practitioners. Aligned to the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework, ITT Core Content Framework
the module supports trainees in developing the knowledge, skills and professional understanding necessary to plan, teach and assess learning that promotes engagement, inclusion and pupil progress across the primary curriculum.
The module provides opportunities for trainees to deepen and evaluate their subject knowledge, ensuring confidence in teaching a broad, balanced and ambitious primary curriculum. Through a combination of diagnostic assessment, self-assessment, target setting, independent study and engagement in university-based learning, trainees will identify and address their own professional development needs.
Trainees will develop a critical understanding of curriculum design, pedagogy, assessment and adaptive teaching, drawing on educational research and theory to inform classroom practice. Consideration will also be given to the principles of children’s rights, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), UNCRC_summary-1_1.pdf and how these inform equitable and inclusive teaching approaches.
The module encourages trainees to critically evaluate evidence-informed approaches to teaching and learning and to make informed professional decisions about planning, teaching and assessment that support the achievement, wellbeing and holistic development of all pupils. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Thursday
The Professional practice for inclusive practice module prepares teacher apprentices to meet the professional demands of primary school practice - through critical engagement with the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) and the Teachers’ Standards. The module develops the broader professional knowledge, skills and behaviours required for effective, reflective and inclusive teaching beyond subject-specific pedagogy.
Apprentices will critically examine the philosophical and theoretical foundations of education, drawing on principles of Education for Social Justice, Critical Pedagogy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Through engagement with research, policy and evidence-informed practice, they will evaluate how these perspectives shape teaching, learning and curriculum decision-making.
The module explores teaching in diverse educational contexts, with particular emphasis on multilingual and multicultural schools. Apprentices will develop an understanding of adaptive and inclusive approaches that promote participation, belonging and achievement for all learners, while recognising the importance of collaboration with families, communities and multi-agency professionals.
Throughout the module, apprentices will develop their professional identity and capacity for critical reflection. Drawing on school-based experiences, they will analyse and evaluate their own practice, using evidence to inform professional judgements and continuous improvement.
By the end of the module, apprentices will be equipped to meet the Teachers’ Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), demonstrating the professional knowledge, ethical commitment and reflective practice required to contribute positively to inclusive, equitable and socially just educational environments.
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start)
NB: Teaching Period (whole course) is a statutory period of currently 36 weeks, set by the Department of Education. Placement Module dates are set at 24 weeks minimum. Term dates are set separately to the standard university dates, with an earlier start and later finish than other postgraduate courses.
The module will be comprised of up to three school experiences placements in contrasting schools or other appropriate settings to support the trainee to:
• Develop their professional practice as a teacher.
• Gain the skills and understanding outlined in the Core Content Framework for ITT.
• Become a critically reflective practitioner inside and outside the classroom.
• Acquire the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to plan, deliver and evaluate the appropriate areas of the curriculum (for their route) by the end of the module.
How to apply
Use the apply button to begin your application.
If you require a Student visa and wish to study a postgraduate course on a part-time basis, please read our how to apply information for international students to ensure you have all the details you need about the application process.
When to apply
The teacher training portal opens in mid-October; if you are thinking of undertaking the postgraduate teacher apprenticeship, you should apply early. All of the training agreements and processes need to be completed by the end of June, before school break up for the Summer.
