Courses are divided across 3 parts to make them easier to complete:
- About this course
- Course length, fees and salary
- Requirements
This information is combined with details about the training provider which is shared across all of their courses.
About this course
About this course
Applicants need a sense of what the course entails; course structure, study locations, course prestige, what distinguishes this course from others like it.
This is a large and relatively open field to give providers an opportunity to describe their course, with guidance suggesting things they should include.
Interview process (optional)
As an applicant I need to know what the interview process entails so that I can prepare accordingly and know what to expect.
Applicants can be put off a provider because of the nature in which providers carry out their interview day. They’ve also talked about the anxiety they feel with not knowing about the interview process – to the extent of choosing not to go for the interview. Research with applicants shows that the interview process can be a differentiator.
Some providers tell us that describing their interview process can discourage people from applying whilst other providers tell us that it is a good thing to describe it to reduce anxiety and arm the candidates with as much information as possible.
There’s an open question: Is it better for users to know about the interview process, but risk getting fewer applications or is it better to omit interview details until after an application is made and hope more people apply? By making this field optional we give this choice to providers.
We should err on the side of the applicant. The field is currently optional, we may need to make it required.
How school placements work
Students will spend some of their time in placement schools. The variety of schools, the time spent in those schools, and when during the year they’ll be at their placements varies between courses.
As a potential trainee teacher I need to know the types of placement schools available, like pupil demographics or faith association, so that I can balance breadth of school experience with experience in a school where I’d want to work.
As a potential trainee teacher unwilling or unable to relocate I need a clear picture of travel time from my home to where I study and to where I train, so that I can choose a course with a manageable commute. I also need to know when during the year I will need to travel to a placement school so that I can plan accordingly.
As a potential trainee teacher I need to understand the time I’ll spend in a placement school classroom learning and teaching so that I can choose a course that improves my confidence levels.
Course length, fees and salary
As a potential trainee teacher I need to understand and compare my financial options so that I can afford to train to teach.
Fees for UK and EU students
Applicants in the UK need to know how much a course costs.
Fees for international students (optional)
Fees for international students are larger, applicants from outside the EU need to know how much a course costs. Not all courses are available to international students.
Fee details (optional)
Sometimes fees are more complex than a single amount to pay. For example, providers offering a QTS only course might offer a PGCE top-up which has an additional cost.
Applicants need to know what their options are regarding fees.
Financial support you offer (optional)
We already provide details of DfE bursaries and subject scholarships but some providers offer their own bursaries. Providers can use this field to describe their bursaries. Applicants need to know if a provider can give additional financial support.
Salary
Applicants need to know what salary they’ll get if they choose a salaried course. Training providers cannot give this figure – it’s usually based on a national scale that’s not agreed until January. This field allows providers to give context about the salary without having a figure at hand.
Applicants need to know when there are no fees to pay. When taking a salaried course there are usually (but not always) no fees to pay. We prompt providers to either explain their additional fees (eg top-ups) or be explicit when there are no fees.
Requirements
Qualifications needed
Courses often require qualifications higher than the national minimum (eg they might need a 2:1 degree, or As in certain subjects at A level). Applicants need to know if they have the required qualifications before applying.
As a potential teacher I need to know what specific qualifications are needed by a provider so that I can apply for a course that I’m eligible for and not waste may time.
Personal qualities (optional)
A place for training providers to indicate the qualities or soft skills an applicant will need.
As a training provider I need to articulate to the potential teacher the personal qualities we are looking for so that I can select the best candidates.
Other requirements (optional)
Applicants need to meet other requirements such as a DBS check and a numeracy and literacy test. Providers can use this field as a catch-all for any requirements that are not described by the previous fields.
School experience cannot be used as a requirement. Experience with school aged children will still be used to differentiate applications. Providers can use this field to talk about school experience.
About your organisation
Training with you
Training providers need to differentiate themselves. This is where they can include the unique benefits of choosing them, eg “the Times Educational Supplement ranked our students as 4th happiest in the country”.
Information about a provider will help applicants to differentiate courses when their location and financial needs are otherwise met.
As a training provider we need to sell ourselves so that we can attract and select the best candidates.
As a potential teacher, once other primary needs (location, finances) are satisfied I need to be able to select a provider on other merits that are preferable to me.
About your accredited provider (optional)
Or the QTS awarding body. Training providers have different relationships with their accredited providers. They can have 0, 1 or many accredited providers.
Like the training provider, the accredited provider can be a differentiator. Some applicants will choose a course based on the prestige of the organisation awarding the qualification.
The term ‘accrediting provider’, as used by UCAS, is contentious - the department and training providers have different views on which term is appropriate.
If a training provider offers the same course through different accredited providers, applicants need to be able to choose between them.
As a potential teacher looking at school-led providers I need to know the awarding body so that I can choose a course that has a prestigious University attached to it.
Linked to following needs:
As a potential trainee teacher, I need to see how ‘good’ the training provider is, so that I can apply to more prestigious institutions to improve my career prospects on completion.
As a potential trainee teacher I need to understand how employable I’m likely to be after a course so that I can choose a course with the best career prospects.
Training with disabilities and other needs
Applicants with access needs need to know how a provider can accommodate those needs. We prompt providers to consider the range of needs and to give examples of how they’ve helped students in the past.
As a potential teacher with accessibility needs, I need to contact the ‘accessibility expert’ directly so that I can get reassurance that the provider is genuinely catering for my needs and not ticking policy boxes.
As a provider I need to communicate exactly how and to what extent we are provisioned for different accessibility needs, so that we attract potential teachers that we can cater for.