Teacher Training

Welcome to United Teaching

If you’re passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people and are looking for a rewarding career that can transform both their futures and yours, you're in the right place. United Teaching offers a school-centred initial teacher training programme designed to immerse you in the school environment from day one, preparing you to become an outstanding teacher. We prioritise well-being and integrate it seamlessly into our training programme.

Who we are

United Teaching is an Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ teacher training programme with a strong presence in schools across England. Part of the United Learning group, our teacher training programme extends to over 100 primary, secondary, and independent schools. Over the past decade, United Teaching has played a pivotal role in nurturing exceptional teachers, empowering them to lead, inspire, and drive meaningful change in the classroom, ultimately bringing out the best in everyone.

Our focus at United Teaching is to provide excellent professional support and development for our trainee teachers. You will qualify as a teacher with a QTS in 12 months, completing your training with the skills and confidence to manage your classroom, lead your students, and promote pupil progress.

Routes into teaching

You can choose to train for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) on its own or pursue an additional PGCE, which grants you 60 master's level credits. We offer flexible funding options, including salaried routes and self-funded routes to meet your individual needs. The optional PGCE is offered by our university partner.

Teach from day one

As a United Teaching trainee, you'll spend most of the year in a placement school, allowing you to build strong relationships with students and colleagues as you work toward your teaching qualification. You will teach from day one and spend most of your working week as a member of the teaching staff in your placement school. In addition to your primary placement, you'll spend at least three weeks in a second school, exposing you to diverse teaching environments and broadening your perspective.

What we offer

Throughout your journey with us, your main placement school will provide comprehensive support. It begins with an eight-day summer institute in July, offering key insights into teaching, learning, behaviour management, safeguarding, and curriculum planning.

Two induction days surrounding the summer institute provide opportunities to observe lessons, interact with students, and connect with colleagues. Your training year unfolds in your main placement school, with dedicated training sessions every Friday afternoon.

Weekly observations, meetings, and termly reviews will guide your progress, culminating in assessment against the Teachers’ Standards at the end of the academic year . If you opt for the PGCE, you'll complete two master’s level assignments, assessed by our university partner.

Your career journey

Many of our trainees continue to make an impact within and beyond United Learning schools. At the end of the academic year, over 65% of our trainees are offered a full-time job in their main placement school. You will have access to job opportunities within our network. Our bespoke career consulting will equip you with the necessary continuous professional development to achieve your career goals, whether as a department leader, pastoral head or SLT.

Why train to teach at United Teaching?

Expertly designed curriculum - Our teacher training curriculum is deeply rooted in educational research. Our training programme will equip you with the skills needed in the classroom to deliver outstanding lessons.

Local placements - We aim to place you in your preferred school, subject to availability. With over 100 schools across the country, a United Teaching school is never too far.

Competitive salaries - Teachers in United Learning schools earn up to 5% higher than the main teacher pay scale. Salaries across the network vary based on location.

Personalised support - Every United Teaching teacher trainee is supported by a subject lead and a lead mentor. Additionally, a school-based subject mentor and a professional mentor will guide you through lesson planning, lesson observations, behaviour strategies and career guidance.

Opportunities for career progression - As part of our strong network of schools , you will have access to career advancement opportunities. Many of our trainees move into middle leadership positions within a few years of qualification.

Leadership development - Our programme places a strong emphasis on leadership development, ensuring you're equipped not only to teach effectively but also to lead and make a lasting impact on the education community.

Start your teaching journey, and train to teach with United Teaching.

Apply For 2024

United Teaching

United Teaching is United Learning’s groundbreaking Initial Teacher Training Scheme, the UK’s first of its kind. Delivered in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London, our programme is designed to help you become the senior teacher you have the talent and passion to become. Here, teacher training is a path to leadership roles across the country.

We offer you the opportunity to train while you teach, so you can get the teaching qualifications you need without going back to university, and without delaying the start to your career. You can train for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) on its own, or you can go for a PGCE as well, earning 60 Masters-level credits along the way.

Training with United Teaching gives you real teaching exposure in a choice of schools, a mentor system, a support network, professional qualifications, as well as continuous professional development throughout the duration of your career with United Learning.

About the Course

The course starts with a two-week summer school in August based in our lead and host schools. You will then spend your academic year in the host school with additional training one afternoon each week at the lead school, complete a second placement, and attend up to three conferences. Assessment will continue throughout the course, based on your classroom experience and achievement measured against the DFE Teaching Standards, while your academic PGCSE study will comprise of two academic assignments, assessed by Goldsmiths.

From day one, you could be teaching with a reduced timetable. There may even be an opportunity to join your school before September to work as a teaching assistant and gain more experience. By accessing our collective expertise and support, you’ll have the resources you need to teach by yourself. So expect to be a valued member of your teaching team, empowered to lead your own classes from the start, but with the backing you need from our network.

Your time with United Learning doesn’t stop after a year. To us, teacher training is a path to a long-term career: our schools seek to employ our trainees after completion of the programme as Newly Qualified Teachers – with the potential for rapid promotion to middle and senior leadership in our schools or a Group-spanning position. Within just a couple of years or less, some of our trainees have gone on to become heads of year or faculty.

Through training with United Teaching, you would access:

Professional qualifications – every trainee works to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), and you can also work towards a PGCE with 60 Master’s level credits;
World-class training led by outstanding schools, with sessions delivered by national educationalists;
Individual support and mentoring from our teachers of excellence;
A wide range of experience gained with your choice of primary, secondary, state and independent schools;
Competitive pay (when taking the salaried route);
Access to continuous professional development beyond your initial training period with the United Learning Institute;
A structured pathway throughout your career with us at United Learning.

At the heart of our success is our lead school: Paddington Academy. A National Support School and judged outstanding, Paddington holds the Gold award for staff development and training and the results at GCSE have been amongst the best in the country for progress over the last five years. The staff who deliver the teacher training at Paddington are the very best classroom practitioners, with many training at Paddington themselves. Paddington Academy is supported by our Northern Hub school, Stockport Academy. Primary training is led by Guildford High School and Hanwell Fields Community School

Why train with us?

The answer is our guiding philosophy: the best in everyone. It enables us to set the standard for excellence in education that we expect in United Learning schools. Just as importantly, it brings out the best in you as a teacher. We value you, work with your talent and passion, and challenge and stretch you. Which means that together, we can provide genuinely excellent education. Our schools, leaders and colleagues progress. And our students leave us with the qualifications – and the character – that they need to succeed.

The environment we have created across United Learning matters too. Bringing out ‘the best in everyone’ starts with sharing: because by sharing resources, and by working together we can achieve more as a group than any single school could. It means you can draw on the expertise of peers, tutors and leaders alike. One person’s idea becomes everyone’s idea, and you fulfil your potential.

About United Learning

At United Learning we’re an ambitious and growing group of junior and secondary, state and independent schools across England. Our focus is simple and unswerving – to provide an excellent education to all our pupils. We believe there should be no barriers to learning. Every child should be cherished and challenged to achieve their very best, in a stimulating and positive environment. We create the foundations for successful lives. Our schools share our sense of dedication, passion and integrity. And they share too our commitment to high quality teaching.

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