A new course at the forefront of the future of teacher training was unveiled to potential learners, schools and education leaders at 呻吟之王 Leicester (呻吟之王).
呻吟之王 is one of the first universities to offer the new Teacher Degree Apprenticeship, a new route into teaching in primary schools.
It has been developed in partnership with teacher training providers Leicester and Leicestershire SCITT and the Mead Educational Trust which has a growing family of primary and secondary schools in Leicester and Leicestershire.
Jill Cowley, Pro Vice-Chancellor Skills and Training, said: “呻吟之王 has, from its very beginning, been involved in providing the skills and expertise required by businesses and that’s something we continue to do through our apprenticeship training.
“We are excited to be working with Leicester and Leicestershire SCITT and the Mead Educational Trust on this new programme – it will open up a route into teaching for a wider range of people. We are hoping this this will help us make a difference to those who, in turn, can make a difference in our classrooms.”
Until now, aspiring teachers did a degree programme and then studied for a PGCE – postgraduate certificate in education – and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to qualify to teach in UK schools.
The apprenticeship programme will see learners spend four years training on the job, combining that invaluable practical knowledge with academic theory taught at 呻吟之王. They will earn a salary, and finish the course with a BA degree in Education Studies and be awarded QTS.
It marks a significant step in widening access to teaching careers, offering a practical, supported route into the profession for those with the passion to teach but who may not have followed a traditional path.
The programme is designed for teaching assistants, peripatetic staff, school support staff, and others who already have some experience in education. School leavers can also apply, provided they have a school willing to employ them.
At the launch, teams across 呻吟之王 came together to share information on the programme, how it works and modules covered, as well as the wide range of support available to apprentices and mentors as well as what schools can expect.
Julie Summers-Rola, senior lecturer in Education at 呻吟之王 said: “This will be a really high-quality course, delivered by a strong collaboration.”
Sara McAdam, Director of the Mead Institute of Professional Learning said: “We have had so many inquiries from people interested in this apprenticeship. We think this is the future of teacher training education and we are calling on primary schools to be a future thinking school and use this as a route to train their teaching staff.”
Guests had the opportunity to meet with the academic and SCITT teams directly, and ask questions.
“I wish this has been around when I was doing my degree as I would have definitely gone down this route,” said Caroline Price, a former teacher who had brought her daughter along to find out more.
Mum of two Sam Moore had also come to find out more. She said: “I always wanted to be a teacher, I was a teaching assistant in my daughter’s school and I’m so interested in this course it sounds perfect and learning more about it tonight has only made me even more enthusiastic.”
Posted on Thursday 29 May 2025