Thinking of becoming a teacher? You’ll be joining one of the most important professions, with a wonderful opportunity to transform children’s lives.

Postgraduate teacher training (PGCE) applications are handled through the Department for Education's Apply system.

PGCE applications

You can apply online through the Department for Education's Apply system. Once your application has been processed, you can check its progress and respond to offers through Apply.

If your application is successful you’ll be interviewed before you can be offered a place. PGCE interviews are held throughout the year.

Please read the Get Into Teaching website carefully for full guidance on how to apply and chat with an advisor.

Each programme has a limited number of places – you should apply early to give yourself the best chance of being offered a place. We close courses when all places have been filled.

What can you study?

Explore our Primary and Early Years PGCE and Secondary PGCE courses. 

Getting your place

Teacher training checks

As part of the admissions process for all teacher training courses, you will need to complete the following:

Classroom experience

In order to deal with the unique challenges of a career in teaching, it’s essential you demonstrate a commitment to working with your chosen age group. Ideally, you should have at least two weeks' recent experience of working in a UK state school.

If you don’t have classroom experience, try to observe lessons and help out in the classroom at a local school before you apply. The Department for Education offers support in gaining further experience.

International applicants

All applications to our PGCE programmes are through Apply, even for international students.

When you complete your application, please state your actual qualification titles (not the UK qualifications you believe them to be equivalent to).

We'll ask you to obtain an ENIC Statement of Comparability for degree and GCSE international equivalent qualifications. This is to ensure that applicants meet academic requirements for teacher training in the UK before their applications are assessed. Please visit the Get Into Teaching website for details on obtaining an ENIC Statement of Comparability.

If English isn’t your first language, you may offer International English Language Testing System (IELTS) 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.0 in each component, as an equivalent to GCSE English Language.

Interviews

If your application is selected, you’ll be interviewed before you can be offered a place.

Interviews for Early Years, Primary and Secondary are held throughout the year.

Already applied?

Already submitted your application to become a Bath Spa Teacher and wondering what your next steps should be? Head to our applicants section to find out more.

Teacher training applicants

Equal opportunities

We actively welcome applications from all. This includes mature students (including career changers), as well as applicants straight from their first or higher degree.

We particularly welcome applications from groups underrepresented in teaching, including black and minority ethnic and disabled applicants. Male teachers are also in short supply, particularly in Primary schools and Early Years settings.

Other education options

We offer a range of undergraduate courses in Education that could help lay the foundations of your teaching career, before you embark on teacher training. Explore our courses to see what you could study. 

Personal statements and AI

We realise that AI tools are already reshaping the way we work and will become integral to many careers.

Tools such as ChatGPT can be helpful to you in helping to brainstorm ideas, improve the structure of your personal statements, and check readability; however, so can a trusted friend or supporter. Remember, your personal statement is your chance to show us who you are – and we expect it to be written by you.

A personal statement written using generative AI is likely to be less personal and therefore less effective at conveying who you are and why you want to study the course. If we find that a personal statement has been written using generative AI, we'll consider this plagiarism and your application may be rejected.

UCAS has a helpful guide on AI and personal statements that potential applicants at all stages of their studies could benefit from reading.