Education, Education, Education
In the last edition of Easy Resettlement we looked at opportunities with the Open University. That is a particularly convenient route for service personnel because you can actually start studying while you are still in the system in preparation for future civilian life.
The Open University is just one entry point into further education and it isn’t for everyone and there are many other distance learning courses available. However, there are plenty of opportunities to study closer to home and most universities and colleges provide support and in accordance with JSP 898. All this information is readily available through the educational establishments themselves and full information on how you can use Enhanced Learning Credits is posted on the CTP website.
Education itself is, of course, a possible career choice for the service leaver. Most members of the Armed Forces have teaching and training experience at some level. It’s just part of the job and many of the skills and positive attitude required of our service personnel are highly valued within education.
The Government has recognised this valuable asset and has introduced The Troops to Teachers programme. This is about recruiting the very best former Service personnel (service leavers) into teaching. The skills and experiences you have gained as an exceptional Service leaver are invaluable and our education system needs you to bring these to our schools. You could have the potential to become an outstanding teacher.
As an exceptional Service leaver you’ll have a wealth of knowledge and will hold many qualities that you can apply to teaching:
• You’ll be a good motivator with a positive can-do attitude: this will help you encourage your pupils in their learning and raise their aspirations
• You can communicate well: you’ll be able to give clear and concise instructions
• You’re able to handle challenges: you know how to behave in unexpected situations and be a good role model
• You’ll have confidence and composure: this will earn you respect in the classroom
• You may have trained other people as part of your role: this requires patience and empathy – important skills for teaching young people
You will be classed as an eligible Service leaver if you are in the two years before or the two years after leaving the Armed Forces. You can visit the Career Transition Partnership website to find out more. If you’re not an eligible Service leaver, the teacher training options section of the department of Education website (www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching /teachertraining-options) has information on how you can get into teaching.
The Troops to Teachers programme offers initial teacher training (ITT) routes for both graduate and non-graduate Service leavers.
All courses – primary and secondary – lead to qualified teacher status (QTS), which means you’ll be able to teach in state maintained schools in England.
You’ll gain school experience on all training routes, but some offer more time in the classroom than others. You might decide an employment-based route is the best option so you can earn a salary while you train. Or alternatively, you may choose a fee-paying path where you could be eligible for a tax-free bursary or a scholarship to help fund your training.
The new Troops to Teachers non-graduate programme is designed for eligible Service leavers who do not have a degree. It is a two-year school-based path into teaching on which you will earn a salary while you train. Completing this initial teacher training (ITT) route will give you a degree qualification with qualified teacher status (QTS). The programme commenced in January 2014.
Am I eligible for the non-graduate training route?
You’ll need to be able to demonstrate, through your qualifications in the Armed Forces, that you have sufficient evidence of academic achievement and specialist subject knowledge to support your development.
Your academic or vocational qualifications could include Defence Train the Trainer (DTTT) or Defence Instructional Training (DI T), or you may have experience in teaching, instructing or mentoring, for example.
If your current qualifications relate specifically to your chosen specialist subject for ITT, you will need to have a minimum of 120 subject-related Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points. These 120 credits will meet both the academic and subject knowledge requirements.
If your qualifications are not specific to your chosen specialist subject for ITT, but they are related, you will need to demonstrate a minimum of 240 credits.
Where can I train?
A number of outstanding universities across the country will be offering this programme in conjunction with local schools.
These include:
• University of Brighton (lead provider)
• Bath Spa University
• Canterbury Christ Church University
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Reading
• University of Southampton
• Staffordshire University
You can approach any of these universities to see what they have to offer.
What will the programme involve?
On this new route into teaching you will:
• Train to teach in a school for four days a week.
• Earn a salary while you train – you could be paid 80 per cent of the unqualified teacher pay ranges
• Access university training for one day a week to further your academic qualifications to degree level.
As a Service leaver you’ll be supported through your career transition, from resettlement onwards. You’ll receive personalised training throughout your ITT which will help you develop your previous skills and experiences, and you’ll be able to build up masters level credits while taking part in a range of activities. These could cover areas such as peer coaching, leadership skills, and high quality teaching and learning, for example.
Graduate Teacher Training Options
You could earn a salary while you train on an employment-based route, or you may decide on a fee-paying path where you could receive a tax-free bursary to help fund your course.
What’s next?
To find out more about the Troops to Teachers nongraduate programme for Service leavers, or to apply, you will need to speak to your Career Transition Partnership adviser. You can visit the Career Transition Partnership website, https://troopstoteachers.ctp.org.uk/ for more information.
When can I apply for ITT ?
You are an eligible Service leaver if you are in the two years before or the two years after leaving the Armed Forces. You may access support from the Career Transition Partnership up to two years before the date you are due to leave.
At any one time, applications for ITT will only be open for the next programme start date. This means as an eligible Service leaver, you’ll need to be available from this date under the existing terms of your contract with the Armed Forces, in order to apply for teacher training.
If you would like further information or advice about becoming a teacher, you can call the Teaching Line on 0800 389 2500.