FAQS

• You will need to hold the equivalent of a 2:2 or above undergraduate degree awarded by a higher education provider in England and Wales. (Or be on track to gain this qualification by summer 2025)
• GCSE grade C or 4 and above in English Language or Literature and Mathematics or equivalent. (We also accept GCSE English and Mathematics equivalency qualifications)

• A good understanding of the subject knowledge required for teaching your chosen subject. This can be shown through a relevant degree and or your A Level (or other Level 3) qualifications.
• A good understanding of schools and teaching as a profession. Here at Leeds SCITT, we will do everything we can to support you in organising visits within our partnership schools prior to starting the course. Please get in touch to arrange a visit.

The fees for 2025-26 for the Leeds SCITT PGCE course (includes QTS + 60 master’s credits):

– UK home students: £9,535

– Overseas students: £15,000

There are three types of funding available for teacher training – depending on your circumstances, you could receive all three:
– Tax-free bursary or scholarship
– Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan via Student Finance England (SFE)
– Additional financial support if you’re a parent or carer or have a disability.

The Government provides incentivised monetary awards to encourage high quality candidates into the teaching vocation, which are called bursaries. Unlike student loans, a bursary is organised through your college or university and does not require you to repay the awarded amount.

If you enrol on a PGCE course, you will not need to fill out an application to apply for a student bursary.

The bursary you may be entitled to will depend on the subject you are studying and the undergraduate degree classification you have achieved.

Scholarships also come with a package of additional benefits from the appropriate professional body. Scholarship applicants should apply to the relevant professional body, details are available on Get Into Teaching. For further guidance see: Funding: initial teacher training (ITT), academic year 2025 to 2026 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The table below shows the bursaries and scholarships which are available for the academic year 2025 – 2026. For further information, see the funding my training page. If you’re a non-UK EU national, you could also receive this support.

Only French and Spanish are open to international applicants.

Bursaries are available for Languages if you meet eligibility criteria. Please check: Fees and financial support for non-UK trainee teachers.

The fees for international students are: £15,000, 50% of which will be payable prior to starting the course. Your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), which is required to apply for a Student Route visa, will not be issued until we receive this payment. This deposit is non-refundable unless you are refused a visa to study in the UK. ​​The second 50% will be payable within the first 8 weeks of starting the course.

If all or part of your qualifications are from outside the UK, to make the final decision if your qualifications meet the minimum requirements, you may be asked to formally recognise any overseas qualifications through UK ENIC or ECCTIS.

*We highly recommend getting your statement of comparability as early as possible to ensure that you can meet all offer conditions prior to the deadline of Friday 16th May 2025.

If you require a Student Route Visa to study in the UK, then you must apply to us by 30th April 2025. You must also meet all the conditions of your offer and present all supporting documentation required for the visa application no later than 31st May 2025.

A satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure Certificate, Police check from your home country, a satisfactory occupational health screening and two satisfactory references sent from professional email accounts.

*If offered a place you will be sent information regarding these checks, and we ask that you respond promptly so as not to delay your application.

We recommend visiting: Train to teach in England as a non-UK citizen

Some applicants may be eligible to do an SKE course. This will be discussed when we review your subject knowledge audit during your interview.

*We recommend reading more information about SKEs here: An Introduction to Subject Knowledge Enhancement

No one is born a great teacher. All teachers continuously improve over time, benefitting from the mentoring of expert colleagues and a structured introduction to the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching.

• These are some important attributes and skills we hope to see in applicants:
• Passion and enthusiasm for your subject
• Strong subject knowledge and a willingness to develop subject knowledge
• Innovative and excited to learn new ideas to support pupils to progress
• Organised and able to prioritise
• Able to network and build positive relationships with others
• Pro-active and able to reflect on your own development
• Willing to support and help young people, whilst maintaining high expectations

To view our full Trainee Secondary Teacher Person Specification click here.

The interview will take place via Microsoft Teams. The length of the video interview will be approximately 1.5 hours.

Prior to the interview, you will be asked to prepare some Pre-Interview Tasks to support the process:

Share your strengths and areas for development from our subject knowledge audit with fundamental literacy and numeracy skills. Please click the relevant link below to download the subject knowledge audit for your specific subject focus.

⇒ Art & Design
⇒ Computer Science with IT
⇒ Dance
⇒ Design Technology
⇒ Drama
⇒ English
⇒ Geography
⇒ History
⇒ Maths
⇒ MFL
⇒ Music
⇒ PE, including PE with EBacc
⇒ RE
⇒ Science with Biology
⇒ Science with Chemistry
⇒ Science with Physics

For practical subjects including Art & Design, Dance, Drama, D&T, MFL, Music and PE, candidates will be expected to share a portfolio and or complete a short video showcasing their skills in a particular area.

A 5-minute presentation on a subject specific topic area and how this could be taught.

If you are offered a place you will be invited to visit the Lead School at a later date.