How to apply
We are looking for the next generation of outstanding teachers and future school leaders. If you are passionate about children and education and care about our schools and the communities they serve and the special ethos each of those schools have then book your place on one of our Open Events now.
You will meet the team and hear all the exciting opportunities that the Sheffield SCITT can offer you. You will hear more details about our training package and how to prepare for the interview process.
About the course
The Course
The Sheffield SCITT is committed to providing high quality teacher training. Our course will challenge you to be the best you can and we will support you along the way. You will receive support from experts who will articulate and model exemplary practice.
Our 5-11 Primary and 11-16 Secondary courses lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) provider and we also offer an option of studying a one year PGCE alongside QTS.
We work in partnership with the university of Hull to deliver the PGCE component of our course.
The Initial Teacher Training course will entail 4 days per week in school. During your time in school you will be guided by an experienced mentor. One day per week you will join other teacher trainees for ‘hub days’. Here you will be trained on aspects such as how to walk and talk like a teacher, plan lessons effectively, behaviour management and how to really stretch and challenge students. You will spend September to December in your ‘Home School’. From December to Easter you will have the opportunity to experience life in a contrasting secondary school. From Easter to the end of the programme you will return to your initial school.
QTS Only or QTS & PGCE?
QTS is the qualification you will get when you graduate from our ITT course.
THE PGCE is an additional qualification we offer alongside the QTS.
You only need QTS to qualify as a teacher in the UK. However, there are benefits to gaining a PGCE :
Increased confidence from the academic training.
The PGCE is internationally recognised. To teach in other countries e.g. Scotland, Northern Ireland it is likely that you will need an academic qualification such as the PGCE alongside QTS to register as a teacher there.
School Placements
You will spend most of the training year in your Home School and these schools are central to the selection process and our school based interview system. You can express a preference for your Home School based on location, preference for the type of school or a personal connection to a community you want to serve but we cannot guarantee to meet everyone's preference.
There is also a short alternative placement in a contrasting alliance school in the middle of the training year and a brief experience in the phase (primary or secondary) you are not training to teach in. It would be sensible for trainees to base themselves within commutable distance of their Home School so these are finalised with you before the summer holidays to allow you to arrange your accommodation. We make every attempt to make sure the alternative placement school is in an accessible location but it may involve a few weeks of travelling further to get that all important contrasting experience in the right school for you.
How to apply
Applications for Initial Teacher Training courses are made through Apply for teacher training.
'Apply for teacher training' opens in October 2023. Our application cycle runs from October through to the following June.
Applying is an easy three step process. We have put together a video of frequently asked questions about completing your application.
Step One - Research & Prepare
Find out about the different options and routes available for people to Get Into Teaching.
Prepare for the application by getting your documents together.
Get your certificates ready:
You need to enter your GCSEs and A levels (or equivalent) on your application, as well as your degree. You will need the original certificates, makes sure to make a note of your grades and the awarding bodies.
For your degree, you need to enter the modules you completed, or are in the process of completing, that make up your final grade.
Prepare your personal statement:
Your personal statement can be a maximum of 4,000 characters or 47 lines of text, whichever limit you hit first. While you’re waiting for Apply to open, get ahead by drafting your personal statement, so you’re ready to copy and paste it into your application.
Think about your referees:
You need two references before you can submit your application. If you’re still at university or got your degree in the past five years, one reference must be from someone at your university who can comment on your academic ability and potential. You can not use a family member or friend as a referee.
Get in touch with your chosen referees as soon as you can to ask if they’re happy to write you a reference.
Start to think about how you will finance your training.
There are student loans available to help with living expenses and tuition fees. If you live in England then you need to register with Student Finance England.
There are bursaries and scholarships currently available for some subjects. You can check if these apply to you here. If you are thinking about applying for a scholarship then plan in advance as you need to make the application directly to the Sponsoring organisations.
If you require additional help from Student Finance to complete your training you should check out your eligibility before applying.
Step Two - Search
You need to use The Department for Education’s search tool. To view our teacher training courses you should filter the results by using
Our postcode: S10 3BT
Our name The Sheffield SCITT and
The subject you want to teach.
Once you have found the course you'll need to apply via Apply for teacher training
Step Three - Apply
All the guidance you will need on the application process is available on the Get Into Teaching Website. If you are unsure if you want to take QTS only or QTS & PGCE there is more information on the difference here.
The way to apply for postgraduate teacher training in England has changed. You can now use Apply for teacher training a new GOV.UK service.
Apply for teacher training is easy to use and gives clear guidance to help potential teachers make strong applications.
To learn more about the new service and to get help with your application, visit Get into Teaching.
Sheffield SCITT teacher training courses include:
Primary General
Primary with Maths
Biology
Chemistry
Design & Technology
MFL
English
Food Technology
Geography
History
Mathematics
Physics
Religious Education
Available Training Locations
You’ll also need to choose a training location and give the relevant training location code. The availability of your first choice location will be discussed at interview.
International Trainees
As we are not allowed to hold a licence to sponsor visa applications you will need to be a UK citizen or have been granted “Settled Status” by the U.K. Home Office.
If you are not a UK citizen you will need to prove you have access to Public Funds or have the ability to support yourself financially during your course prior to being offered a place.
Interview
All interviews will be carried out by at least two members of the SCITT team.
The interview process for the SCITT involves
a formal interview
questions from a subject specialist and
an observed 15 minute teaching activity.
your own reflection on your teaching activity.
An informal assessment of your Maths and English proficiencies – this last part is not a test and you do not need to prepare for this. It is there to identify any gaps that may need to be addressed during your training year.
We have put together a video of frequently asked questions about completing your application.
Qualifications and Qualities
Academic Qualifications
In order to be considered for the Sheffield SCITT. You would need
A relevant degree - if you do not have a relevant degree you will need to have an A level in the subject you want to teach.
GCSE grade C or 4 in Maths and English. Primary requires a grade C or 4 in Science, Maths and English.
If you have any questions about qualifications – please contact admin@sheffieldscitt.org.uk and we can offer support.
Personal qualities
We are looking for the next generation of outstanding teachers and future school leaders. You will be passionate about children and education but also care about our schools and the communities you serve and the special ethos each of those schools have.
You will have experience of working with young people - ideally some of this will be school based giving you a good awareness of how schools operate and teachers work. Whatever your experience applicants need to demonstrate how they have engaged, communicated with and inspired the young people they have worked with.
All offers of a place are conditional upon the candidate:
Supplying two satisfactory references, one of which must be the current or most recent employer. If you have yet to complete your degree at the time of application both references can come from the establishment your are studying with.
Providing successful identity check - you will be required to bring your passport to your interview.
Proof of qualifications - you will be required to bring your original GCSE and (where possible) Degree certificate to your interview. If you are unable to do this at interview you will need to bring the certificates in at a later date. If you have lost them you will need to get replacements from the awarding body.
Eligibility to live and work in the UK;
Passing an Enhanced Criminal Record Check and a check of the Children’s Barred list;
A satisfactory pre-employment health check being carried out by our occupational health provider Corazon Health - Occupational Health Services Where adjustments are recommended by our occupational health provider, these will be considered in line with the Reasonable Adjustment Policy.
In addition The Sheffield SCITT reserves the right to place additional conditions on the offer, for example completing Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses prior to starting training. Any additional conditions will be communicated to you at interview and in writing.
Finance
Tuition Fees for Academic Year 2024/25
U.K. Students : QTS & PGCE - £9,250
QTS Only - £8,350
E.U. Students : QTS & PGCE - £9,250
QTS Only - £8,350
International students: please get in touch to find out more at admin@sheffieldscitt.org.uk
Note: we do not hold the licence required to sponsor immigration visas.
There are Student Loans available to pay the fees.
You can check your eligibility to receive these here.
If you decide to pay your tuition fee from your own funds then the payment schedule is
Term 1 : QTS & PGCE - £2,625
QTS Only - £2,250Term 2 : QTS & PGCE - £2,625
QTS Only - £2,250Term 3 : QTS & PGCE - £4,000
QTS Only - £3,850
With each amount being due on the first day of each term.
You will also have to pay the cost of the Enhanced Criminal Record Check in advance of starting the course.
Financial support
You may be eligible for financial support while you study. There is also advice for EU students available here.
Student Loans
If you are going to apply for a Student Loan to cover your cost of living and/or tuition fees our advice is to make your application as soon as you have accepted a place. The process does get slower as the volume of applications increases over the summer months - especially in August and September.
Bursaries & financial support
We are not able to offer any monetary financial support to trainees. However,
We will support you with the Student Finance Application process.
We will keep you informed as to whether you are eligible for a government funded Train to Teach Bursary.
You may be eligible for a teaching bursary when training to teach. These are tax-free amounts of money you receive to train in certain subjects. You do not need to pay them back.
You do not need to apply for a bursary. If you’re eligible, you’ll automatically receive it.
Figures are for courses starting in the 2024/25 academic year.
To be eligible for a bursary, you’ll need at least one of the following:
a bachelor’s degree class 2:2 (honours) or higher
a master’s degree
a PhD
You’ll also need to meet the bursary scheme’s individual terms and conditions.
Source: Get Into Teaching
Need more information? Why not read our Trainee Finance Guide for 2024-25.
Perks & Benefits
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion:
We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to increasing diversity in the teaching profession.
As part of our support system all our trainees are required to complete an online Health Assessment. This service is operated by a third party provider Corazon Health - Occupational Health Services.
This allows us to identify any needs our trainees may have and to put support in place for them (in line with the Reasonable Adjustment Policy) before the course starts. This stems from our aim to meet the unique needs of every trainee, specifically by taking reasonable steps to ensure that disabled trainees and applicants are not put at a substantial disadvantage by comparison with trainees and applicants who are not disabled. We encourage all our applicants to declare their disability on their application form and to discuss their requirements with us at interview. While disabled access to our schools is good we can only place trainees at the most suitable school to meet their needs if we know what those needs are.
The Sheffield SCITT ‘Reasonable Adjustments Policy and Procedure’ which underpins this approach and is available on request by emailing admin@sheffieldscitt.org.uk