Decide if you’d like to teach Primary or Secondary! If you’re not sure, come along to one of our information events or send us an email for more information.

If you’d like to become a Secondary teacher, think about what subject you want to teach. We currently have a range of subjects in Secondary and the option to study Primary or Primary with Maths.

Once you’ve chosen your subject, you will need to write a personal statement.

When you apply you’ll need to give details about:

• your qualifications, including your GCSEs and A levels (or equivalents) and degree
• your work history or unpaid experience
• why you want to teach
• why you’re suited to teach a particular subject or age group

Your personal statement explains why you want to be a teacher. It’s your chance to show your motivation, commitment and teaching potential. It’s a crucial part of your application – so it’s worth taking your time on it.

Your personal statement should be between 500 and 1000 words. 90% of successful candidates write 500 words or more.

You could include:

• skills you have that are relevant to teaching
• any experience of working with young people
• your understanding of why teaching is important
• your reasons for wanting to train to be a teacher
• any activities you’ve done that could be relevant to teaching (such as first aid courses, sports coaching or volunteering)

Teacher training providers want to see your passion and that you understand the bigger picture of teaching.

Make sure you check your spelling and grammar in your application. You want to make the best possible impression.

If you’re concerned about your subject knowledge, do not worry – you may be able to do a ‘subject knowledge enhancement’ course as part of your training.

You will submit your personal statement during your application process on the DfE website.

You need 2 professional references to apply – they can’t be from Hotmail, Outlook, Gmail, etc. accounts.

Unlike a standard work reference, your references for teacher training need to be named individuals rather than (for example) a human resources team or academic department.

Your referees will be asked to write up to 500 words about your character and potential to teach.

It’s worth contacting them before you apply so they understand why you’re applying and what they’ll be asked to do.

Choose referees who could comment on things like your:

• communication skills
• reliability and professionalism
• ability to work with children
• transferable skills
• academic skills

Ideal referees could include:

• your university tutor or supervisor
• your current line manager at work
• your previous employer
• a teacher at a school where you work or volunteer
• a supplier or client you’ve worked with (if you’re self-employed)

Referees should not be family members, partners or friends.

It’s important to have at least one academic or professional reference.

Training providers will accept a character reference, such as a mentor or someone you know from volunteering, as a second reference.

If you’re applying for a salaried course, one of your references must be from an employer.

You can request as many references as you like to increase the chances of getting 2 quickly.

Once you’ve received 2 or more references, you can select the 2 you want to include in your application.

Now that you’ve gathered all the information you need, it’s time to officially make your application!

To make things a little easier, we’ve included a link to each of our TIE courses towards the bottom of this page. If you click the course you’d like to apply for, this will take you to the right place on the DfE site.

Alternatively, head to the Trinity Insitute of Education page on the DfE website or search by our course code TRINITY 1YF. You will then need to select the course you’d like to study.

Once you have made your application to our ITT course, you will be contacted by us to arrange an interview.

We will provide you with an information booklet with guidance on how to prepare along with any other information you may need.

You’ll find out on the day if you’ve been successful, and a conditional offer will then be sent to you via your DfE application portal. This will outline the next steps, such as completing your DBS check, a health check, and any other requirements specific to you (for example, achieving at least a 2:2 in your degree).

If you decide to accept your offer, we’ll send you a warm welcome email with some starter tasks and sign you up for newsletters to help you feel ready and excited for the course.

In June, you’ll be invited to an onboarding appointment where we’ll guide you through your DBS check.

Then, in July, we’d love for you to join us for Flying Start – a three-day introduction full of activities and materials to help you settle in and begin your journey with confidence.