Apply for Teacher Training

• GCSE English (Language or Literature) Grade 4 / C or above (or equivalent)
• GCSE Mathematics Grade 4 / C or above (or equivalent)
• If you want to teach primary age children you will need to have GCSE science Grade 4 / C or above (or equivalent)
• You do not need to obtain these qualifications before you apply for teacher training, but you do need to have gained the appropriate qualifications before you start the course. If you do not have a GCSE in English and Maths or Science then we will accept the results of equivalency tests taken through the Equivalency Testing website.
• Please note that we do not accept Level 2 Adult Numeracy and Literacy as equivalents

• A UK first degree (or equivalent)
• For all our courses you will need an Honours Degree, normally 2.2 or better (or equiv. 360 CAT points)
• If you apply to teach a secondary subject, your degree should be related to the subject you wish to teach. We can also consider applicants who have a grade C or above at A Level in the subject you wish to teach.
• If you did not gain your qualifications in the UK, you can visit the UK ENIC – The National Information Centre website to find out whether we consider your qualifications to be equivalent to UK GCSEs and degrees
• Please note that the onus is on you to prove that your qualifications are equivalent and you must include a UK ENIC statement with your application verifying this.

Excellent subject knowledge is an important element of being a qualified teacher

• We expect applicants to Secondary SCITT courses to have knowledge of the subject they wish to teach
• If you wish to teach primary age children and have yet to start your degree, whilst we do not require a specialist subject, consider taking one in Education, Early Childhood Studies, or a National Curriculum core subject – English, Mathematics or Science.
• We also expect good and accurate use of spoken and written English.

• As an ITT provider, we have to assess your competency in literacy and numeracy.
• A Recruitment and Selection Day informs you of the arrangements we make to assess the level of literacy and numeracy skills. Also, if you need, we provide guidance about how they can be improved.

• The Disclosure and Barring Service has taken the place of the CRB check and it is a condition of all ITT courses. Anyone who wishes to apply for teacher training must have a satisfactory enhanced DBS check before commencing training
• In the case of School Direct Salaried, the employing school will arrange this with trainees
• For those on student based courses, we explain arrangements for completing DBS check applications as part of the selection and induction process
• If you have spent more than three months overseas in the past five years you will need to obtain a certificate of good conduct from each country you have resided in. Details of how to obtain this can be found here: Overseas checks
• Online searches may form part of our selection and recruitment process
• References will be requested from your chosen referees as part of your conditional offer

• Whilst not a legal requirement, you may find it helpful to gain school experience before you apply for teacher training. This helps prepare for your application and/or interview to one of our programmes
• Please note that any experience of working with children in a voluntary context or in any out of school activities e.g. sports coaching or clubs etc can also be very valuable
• The Department of Education’s website will also provide you with more information and guidance about how to write an application and you can also find more information about the different phases e.g. primary or secondary that are of interest to you.

Purpose

This procedure is designed to ensure that candidates applying to NESTT for a place on one of our ITT courses have a full opportunity to make a complaint without fear of disadvantage and in the knowledge that privacy and confidentiality will be respected. Complaints will be dealt with promptly and fairly with an appropriate remedy, if upheld, within the bounds of what is reasonable and practicable for NESTT to provide.

Scope

For the purposes of this policy, a complaint raised by an applicant is considered to be a formal request that a decision on whether to make an offer of a training place should be changed.

Applicants may appeal on the following grounds:

1 - There has been a procedural irregularity: a situation where the applicant believes that NESTT has not adhered to its own stated policy and procedures.

2 - The emergence of new material which may have affected the decision. It must be made clear by the applicant as to why this information was not made available at the time of application. It should be noted that if this information was available at the time of application but not included, for any reason, it will not be considered as new information.

3 - There is evidence of bias or prejudice.

4 - There is evidence that we did not consider disability in making interview arrangements

5 - There is evidence that we failed to properly evaluate applicant’s qualifications

Appeals Against Recruitment Decisions

Unsuccessful candidates will receive feedback on their application. For those candidates unsuccessful at the point of application, this information will be entered into the DfE Apply system. Further feedback can be given to clarify the reasoning if requested. This feedback may be given in person, by telephone or by email. For applicants who are unsuccessful after interview, written feedback will be provided through the DfE Apply system and by NESTT staff either in person, by telephone or by email, detailing the candidate’s strengths and areas for improvement for future applications.

Any applicant who wishes to lodge an official complaint or appeal against a decision is asked to do so, in writing, within 15 working days of the application decision. The initial complaint should be emailed to [email protected]. From here it will be passed to the relevant director.

The relevant director of NESTT will respond and an appeals panel comprising experienced interviewers not involved in the original selection process will be convened to consider the trainee documentation and review the decision. The relevant director of NESTT and the independent appeals panel will normally respond within 20 working days from receipt of the appeal.

Should the applicant be able to clearly demonstrate that the independent appeals panel has not addressed the grounds of the appeal or has not fully understood the appeal, the applicant must contact the relevant director of NESTT, in writing, within 15 working days of their decision. The relevant director of NESTT will pass the complaint on to the Chair of the Governance Board who will assess the argument, past decision and the grounds for the appeal. At completion of this decision, the applicant will be issued with a Completion of Appeal letter making the decision final. If the appeal is successful, the applicant will be allowed entry on to the course.

Anna Richards

Executive Leader

Date policy updated: August 2024