Offer a teacher degree apprenticeship

The teacher degree apprenticeship (TDA) is an undergraduate salaried route into the teaching profession. Successful candidates will gain an undergraduate degree and qualified teacher status (QTS) while working as an apprentice in a school. 

Apprenticeship courses are delivered through accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers and degree-awarding institutions, working with employing schools to deliver high-quality training in relevant subject knowledge and teaching skills.

Structure of the teacher degree apprenticeship 

The TDA typically takes 4 years to complete and awards successful candidates with an undergraduate degree and QTS.  

All apprenticeships require off-the-job training, which is defined in the apprenticeship funding rules. How much time a candidate spends on their off-the-job training may vary across training years and between different ITT providers. However, trainees must spend a minimum of 2,200 hours of their paid time over the duration of the course undertaking off-the-job training to work towards their degree and qualified teacher status.

The teacher degree apprenticeship standard and degree specialism (PDF, 245 KB, 3 pages) are designed to support providers with the development of courses and should be viewed together. 

The teacher degree apprenticeship standard provides guidance on:

The teacher degree apprenticeship degree specialism provides guidance on:

The teacher degree apprenticeship uses the teachers’ standards for its knowledge, skills and behaviours.

Providers must fulfil the requirement for ongoing, formative assessment of trainees’ progress in relation to the ITT curriculum, which will incorporate the ITT early career framework in full.

This will ensure that during the course, assessment: