The first cohort of London Metropolitan’s Graduate Teacher Apprentices at new partner school, the 5 Wells Development Centre, have achieved extraordinary results.  

The apprenticeship programme primarily works with schools in London, but last year joined in partnership with 5 Wells, which is based in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

Of 5 Wells’ seven apprentice teachers from London Met, six have achieved Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with one expected to qualify by Christmas. In addition, five of the apprentices achieved Distinctions at Masters level in their academic PGCE work. 5 Wells are expected to take on 10 apprentice teachers next year.

New research from the Department of Education’s Get Into Teaching campaign, found that 34% of students and graduates view the teaching and education sector as one of the most important roles in society.

Robert Fonseca, Head of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in the School of Social Professions, said: “On behalf of everyone at London Met, I would like to say how proud I am of our apprentice teachers and the remarkable results they have achieved. The apprenticeship programme is a significant undertaking and a real challenge; but it is also a fantastic opportunity for future teachers to hit the ground running and make a genuine difference to their students and their school.”

Anne Ansell, Head of 5 Wells Development Centre and lead school Redwell Primary, noted:

We are very proud of the high quality apprenticeship that we offer to Unqualified Teachers in our county.  To be able to train future teachers to impact the life chances of so many pupils is key to the sustainability of our teaching profession.  The schools are able to upskill their staff and, once qualified, the apprentices are typically much further ahead than the more traditionally recognised training routes, due to their time in school and the quality of mentoring that schools are able to provide.  All of our apprentices have found permanent teaching positions in local schools, which us an amazing achievement for them all

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to complete my apprenticeship with 5 Wells Development Centre. Having been a teaching assistant for a decade, I felt it was the right time to build upon my experience and take on the new challenge of teaching. The apprenticeship helped me to do this and allowed me to combine the practical experience of having my own class with theory and study. It has been a frenetic, yet rewarding, experience and I couldn’t be happier now that I have received my results and begun my career into teaching, said Leanne Keeves, an apprentice from the 2019/2020 cohort who has recently achieved QTS with PGCE.

The Graduate Teacher Apprenticeship Programme is a nationally recognised, work-based route into teaching. It offers a postgraduate-level qualification with no tuition fees and the opportunity to earn while you learn. It is aimed primarily at candidates who have a good understanding of what it means to work in a school and have built up some experience, perhaps as a teaching assistant or in a similar role. Many candidates are working in schools already and are looking to make the next step.

London Met’s Graduate Teacher Apprenticeship scheme has been running since 2017, and is thought to be the biggest of its kind in the country.

Applications for the 2021/2022 cohort will open on UCAS in October (code JK98).  https://www.find-postgraduate-teacher-training.service.gov.uk/course/5J7/JK98