Training Programme Nomination

This section provides information for headteachers and senior leaders about our Training Programme Nomination.

Browse below to find the information you need. We'll update this page throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the programme

What is Training Programme Nomination?

Training Programme Nomination is a dedicated route for support staff and talented individuals to train as teachers on our Training Programme. The nominated trainee will remain at their school where they’ll train as a teacher for two years. All the while, schools will be able to retain excellent staff.

What is the nomination process?

Once you have enquired, you’ll need to fill out a nomination form. Nominees will then be asked to complete a registration form, confirming their interest and eligibility for our Training Programme. Once this is checked and accepted, the nominee will receive an offer and information on how to complete the onboarding process. This includes:

Completing an assessment of their subject knowledge and, where applicable, putting together a plan of how to get it up to speed.
Providing copies of their academic qualifications.
Completing a personal information form to detail any support they might require prior to and during the programme.
If they’re not currently employed by your school, we’ll need to receive references that cover the past two years and any work with children or young people.
Once the offer is confirmed, your nominee will be a Teach First trainee, with access to all the support, guidance and connections we offer.

What training will trainees receive before they start?

Summer Institute is the initial teacher training that prepares our trainees to start leading a class full of expectant pupils. At Summer Institute they’ll:

Learn the theory and practice of education and how to manage a classroom.
Beef up their knowledge of the curriculum.
Visit other schools to observe teaching in different settings.
Build relationships with leaders across your school.
Get to know other trainees.

Nominated trainees can complete Summer Institute full-time or part-time, which takes place from June to August. Please note that trainees will need to be available for one week during Summer Institute to complete School-centred learning (SCL).

Any trainees joining via the Training Programme Nomination route will be guaranteed the option of part-time Summer Institute if they are nominated before 28 January 2022. This means that if they’re already working in school, they can remain in post until they begin teaching in September.

About your school

What is your school eligibility criteria?

Our criteria is agreed with the Department for Education (DfE) and used to identify schools that will benefit most from working with us. We use the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) and Pupil Premium (PP) information for each school to guide us. 

This focuses on schools that are ranked in the top 70% most deprived areas (based on IDACI) and where the proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium is in the top 50% of all state-funded schools.  

We understand that no set of criteria is ever going to perfectly capture the many forms that deprivation can take, so if you think your school would benefit from our support but doesn’t match the standard eligibility criteria above, get in touch for a chat about your situation.

Can a SEND school have a TP Nomination trainee?

Trainees have to be placed in a mainstream school to gain their Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is because they need to show evidence that they’re:

teaching their subject across the key stage they’re being trained to teach (3-7, 5-11 or 11-16)
teaching across a broad spectrum of ability

Unfortunately, it would be difficult to evidence this in a SEND school as the experience isn't broad enough.

About the nominee

Who is eligible for Training programme Nomination?

Whether it’s a member of support staff, a school governor, mentor or a former member of staff, schools can nominate brilliant individuals known to the school for our Training Programme. This means the nominee will train as a teacher at your school for two years. 

They must also meet the following criteria:

be a current or former teaching assistant, higher-level teaching assistant, cover supervisor, lab technician or unqualified teacher or
be an individual known to the school (governor or mentor)
have a 2.2 degree or above
usually have a degree or an A-level (at grade B or higher) in the subject they’ll be teaching
have GCSE grade C or equivalent in maths and English. Grade C in one science subject is also required for primary teaching. Please check our eligibility page for more information about your chosen subject.
not have completed a teacher training programme before. Get all the details on eligibility for our Training Programme

Find out more about our eligibility requirements here.

What qualifications does the nominee need to have?

The nominee will need to have:

a 2.2 degree or above
usually have a degree or an A-level (at grade B or higher) in the subject they’ll be teaching
have GCSE grade C or equivalent in maths and English. Grade C in one science subject is also required for primary teaching. Please check our eligibility page for more information about your chosen subject

Find out more about our eligibility requirements here.

When can they start teaching?

Once the school has nominated the individual and they have successfully applied, the trainee will be able to start teaching in a classroom from September after they have completed Summer Institute – our initial teacher training.

For more information on Summer Institute, click here.

What type of support staff can I nominate?

We review nominees from any current or former support staff. This can include teaching assistants, lab assistants, higher level teaching assistants, cover supervisors, or unqualified teachers.

If you have any questions about nominating, please get in touch.

Can I nominate a former member of staff?

Yes! This year, we’ve widened our eligibility criteria to include former members of staff. If you believe they have the potential to become great teachers, please get in touch and we’ll support you with the nomination.

I know someone who isn’t a member of support staff, but they’d make a great teacher – can I nominate them?

If you’ve worked with a talented individual who is connected to your school e.g. a school governor or a mentor, and believe they’ll make a great teacher, please enquire and we’ll review your query. They’ll need to match our eligibility criteria and you’ll need to be prepared to employ them in your school for the two-year duration of the Training Programme.

What is the salary for trainees?

Your school pays their teaching salary for a minimum of two years. In year one, they’re paid within the unqualified teacher pay range of the pay salary scale: 

A minimum of point 1 (early years and primary school trainees)
A minimum of point 2 (secondary school trainees)

In year two this rises to the salary for a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT), which varies depending on location. 

Ready to nominate someone?

Enquire now