Intro

School Direct routes lead to the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for the 5-11 age range or 11-16 age range, which will allow you to teach primary or secondary in England and Wales.

With the School Direct Tuition and School Direct Salaried programmes, you work at a school and attend training at the university. Over the course of the year you will have experience of teaching in two of the many schools with whom we have established partnerships.

School Direct allows schools to recruit and select trainees, with the expectation that they may then go on to work within the school or group of schools in which they were trained.

You will be mentored by a successful teaching team with an outstanding national reputation and comprehensive research profile that informs course content.

The University of Brighton is an outstanding provider of teacher training. We offer both School Direct Tuition and School Direct Salaried programmes in primary and secondary age phases.

Training bursaries and scholarships of up to £26,000 are available for certain subjects on School Direct Tuition programmes.

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer or Eastbourne and a host school

Full-time 1 year

interview advice sessions

Get top tips for your interview at one of our online teaching interview advice sessions.

Who can apply for School Direct?

UK students can apply for school direct vacancies until late August if they are still listed on the find postgraduate teacher training website .

International students can apply until 26 May to allow time for visa applications to be completed before the course starts on 4 September. We cannot accept applications from international students after this date.

Course content

Course structure

To train as a teacher through the School Direct programme you need to apply direct to a school for a School Direct training place. If the school you apply to is one of our School Direct partner schools, then we will provide the academic education to support you during your training.

Our School Direct routes offer two types of training programmes: School Direct Training and School Direct Salaried Training.

School Direct Training Programme

The School Direct Training Programme is open to all graduates and funded by tuition fees paid by the trainee, who may be eligible to receive a bursary from the Teaching Agency (TA).

Scholarships may also be available for candidates who wish to teach priority subjects, and these are awarded by the relevant subject associations through a competitive application process. Those following this School Direct Training Programme will be registered for and can gain a PGCE award from the University of Brighton.

School Direct Salaried Training Programme

The School Direct Salaried Training Programme is an employment based route into teaching for high quality graduates with three or more years' career experience. The trainee is employed as an unqualified teacher by the school.

If you are training to teach in a secondary school, the subjects you can train to teach through School Direct are:

High priority: physics, maths, computer science*, chemistry, modern languages
Other priority: biology, design and technology*, English, geography
Other subjects: art and design, history, PE, religious education.

If you are training to teach in a primary school, the phase you can train to teach through School Direct is:

Primary 5-11 age range

*School Direct Salaried only

Areas of study

We offer programmes in both primary and secondary age phases.

The secondary subjects we offer are:

art and design
biology
chemistry
computer science*
design and technology*
english
geography
history
mathematics
modern foreign languages
physical education
physics
religious education.

*School Direct Salaried only

Art secondary education student in an apron doing printing

Primary vacancies

The University of Brighton is partners with a large number of lead schools across Brighton & Hove, Sussex and beyond for School Direct. School Direct places are allocated to lead schools, however as schools largely work in alliances/clusters the placement may not be in the lead school.

Our primary partners:

Brighton, Hove and Sussex School Alliance (1KN)
Eastbourne Area School Direct Alliance (1J5)
Millais Alliance (1BK)
Swale Academies Trust (14H)
Torfield School (1YE)

To see School Direct vacancies with these partners visit the find postgraduate teacher training website and search using their three-digit code.

Secondary vacancies

The University of Brighton is in partnership with a large number of lead schools across Brighton & Hove, Sussex and beyond for School Direct. School Direct places are allocated to lead schools however as schools largely work in alliances/ clusters the placement may not be in the lead school.

Our secondary partners:

Bohunt Education Trust (1DP)
Brighton, Hove and Sussex School Alliance (1KN)
Eastbourne Area School Direct Alliance (1J5)
Millais Alliance (1BK)
Oriel ITT Partnership (2LR)
Surrey Downs Partnership (3F2)
Swale Academies Trust (14H)
Torfield School (1YE)
Valley Invicta Teacher Training (1CU)
Wealden Partnership (1Z2)

To see School Direct vacancies with these partners visit the find postgraduate teacher training website and search using their three-digit code.

Ofsted

In our most recent Initial Teacher Education inspection report, the University of Brighton was graded 'outstanding'.

Ofsted identified some of our key strengths as:

the very high attainment of the majority of trainees
the expertly designed and diverse range of programmes that respond to trainees' backgrounds, needs and interests as well as to national priorities
the outstanding progress made by trainees as a result of training, which enables them to fulfil their potential
inspirational teaching, tutoring and mentoring that model the best teaching and give trainees the ambition to reach the highest standards
highly reflective trainees who demonstrate good subject knowledge and a breadth of understanding of how to teach
an excellent range of training experiences that effectively prepare trainees to teach in a diverse society
the excellent resources available to trainees
leadership that is dynamic in its approach to anticipating change and solving problems
a visionary approach to innovation and change.

Careers

Career prospects are very good. School Direct aims to give schools the opportunity to recruit and select the trainees that best meet their needs, with the expectation that those teachers may go on to work in the school or group of schools in which they trained.

If you are considering whether a career in teaching is for you, and you are a UK resident, the Department for Education’s School Experience Programme (SEP) offers 1 to 10 days’ classroom experience in a secondary school. For details, please check getintoteaching.education.gov.uk.

Student teacher at the front of a classroom of young pupils

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

We are actively seeking to recruit candidates with the capacity to become outstanding teachers to our highly successful School Direct routes. In order to realise your potential over these intensive programmes you are greatly advantaged if you can demonstrate the following characteristics through your application.

Degree
Normally an honours degree, or equivalent qualification, in the subject specialism or a subject that is directly relevant.

Experience
A realistic awareness of the teaching profession with the capacity to thrive in a demanding and fast moving environment. When applying, please use your personal statement to illustrate this.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language and mathematics (and a science for primary applications). Equivalence tests are available for suitable candidates.

International student application deadline 26 May
The deadline for international applicants to apply to this course for 2023 entry is 26 May. This deadline is in place to ensure sufficient time for the visa process to be completed before the course starts in early September.

Interviews

Interviews can be in-person at the university or online for most subjects. If you are invited to interview you will be able to choose a date and option which suits you best.

Physical Education interviews are online only.

Other

All offers of places are subject to required regulatory checks including an occupational health check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check.
Applicants from minority ethnic and other groups under-represented in the profession, including men in primary teaching, are particularly welcome.

Fees and costs

Course fees

School Direct tuition fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 15,300 GBP

With School Direct salaried programmes you won’t need to pay any tuition fees. You’ll be employed by a school directly as an unqualified teacher.

As a postgraduate trainee teacher there is a range of funding available which you could be eligible to receive whilst you are studying:

Tax-free bursaries and scholarships – these depend on the subject you are training to teach and your highest relevant academic award.

On our website you will find information about other funding including:

the student finance package from Student Finance England – tuition fee loans and maintenance loans
Parents’ Learning Allowance
Childcare Grant
Care leaver’s bursary
Disabled Students’ Allowance.

If you're not a UK citizen, you are unlikely to get help funding your training unless you have permission to live permanently in the UK.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Education are listed here.

You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget approximately £30 for printing.
For courses which require a placement, you’ll be expected to pay for your travel expenses but you may be able to claim some travel costs back from the university, depending on where your placement is in relation to where you live.
Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £150 to buy your own copies
You may wish to consider budgeting up to £25 for stationery/teaching materials.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. Students based here study a range of subjects – from 2024 these will include education studies, teaching, sport and exercise, nursing and midwifery, allied health professions and medicine. Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes and the students' union shop and bar.

The campus sports centre has a fitness suite, activity studios and a sports hall. There is also a floodlit astroturf football pitch, netball and tennis courts.

Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources, and clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students. New facilities are being developed ready for September 2024 when all of our sport and health students will be based here. Learn more about the changes at Falmer.

Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine minute journey to central Brighton.

Newly refurbished atrium in the Checkland Building

Accommodation

Brighton: Falmer

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:
- Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls offer a range of rooms on our Falmer campus, minutes from your classes, and on the edge of the South Downs.
- Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Falmer campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre

Students dining at Westlain

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.

Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Maps

Falmer campus

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition.

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.