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Troops to Teachers non-graduate programme

  • Course
    in brief
  • Entry
    requirements
  • Course
    in detail
  • Careers and
    employability
  • Fees and
    funding
  • Location and
    living here
  • Find out
    more
  • Related
    courses

Course in brief

Troops to Teachers (TtT) is an innovative programme that is targeted at ex-service personnel who have the potential to become outstanding teachers.

This two year programme will be delivered through a blended learning package, leading to an honours degree with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The programme operates across England and for this cycle we are offering specialist pathways which are supported by a Department for Education (DfE) bursary of £20,000 per annum. The programme is for those wishing to teach mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing or modern foreign languages in secondary schools.

Trainee teachers who are enrolled on the TtT programme will:

  • spend two years in a school-based training context, located in their local area

  • undertake school‐based training activities each week

  • engage in weekly webinars and scheduled learning activities

  • participate in scheduled face-to-face sessions.

Key facts

Location School-based across England, with distance learning 

Full-time 2 years

Before starting this course you must pass the Professional Skills Tests in numeracy and literacy; this is a requirement of being recommended for QTS.

Find out more about Troops to Teachers and meet the team at the Bristol CTP Employment fair on 6 June.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The Troops to Teachers non-graduate programme is only open to ex-service personnel who are eligible for resettlement support. Usually this will mean that you have served for at least four years and are within five years of your discharge date at the start of the programme.

This guidance applies to those who do not hold a university degree award. If you have already graduated with a degree, please use the Department for Education helpline (0800 389 2500) for advice on graduate opportunities.

Do you meet the basic eligibility?
We will need to confirm that you are eligible for resettlement support; please complete the employment section on your UCAS application to confirm your dates of service. You do not need to provide full details – we will verify dates from your service record later on in the process. The UCAS application also requires you to provide details of two referees who can supply a reference on your behalf. See the Applying through UCAS section below for more information.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language and maths. 

Some equivalent qualifications are acceptable but others – such as Level 2 Adult Literacy or Numeracy – are not. If you are not sure, contact the University of Brighton through troopstoteachers@brighton.ac.uk to verify your existing equivalent qualifications.

If you do not hold an equivalent GCSE qualification you can still apply, but you will have to secure equivalence before you can start the programme. Equivalence tests can be organised through www.equivalencytesting.com or we have our own tests that can be booked and taken - please contact us to find out more.

Foundation degree/HND/HNC/other level 4 or above study
You will need to demonstrate the equivalent of a minimum of one year full-time study in higher education. We will consider a wide range of qualifications when checking that you have accumulated the correct number of Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS) points. If your current qualifications relate specifically to your chosen specialist subject for ITT, you should have a minimum of 120 subject-related CATS points. These 120 credits show that you meet the academic and subject knowledge requirements. If your qualifications are not specific to your chosen specialist subject for ITT we will appraise your credit on a case by case basis.

Providing as much detail as possible in your UCAS application will help us to fully assess your eligibility. Appropriate qualifications include academic, vocational and military qualifications associated with particular roles, for example training, instructing, and training and achievements associated with certain promotions. Please contact us if you would like further advice on this.

Experience
The equivalent of at least one week of recent work experience with children in a school setting would give you a distinct advantage. Experience in teaching, instructing or mentoring during your military service would also be advantageous.

The interview process
If you are selected for interview, you can select a date from a number of options through the University of Brighton’s applicant area – we will invite you to register on the applicant area after you have submitted your UCAS application and details of referees.

Unfortunately we cannot refund any expenses associated with attending an interview. As part of the interview day we will need to confirm your ID (passport or driving license), your service record and the original certificates from your qualifications. The interview day will include a written exercise, a group presentation task and an individual interview. You will receive all necessary details with your invitation so that you can prepare fully. At this stage we will also ask you about your preferred location and any potential placement schools that you may already have had contact with. 

What happens if the interview is successful?
The interview will verify your suitability for the TtT programme and the offer of a place at this stage will always be ‘conditional’. This means there are certain conditions you must meet before you can secure your place. These will include passing the professional skills tests (more information on these below), if you have not already done so, and providing certificates of any equivalency tests and other qualifications. The key condition that will apply to all applicants will be to secure a school for the duration of the programme. We will support you through this process and work to set you up with an interview in an appropriate school.

Professional skills tests
The professional skills tests are compulsory: you will not be able to start your training without having successfully completed them. You can book these tests in advance, and the Department for Education strongly advises you to take the tests soon after you have submitted an application.

At the university we recognise that these tests present a real challenge to some candidates and we recommend that you prepare carefully before attempting them. We will not insist that Troops to Teachers applicants have passed the tests before attending an interview; although having already passed the tests may give you a clear advantage, we will be prepared to consider your capacity to pass them.

Find out more about professional skills tests, including how to register and prepare for them. 

Other

  • All offers are subject to an occupational health check and Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced disclosure check.
  • Applicants from minority ethnic and other groups under-represented in the profession are particularly welcome.

Course in detail

Course structure 

The programme structure takes into account the unique nature of the TtT cohort and builds on your developing knowledge and experience as you engage in a variety of ongoing, school‐based activities.

You will begin the programme with a residential induction at the University of Brighton. This is followed by ongoing school‐based training and dedicated study days, punctuated by additional, face-to-face teaching sessions.  

As a trainee you will be supported by the following professionals:

  • mentor (school‐based)
  • programme manager (university‐based)
  • university tutor (subject specialist).

The programme draws heavily on the use of advanced distance learning technologies combined with face to face teaching. You'll take part in the following:

  • keynote taught inputs consisting of generic and subject-specific sessions
  • scheduled activities during study days consisting of group activities completed online such as webinars
  • self-directed study consisting of individual activities that are necessary to complete assessments
  • ongoing activities within your school consisting of either individual, self-directed tasks (eg access to online resources) or school-facilitated tasks.
School placement

A secondary school placement

Course list 

For this cycle we are recruiting service leavers who want to train to teach as secondary subject specialists in maths, biology, chemistry, physics, computing or modern foreign languages.

Make a note of the code for your preferred course – you will need it to apply through UCAS. You will be able to change your course choice at a later date if you decide to specialise in a different subject.

For more information see the Applying through UCAS section. 

    • Secondary Computer Science Education with QTS (Troops to Teachers) UCAS code: T3A6
    • Secondary Mathematics Education with QTS (Troops to Teachers) UCAS code: ALL1
    • Secondary Modern Foreign Languages Education with QTS (Troops to Teachers) UCAS code: AV45
    • Secondary Science Education (Biology) with QTS (Troops to Teachers) UCAS code: 8S1H
    • Secondary Science Education (Chemistry) with QTS (Troops to Teachers) UCAS code: 7LN1
    • Secondary Science Education (Physics) with QTS (Troops to Teachers) UCAS code: 16FA

Year 1 

Modules

  • Subject Audit Development
  • Leading Learning 1
  • Understanding Learners and Learning 1
  • Contemporary Issues in Education
  • Developing Professional Practice
Primary classroom

Year 2 

Modules

  • Subject Audit Enhancement
  • Leading Learning 2
  • Understanding Learners and Learning 2
  • Educational Futures
  • Advanced Professional Practice
Secondary classroom

Placements 

This programme links you with a school for the duration of your training. 

Throughout the programme you will work with the collaboration and support of the University of Brighton.

UoB_SchofEd_028_JH

Applying through UCAS

All applications for TtT are made through the UCAS website. UCAS is the organisation that handles all university applications nationally. This means that some of the advice that they offer will not be directly relevant to your TtT application.

UCAS makes a small charge to you for handling an application (£13 for a single application). You will only need to make a single application if the TtT programme is the only option that interests you. Once you have applied, we will be able to move your application between different subjects (mathematics, computing, etc) after you have discussed your application with the admissions tutors. If you want to apply to other university courses (non-TtT) at the same time then you can pay extra (£24) to apply for multiple courses.

When you register an application through UCAS for the TtT programme, you will need to consider the following things:

Which route will you apply to?
TtT is actually a collection of different routes making up a single programme. There are routes for mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing and modern foreign languages.

When you apply through UCAS you will be able to search for available routes and apply to the one that best suits you. If you are not certain about your choice, please don’t worry as it is possible for you to change your mind at a later date. It is more important that you complete the application as soon as you are ready so that we can consider you for the programme.

Do you meet the academic requirements? 
Please enter all of your qualifications on your UCAS application. We are able to consider a wide range of qualifications when checking that you have accumulated the correct number of CATS points (see entry requirements).

Providing referees
UCAS will ask you to provide two referees. UCAS will contact them on your behalf and send the confidential references to us. It is normal for the first referee to be a recent line manager, so if you are still serving or have only very recently left the armed services you should select someone who is well placed to comment on your working practices and suitability for training to teach. Referees don’t need a specialist understanding of schools and the role of teachers and it is good practice to contact them beforehand to make sure they are available and willing to offer a reference.

The second referee is normally more of a character reference – someone who knows you well and can vouch for your suitability for a role in the teaching profession.

What will happen next?
When you submit your application and the references have been secured it will be passed on to the specialist selection team at the university. We will appraise your eligibility and suitability for the programme and make a decision about offering you an interview. You will be invited to register on our application area and as this contains the messaging system that we will use if we have any queries, it is really important that you complete this registration in good time.

The interview will verify your suitability for the programme and the offer of a place at this stage will be 'conditional'. See the entry requirements for more information on interviews and securing a placement school.

The application process

Careers and employability

Career prospects are very good. Troops to Teachers aims to give schools the opportunity to select the trainees that best meet their needs. Trainees often 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 offers one to ten days’ classroom experience in a secondary school. Find out more about the School Experience Programme.

UoB-SchofEd-099-JH

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

Bursaries of £20,000 per annum are available on this course.

You can apply for a tuition fee and maintenance loan for the duration of the course and may also be eligible for financial support through the MOD's Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELC).

 

Location and living here

This course is taught via distance learning, or in a local or employment-based setting.

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School of Education
01273 643598
troopstoteachers@brighton.ac.uk

 Student views   

 Mike Parry 

Troops to Teachers trainee Mike Parry spent four years in the army and was an Army Corporal prior to joining the programme:

“When I left the Army I decided I wanted a solid career and something I enjoyed – I used to teach groups in the Army and it was something I really liked – so this seemed quite a natural step forward.  

“This course has made sense of the two years I spent at university and, frankly, I don’t know where I would be now if the Troops to Teachers course didn’t exist. It has worked out perfectly for me.

“The uni side is brilliant and keeps me topped up with information – it’s a really relaxing way to work and a really good way of studying.

“When you leave the forces there are a lot of jobs you can go into, but there are very few careers. That’s what I was looking for: something that had a long-term future, as well as being something I enjoyed.”

When asked how he felt having spent four years in the Army and then going back to studying Mike didn’t hesitate: “I love it.”  

Mike Parry portrait

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