Education & Psychology

Your route to Teacher

Subject teaching, pastoral leadership and eventually headship — with paid training routes available.

Pathway confidenceEligibility check requiredThis route depends on criteria you need to check, such as school context or household income.

Career compatibility and admission likelihood are different things

Compatibility is about you. Admission is the institution's decision — we can only tell you how to be ready for it.

Destination

Teacher

Graduate scheme

Internship

Degree with placement

A Levels

You are here

Tell us your year group to place this properly

My academic gap

Here's exactly what has to move

2 subjects to close

Current position

Stage not set · predicted grades

Target

A degree plus QTS; GCSE Maths and English at grade 4 minimum

English

GCSE grade 4 minimum is a hard requirement for QTS

not set5Not started

Maths

GCSE grade 4 minimum is a hard requirement for QTS

not set5Not started

Official requirements set by Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Last checked August 2026 — always confirm directly with the institution.

What the destination officially asks for

A degree plus QTS; GCSE Maths and English at grade 4 minimum

Admissions tests: Interview and teaching task

Timeline

  • Degree in your subject
  • PGCE or School Direct
  • ECT years
  • Middle then senior leadership

Official requirements from Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) · last checked August 2026. Always confirm with the institution — they set the rules, we don't.

Your routes in

Ranked honestly, for where you are now.

Some of these are harder than others. We say which, and why.

Qualifications

A Levels; Maths required for finance-heavy courses

Grades

A*AA–BBB depending on the university

Admissions tests

None required

Duration

3–4 years

How competitive

Graduate schemes are competitive; internships are the real filter

Funding

Student finance; paid placement years

Progression

Intern → graduate → analyst/manager

The route, step by step

  1. 1A Levels
  2. 2Degree with placement
  3. 3Internship
  4. 4Graduate scheme

Next action

Target a spring week or summer internship in year 1

Plan this route with the Tutor

Where this goes

This career has a ladder, not a ceiling.

Skilled and technical careers progress into engineering, management and business ownership.

Stage 1

Trainee

Stage 2

Early career teacher

Stage 3

Subject lead

Stage 4

Head of department

Stage 5

Senior leadership