Postgraduate Secondary Teacher Apprenticeship

Employer Information

Partnering with Liverpool Hope University to offer our Postgraduate Secondary Teaching Apprenticeship allows you to shape your future workforce. Whether you are a local authority school, an academy trust or an independent primary school, this programme offers a cost-effective route to developing high-quality, work-ready educators

Your commitments as an employer

To ensure the success of the apprentice, employer partners are expected to: - Pay the apprentice’s an Unqualified Teacher salary. - Release the apprentice for their scheduled university study days and the contrasting setting placement block that will be completed in another school - Provide mandatory school placements and assign a dedicated workplace mentor to guide them. - Fund the programme via the Growth and Skills Levy or through government funding support. Please view our Support and Funding tab for further details on funding available to you as an employer.

Your commitments as an employer

To ensure the success of the apprentice, employer partners are expected to:

- Pay the apprentice’s salary.

- Release the apprentice for their scheduled university study days (delivered via a blend of in-person university sessions and online learning).

- Provide mandatory clinical and school placements and assign a dedicated workplace mentor to guide them.

- Fund the programme via the Growth and Skills Levy or through government funding support.

- Please view our Support and Funding tab for further details on funding available to you as an employer.

Support LHU provides:

- Onboarding assistance: Expert advice and guidance from our Apprenticeships team throughout the application and onboarding process.

- Financial guidance: Clear support and advice regarding government incentives, funding availability, and digital levy accounts.

- Dedicated Skills Coach: A qualified coach assigned to your apprentice to oversee their academic progress, practice-based assessments, and overall wellbeing.

- Mentor support: Guidance, advice and dedicated resources for your wider team, including your school-based workplace mentors.

Ready to address your workforce priorities? Email: apprenticeships@hope.ac.uk | Call: 0151 291 228

...or complete the form below to receive your employer essentials guide:

About the Course

The Secondary apprenticeship will support apprentices to consider the pedagogy of their chosen subject specialism in depth. This course aims to develop and integrate subject pedagogy and theory with classroom practice and equip apprentice teachers with the skills necessary to become reflective and effective teachers of their chosen subject across the 11-18 age range.

To apply, applicants must be employed in a secondary school before the apprenticeship start date and must be in an Unqualified Teacher role related to their chosen subject specialism. Please check the entry requirements to gain further information on the necessary requirements for the desired apprenticeship route.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to find relevant employment before contacting Liverpool Hope University as we are unable to offer job roles.

Subject Specialisms we offer:

• - Art and Design
• - Biology
• - Chemistry
• - Computing with ICT
• - Drama
• - English
• - Geography
• - History
• - Mathematics
• - Modern Languages
• - Music
• - Physical Education
• - Religious Education
• - Physics

Safer Recruitment Statement.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and/or vulnerable adults, and we expect all trainees to share this commitment. All successful applicants onto our ITE programmes will be subject to appropriate pre-course checks in line with DfE requirements, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, verification of identity, and references.

Curriculum Overview

Whilst completing this apprenticeship, the apprentice will be employed in their school as an Unqualified Teacher and gaining experience within their chosen subject specialism via co-teaching experiences, shadowing, completing related tasks and responsibilities.

Whilst undertaking this role, the apprentice will be released for an agreed number of days throughout the year to complete their university-led learning on Hope Park campus. This includes further information on their subject specialism, pedological development, intensive training and practice (ITaPs) and critical practice. A timetable will be provided before the apprentices start date so that schools can agree to the proposed dates before committing to supporting the apprenticeship.

All apprentices will also need to complete an away placement in a contrasting school setting for 5 weeks. This is compulsory and must be completed in order to achieve recommendation for QTS. The placement school can either be arranged by the employing school if there is an existing partnership with another secondary school or LHU can support with finding a contrasting setting.

Successful completion of the secondary apprenticeship will provide the recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and the award of the Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship certificate. Completion of this qualification will allow the applicant to teach in a secondary environment and gain 60 credits of PGCE level 6.

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a Second-Class Honours degree in a relevant discipline awarded by a UK university, or an equivalent higher education qualification, incorporating at least 50% subject related for the following subjects,

• - Art & Design
• - Biology
• - Business
• - Chemistry
• - Computer Science with ICT
• - Drama
• - English
• - Geography
• - History
• - Mathematics
• - Modern Languages
• - Music
• - Physical Education
• - Physics
• - Religious Education

GCSE Grade C/4 or above in English and Mathematics. These can be pending but required before enrolment. Please note, we cannot accept Level 2 Functional Skills Qualifications as evidence of English and/or Maths.

Alternative equivalency tests or assessments for English, mathematics and science (where required) may be considered to meet the GCSE requirements. Please contact us for further information if you hold, or intend to apply for, an equivalency test or assessment.

All qualifications must be evidenced before the start date of the apprenticeship. If you do not currently possess a copy of your certificate, please contact the relevant exam board to order this before applying.

Relevant experience in a school setting is beneficial for your application, but not essential.

Offers will be subject to a successful interview, as well as a Health Check Statement and an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formally the Criminal Records Bureau – CRB).

Assessment

The Teacher (Primary) Degree Apprenticeship (Integrated Degree) incorporates a diverse range of assessments, including coursework, practice/competency- based learning, presentations, case studies and written assignments.   

These assessments are carefully designed to ensure apprentices demonstrate competence in alignment with the Teaching Standards.

Practice learning is a consistent theme throughout the duration of the course. Apprentices are to achieve a minimum of 120 days of teaching activities by the end of the apprenticeship. Each year will contain practice-based modules, the concepts of which will be developed during both clinical practice (off-the-job) and work-based (on-the-job) learning.

Apprentices will also participate in four Progress Reviews each year, conducted by a University Skills Coach.

Support

Apprentices will be eligible for a range of support offered by Liverpool Hope University, including:

Student Support including Learning Support, Mental Health and Wellbeing and Counselling

Library

Careers and Employability including job opportunities, career support and further study information.

Apprentices will also be able to obtain a student ID card to benefit from student offers and discounts including discounted annual gym and sports membership at our Hope Park Sports centre.

Funding

Apprenticeships are paid for by the employer and cannot be self-funded or funded via student loans. If you are unable to find an employer who can support this apprenticeship opportunity, please look at our PGCE Secondary teaching teaching course.

Maximum Funding: £9,000 (dependent on individual assessment).

For employers with a payroll below £3 million: The Government will pay 95% if the cost of the apprenticeship training and assessment for apprentices of any age, for employers who will not be paying the apprenticeship levy. Employers may also be eligible for extra employer incentives.

For employers with a payroll above £3 million: Since May 2017 employers can use their Apprenticeship Levy contributions towards the cost of the apprenticeship using their digital account. Liverpool Hope University will agree to a payment schedule and discuss funding availability before an apprenticeship course commences.

There are also a range of funding incentives for employers to access to support the employment of an apprentice. Contact the Apprenticeships Team to find out more about what they are and whether you are eligible.