How to Apply

You must have

• an undergraduate degree in your chosen subject area, 50% of which should be relevant to the subject you will teach.  If your degree is from an overseas institution you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC.
• GCSE Grade 4 (or C) or above (or suitable equivalent) in both English Language and Mathematics.  If your equivalent qualifications are from an overseas institution, you must apply for a Statement of Comparability from NARIC.

If your undergraduate degree is not in the subject you are looking to teach, but you do hold an A-Level in your chosen subject, you may be able to apply for the course subject to successful completion of a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course.  These courses are offered in Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Languages, Geography and English. If your chosen subject does not offer a SKE, you must meet the normal subject-specific entry requirements as listed above.

Other requirements

A five day Primary School Experience must also be completed before QTS is awarded.  This may be done before training commences, or during the training year.

From September 2020, professional skills tests will be replaced with a new system where trainees are measured against a set of fundamental Maths and English skills by the end of their initial teacher training.

Candidates who meet the admissions criteria will be invited to a selection day. Selection days will involve individual interviews with a pre-prepared presentation element and a written task.

All applications for our School Direct programme must be made online through the UCAS Teacher Training application portal.

If you have left Higher Education in the last 5 years, please be aware that one of your references must be an academic reference from that institution.

Once your application has been received by us, it will be assessed against our entry criteria.  We consider applications in the order in which they are received and for this reason an early application is advisable.

If your application has been successful, you will be invited to attend the next available selection day.

Please note: It is very important that you disclose any disabilities that you might have on your UCAS Teacher Training application form so that you are able to receive the support you require at both the interview stage and throughout the programme, should you be successful. This information is not considered when applications are reviewed and Think North East School Direct Partnership does not discriminate against applicants with disabilities.

If you are unsuccessful at this stage...

If your application form does not meet our specified entry requirements we will update UCAS Teacher Training.  We will also write to you, stating the reason for rejection and, in most cases will provide additional information on how to improve your application.

If you require further information regarding the admissions process, please email enquiries@think-northeast.com

Your performance on the selection day, as well as your application form and your referee statements provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate to us that you not only possess the potential to become an excellent secondary teacher, but also that you will benefit from the Think North East School Direct Partnership in particular.

Registration

Upon arrival, you will be registered and must bring a photo ID (passport/driving licence) with you.  If you cannot supply any of these forms of ID please let us know in advance via email.

Written Task

Interviewees will be expected to complete a brief written task, which will be shared upon registration.

Interview and Presentation

The interview will explore your experiences and give you the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding and desire of becoming a secondary teacher.  Interviewees are requested to prepare, in advance, a short presentation entitled 'My favourite area of my subject specialism' (e.g. Maths, English, Geography etc.) where they must choose their favourite area of their subject specialism and explain why it is their favourite.  Candidates will be required to demonstrate their ability to present with enthusiasm and conviction, and engage the audience.  A strict time limit of 5 minutes for the presentation will be imposed by the interviewers and the interview itself shall take approximately 30 minutes.

If you are subsequently offered a place you will be required to forward relevant qualifications and ID associated with DBS checks.

You will receive notification of a decision shortly after your attendance at a selection day.

If you are successful, we will update UCAS Teacher Training offering you either a conditional or unconditional place on the programme.

If you receive an offer of a training place, you will have ten days to make a decision.  You will not be able to accept an offer with more than one training provider.  If you do not make a decision within ten days, UCAS Teacher Training will automatically decline your offer of a place. If you choose to accept an offer of a place with us, we will write to you. The offer letter will include the conditions of your offer (if applicable) and advice on forms to complete.

Offers of a training place with Think North East are conditional upon successful medical and criminal record checks. The latter is carried out by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and full instructions on how to apply will be provided.