FAQs

How do I contact you with an available vacancy at our school? 

When schools have a support or teaching position available, they can reach out to Grad2Teach directly via phone, email, or through the website's 'About Us' section for schools. Providing details of the position and preferred subject specialisms helps us to be able to find a suitable candidate for your school vacancy.  

What are your strategies for finding a suitable trainee teacher for our vacancy? 

Application  

• We have a pool of candidates in lots of subjects and areas across the country. Therefore, we will screen trainees recently accepted on to the programme who appear to be a good fit for your vacancy.  
• We will endeavour to advertise for specific roles were necessary, should we not have the required specialists available by posting adverts on our website, Reed and our social channels. Please let us know if we have your permission to use your school’s name and branding for this? 
• It’s often useful for you to advertise through your own channels too. Applicants found in this way are treated as referrals (discounted by £1,000 per term)  
• If you would like us to screen these candidates – we can set you up with a bespoke email address for applications. 
• We’re also happy to supply you with a graphic and a link to display on your website. This will link to a bespoke page on our website. 
• If you would like to screen the applicants yourself that’s also fine with us – simply forward over their contact details afterwards so that we can begin our Application and Assessment process with them. 

Assessment  

• All trainees are asked to complete several pre-interview tasks to test their literacy and mathematical skills, their desire and commitment to pursue a career in teaching and their suitability for our programme and a career as a teacher. These are: 
• Once they have completed these tasks, potential trainees will be invited to a competency based interview with us.  

Selection  

If a trainee is successful, we will send you: 

• Their CV and personal statement 
• Their video CV 
• Our notes from their Assessment Interview  
• You would then select which of the candidates that we have sent you and we will be happy to fit into any process you currently have in place to complete your own assessments of the trainee’s suitability. 
• We will then take them through the safer recruitment process.  

Timeline 

• With three entry points onto our PGCE, the timeline for this phase is entirely dependent on your school’s requirements and the trainee’s progress. It can be as little as a term, or as long as three. 

Costs 

• Please contact us for further information regarding our costs. 
• When a trainee is referred to us to begin their teacher training by a school, they will be eligible for the referral discount. 
• You can also choose to fund your trainee’s tuition fees (£6,500). If you choose to do so, we provide our schools with a retention clause template so that they can recoup their investment through retention, effectively guaranteeing them a member of staff for up to four years. 

Trainees are moulded in the image of the school   

Grad2Teach focuses on embedding trainees within a school's vision from the start and ensuring that they uphold your school’s values and follow your policies and procedure.                                                                                      

No fee for employing teachers at the end of their training programme  

Encouraging trainees to continue working at the school where they trained is a strategic approach used by use to foster retention and resolve recruitment issues. This process aims to integrate trainees into the school's culture and operations. The emphasis lies on sourcing and nurturing trainee teachers who align with the school's ethos and encouraging their continued commitment to the institution. Therefore, at the end of their training, there is no transfer cost because we actively encourage retention. 

However, if a trainee isn't suitable for a school, Grad2Teach will look for an alternative main school placement for them. This flexibility ensures that if a trainee isn't the right fit for a particular school, efforts can be made to find a more suitable placement, ultimately benefiting both the trainee and the school seeking the right candidate for their needs. 

Local community investment                                                                                                                                    Recruiting trainees from local areas presents several advantages, especially in the education sector: 

Community Investment: Trainees from local areas often have a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs within the community. This can translate to a stronger connection and investment in addressing these challenges, benefiting both the trainee's growth and the community's development. 

Cultural Understanding: Being from the local area often means familiarity with the cultural nuances, which can significantly impact interactions with students, parents, and the broader community. This understanding fosters better communication and engagement. 

Long-term Commitment: Trainees recruited locally may have a higher likelihood of committing to the area long-term. They might be more inclined to stay and work within the community, thus potentially addressing ongoing teacher shortages and providing stability to local educational institutions. 

Contextual Awareness: Understanding the local challenges allows trainees to tailor their teaching approach, curriculum, and support systems to better meet the specific needs of the community. 

By recruiting locally, Grad2Teach is not only investing in the professional development of individuals but also nurturing a workforce that's deeply connected and responsive to the unique requirements of the area's educational landscape. 

We are a National programme   

What are able to offer as a result of this:   

Extensive Networks: Having connections with universities across the country expands the pool of potential trainees. This allows Grad2Teach to tap into a diverse range of applicants who may be willing to relocate for the right opportunity, aiding schools in need of suitable staff. 

National Reach: Being a national program enables Grad2Teach to collaborate with various types of schools, including private schools, multi-academy trusts, faith schools, grammar schools, and colleges. This diverse partnership spectrum broadens the options available for schools seeking specific types of staff. 

Consistent Partnerships: The ability of Grad2Teach to maintain enduring relationships with partner schools highlights their reliability, honesty, and responsiveness to school needs. This reliability encourages schools to return to Grad2Teach for their recruitment solutions. 

Tailored Support: The program's commitment to shaping trainees according to the schools' vision is crucial. This tailored approach ensures that trainees align with the ethos, values, and expectations of the schools they join. By leveraging their national reach, diverse partnerships, and commitment to meeting specific school needs, Grad2Teach is positioned to provide valuable recruitment support and address staffing challenges faced by schools across different regions and contexts. 

                                                                                                                                                   

Experienced trainees welcomed onto the programme                                                                                      Most of our trainees already possess experience in the education sector and are, therefore, ready to work in support or teaching roles. Some have worked as unqualified teachers, cover supervisors, HLTAs, while others were qualified outside of the UK. 

Flexibility                                                                                                                                                                 

The flexibility in pricing and invoicing offered by Grad2Teach presents several advantages for our schools: 

Adaptability: Termly invoicing allows schools to assess the compatibility of the trainee and the program with their needs. This adaptability ensures that schools are not locked into long-term commitments if the arrangement isn't suitable. 

Transition Period: The term-by-term invoicing structure offers a transitional phase for trainees to acclimate to the school environment, policies, and workload. It allows them to integrate better and understand the school's expectations, potentially improving their performance. 

Mitigating Issues: Recognizing that sometimes mismatches can occur between trainees and schools, the flexibility in invoicing provides a safety net. Schools have the option to seek replacements or additional support if needed without being tied to a long-term commitment. 

Risk Mitigation: This approach minimizes the financial risk for schools. If a situation arises where a trainee or the program isn't the right fit, schools can reevaluate their options without enduring long-term financial obligations. 

100% employment rate for all of our G2T qualified teachers                                                                                     

This is something that we are incredibly proud of and several factors contribute to our success: 

Rigorous Assessment: The robust assessment process ensures that trainees are well-prepared and qualified. This comprehensive evaluation likely contributes to their high pass rate. 

Personalized Support: Providing tailored support to trainees helps them navigate challenges, enhance their skills, and succeed in their roles. This personalized approach fosters their development and readiness for employment. 

Retention and Integration: The fact that most trainees remain in the schools where they were trained or join other partner schools indicates successful integration and alignment with the school's culture and vision. This reflects positively on Grad2Teach's ability to match trainees with schools that suit their skills and aspirations. 

Partnership Success: The success stories of trainees remaining in their initial schools or joining other partner institutions reflect the strength of the partnerships formed by Grad2Teach. It demonstrates the mutual satisfaction and confidence between the program, trainees, and schools. 

All year-round entry for Phase One of our programme 

If you have a vacancy, we’ll find you a fantastic trainee! 

Three entry points for Phase Two of our programme 

We have 3 entry points: September, January and April.  

An excellent Retention and recruitment solution  

By investing in trainees from the outset, schools have a higher chance of retaining them post-training. Trainees who begin their journey in a supportive environment might be more inclined to stay within the school, reducing turnover rates. Furthermore. investing in trainees for support roles offers a solution to recruitment struggles. Schools can shape potential teachers according to their needs, nurturing a pipeline of educators within the institution. 

We train in almost all subjects 

Or exceptions are only: Dance, law and mandarin  

We can train a member of your team to become a more confident and able mentor.  

How long does a trainee’s second school placement need to be? 

A trainee teacher’s contrasting school placement will be a total of 4 weeks if completing their PGCE and 3 weeks if completing an apprenticeship. If they are completing their teacher training in primary, their contrasting placement has to be in another phase to your main school placement. During their contrasting placement, we will endeavour to swap them with an equally able and experienced trainee, so that you are not having to turn to an agency to find cover.  

What will a trainee’s teaching timetable look like during Phase One? 

A Trainee’s teaching timetable will be flexible to meet your school’s needs and will also depend on their existing experience. We would advise that the maximum teaching timetable for a trainee teacher in Phase One is no more than 20 hours per week. 

What should a trainee’s teaching timetable look like during Phase Two? 

During a trainee’s PGCE, there’s a minimum teaching requirement of 12 hours per week. The maximum for terms one and two can be roughly 16 to 18 hours per week. This will need to increase to 20 hours per week for their final term so that a trainee teacher can experience a full ECT timetable. 

Primary  

Trainees should be able to demonstrate experience across a good mixture of core and foundation subjects across the training year. Trainees should spend most of their teaching week based in one or two classes at a maximum, but should be able to observe other year groups and practitioners across the year.  

Teaching Hours 

• Term 1 - 12 lessons a week minimum (50% -70% timetable is the guideline) 
• Term 2 - 12 lessons a week minimum (50% -70% timetable is the guideline)  
• Term 3 - Building up to a full ECT timetable (80%) by final half-term if not already teaching this amount  

 

Secondary 

Trainees should be teaching across the different year groups and key stages within the age range for which they are registered.  

Within their teaching hours, key stage splits should be roughly:  

• 11-16: 50% KS3 / 50% KS4  
• 11-18: 30-40% KS3 / 30-40% KS4 / 20-30% KS5  
• 14-19: 60-70% KS4 / 30-40% KS5 

Teaching Hours 

• Term 1 - 12 lessons a week minimum (50% -70% timetable is the guideline) 
• Term 2 - 12 lessons a week minimum (50% -70% timetable is the guideline)  
• Term 3 - Building up to a full ECT timetable (80%) by final half-term if not already teaching this amount  

 

What if there is no vacancy when they are ready to start P2 at a school?  

PPA Cover: An alternative to fulfill the 12-hour requirement in the absence of available vacancies is through PPA cover. Trainees can conduct specific lessons across different key stages, simplifying their contrasting placement. This approach not only eases their placement but also releases existing staff to attend to other responsibilities. 

 

Co-teaching: This method involves pairing a teacher with a teaching assistant (TA), creating a team of two educators. One leads the session while the other acts as their assistant, and then they switch roles. This maintains the required staff ratio while ensuring compliance with a 50% timetable, as both individuals hold teaching roles. Additional hours can be supplemented by undertaking support roles.  

What are the mentoring responsibilities for Phase 1? 

Meetings with the trainee teacher 

Minimum requirement - Identify a qualified teacher to act as the trainee’s main liaison for teaching practice, development, and in-school support. 

Even better if - Assign a formal mentor(s) to the trainee with scheduled weekly or fortnightly meetings, and weekly or fortnightly observations of the trainee. 

Observations 

Minimum requirement - Complete one observation of the trainee’s practice, with directed feedback, once per half-term. 

Even better if - Have a regular observation schedule in place covering weekly, or fortnightly observations.  

What are the mentoring responsibilities for Phase 2? 

Meetings with the trainee teacher 

Requirement - Assign a regular, formal mentor for the trainee who they will need to meet with once per week. 

Observations 

Requirement - Complete one full lesson observation (an hour) once every two weeks and a 15-20 minute targeted lesson observation every week of the trainee. Ideally, the targeted observation will be carried out by the trainee’s mentor, but this is not a necessity if a backup, or co-mentors are assigned. The full lesson observation needs to be carried out by the mentor.