Become an English teacher

Becoming an English teacher with Ambition

On our Teacher Training programme, you can train to become an English teacher in school. You can become a qualified English teacher in one year, gaining both a QTS and PGCE.

You’ll train to teach in school, allowing you to train on the job and apply the theory you learn immediately. By the end of your training, you’ll have the confidence to teach in a classroom independently and stand a great chance of securing a permanent role.

Why is teaching English so important?

English combines the disciplines of English language and literature and is a key part of every child’s education. A report from Ofsted highlighted English as fundamental to a pupil’s educational success. It’s a subject that helps pupils learn how to communicate, develop empathy and make sense of the world around them.

To be eligible, you will need:

• An undergraduate bachelor's degree with honours, or equivalent.
• A GCSE grade 4/C or above in English and maths, or equivalent.

Please note some of our partners will want you to have a degree and/or A Level related to teaching English.

We accept international qualifications that are equivalent to the above eligibility criteria:

You will also need to provide an ENIC statement of comparability to progress with your application. For more information, and to apply for your ENIC statement, please visit UK ENIC or call Get Into Teaching at +44 800 389 2500 to get a free verbal assessment.

Please also note you must have permission to work in the UK full-time by the start and for the duration of the training programme. Unfortunately, Ambition Institute cannot sponsor your visa.

Why should I become an English teacher with Ambition?

As England’s largest professional development provider for teachers and school leaders, we believe a great teacher changes the future every day. Especially for children who have had a tough start in life, a teacher can be the critical factor in their success.

Our Teacher Training sets you on the path to becoming an excellent teacher, one who will inspire the next generation to succeed.

Training to teach English with us, you’ll benefit from expert-led training that will help you thrive in all aspects of your teaching career. Maths will be at the heart of your training, allowing you to share your love of science with the next generation.

Train in school and bring English to life

We blend the high-quality academic training you’d expect to get from a university with immersive, classroom learning.

As you learn the theory behind effective teaching, you can take this knowledge and put it into practice straight away. Throughout the year, you’ll gradually take on more teaching responsibilities and build your confidence as a teacher.

You’ll have the chance to get in the classroom and do practical lessons with the pupils, helping to bring English as a subject to life in front of their eyes.

Become an expert in English

At least 50% of your weekly modules will focus on English, providing an excellent opportunity for you to develop your expertise in teaching this subject. For context, typically other in-school training programmes offer a 30% subject focus.

Our world-class team of programme designers have created an innovative and ambitious curriculum, based on the best research from cognitive and behavioural science around how new teachers learn. Together, they bring decades of subject-specific knowledge, building a rich and comprehensive curriculum, tailored to English.

Tuition fees and maintenance loan for 2025 to 2026
All trainees will need to pay tuition fees, unless you are a salaried trainee and your school has explicitly offered to pay your fees. Tuition fees for our Teacher Training programme are:

• £9,535 for full-time study.
• £7,145 per year for part-time study.

If you are enrolled on an unsalaried place, you may be able to apply for a government student loan to cover the costs of your tuition fees. Alternatively, you may be eligible for a bursary or scholarship of up to £31,000, which you would not need to pay back.

You may also be able to apply for a maintenance loan of up to £13,762 to help with your living costs, you will then only have to make loan repayments once you are earning.

To check if you're eligible to apply for tuition fees and maintenance loans, please visit Gov.uk.

Applications for our September 2025 start are now open.

The first step for applying is to visit our partner map tool and use the filters provided to choose your preferred school partner in the region suited to you. You will then be able to register with this partner and complete Ambition's short application form - this will take you approximately 15 minutes to complete.