Apprenticeships are Go!

Today, the Department for Education has announced significant changes to the ways that apprenticeships work in schools, meaning that it's become easier and more cost effective for schools to employ apprentices.

From the 1st August 2025, the minimum duration of the Postgraduate Teaching Apprenticeship (PGTA) will be shortened from 12 to 9 months. This will align the PGTA with the academic year and the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It now takes no longer to train on the apprenticeship route than any other.

Changes have been made, too, to the final end point assessment which is now completed at the end of the summer term rather than in the autumn. There are no changes to the academic standards required of trainees, nor to the overall requirements to gain QTS. Apprentices, like every other trainee, must demonstrate that they have reached the required standards for QTS by the end of the course.

The changes mean that for schools looking to offer salaried training positions, offering apprenticeships has become a more cost effective way of recruiting, traininig and then retaining staff. They are a strong way of offering training in primary schools, especially with existing graduate members of staff who may be working as a Teaching Assistant or similar at present. In secondary schools, for subjects without bursaries they are also a highly effective means of recruitment.

If you're a school interested in hosting an apprentice, please get in touch with Astra via hello@astra-alliance.com. Astra is a fully registered provider of teaching apprenticeships.