Teaching in Wales
Many of the entry requirements for England apply in Wales, but the following are specific differences in initial teacher training (ITT) at university schools of education in Wales:
If you are undertaking teacher training in Wales, you are not required to sit skills tests in order to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS) or to complete your induction year. This applies even if you go on to teach outside Wales. Contact your chosen ITT provider for more information.
ITT courses are offered in HE institutions across Wales. Details are available from the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) .
Teacher Training & Education in Wales and Welsh Assembly Government - Education and Skills are good sources of general information for teaching in Wales.
You do not have to be a Welsh speaker to undertake initial teacher training (ITT) in Wales, as there are both English and Welsh-speaking schools in Wales. However, in a Welsh-speaking school, the ability to teach through the medium of Welsh will normally be necessary. Also, if you are studying on a PGCE primary course in Wales, it is highly likely that you will be required to learn Welsh to at least a basic level, as Welsh is a core subject throughout school to Key Stage 4.
At many institutions offering secondary courses, you will probably be offered the opportunity to learn Welsh. You may, of course, also choose to undertake your ITT course through the medium of Welsh.
Institutions offering PGCE courses in Wales participate in the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) and you can search on the website for courses available throughout Wales in the full range of subjects and age groups.
Welsh-medium courses are available at:
You can apply for the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), employment-based ITT, in Wales by downloading the application forms from Teacher Training & Education in Wales . Both funded and unfunded places are available.
For trainees starting PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) courses in 2011, the package of funding available in Wales is as follows:
Fees can vary but the maximum fee that can be charged has been capped at £3,375. Prospective students can apply for a tuition fee loan provided by the Student Finance Company. Loans for fees and maintenance do not need to be paid back until the course is completed and graduates are earning over £15,000.
A means-tested Welsh Assembly learning grant/maintenance grant may be available, prospective PGCE students should contact their Student Finance Company for advice.
Student teachers on the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) in Wales receive a salary from their school. This will be at least equal to the minimum point on the unqualified teacher pay scale, but schools may choose to pay more.
Other sources may include:
Schools in Wales follow broadly the same national curriculum and are structured in the same way as schools in England (see teacher training for more details). Briefly, the system is split into:
However, a notable difference in the Welsh school system is that it specifies that all subjects should be taught from a Welsh perspective or have some kind of Welsh dimension. This is in such a way as to give all pupils the opportunity to learn about the cultural, environmental, historical and linguistic characteristics of Wales in all its variety. A revised curriculum for 3-19 year olds in Wales was implemented in September 2008, which has a greater focus on skills. See the Welsh Assembly Government - Education and Skills for more information.
The Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification has been available to learners across Wales since September 2007 and is now offered in at least 90 institutions. It combines personal development skills with existing qualifications like A levels, NVQs and GCSEs to make one wider award that is valued by employers and universities.
The Welsh Assembly Government introduced the Welsh Baccalaureate to transform learning for young people in Wales. It gives broader experiences than traditional learning programmes, to suit the diverse needs of young people. It can be studied in English or Welsh, or a combination of the two languages.
To research schools in Wales, visit the Estyn website.
To teach in maintained schools in Wales as a newly qualified teacher (NQT), you must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) . If you have trained in Wales, you do not have to pass the literacy, numeracy and ICT skills tests in order to gain qualified teacher status (QTS), even if you go on to teach in England, although this may change in future.
Obtaining a primary job in Wales is currently very competitive and a high proportion of NQTs are in supply work obtained either directly from schools or through teacher recruitment agencies.
First tier highest recruitment priority:
Second tier priority:
Vacancies are advertised in:
Full details of teacher recruitment policies for LAs in Wales are available from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) .
NQTs can count term-length periods of supply teaching towards their induction, which should be completed within five years from the date of gaining QTS.
More information on teaching in Wales can be found on the Teacher Training & Education in Wales website.
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