Teacher - Postgraduate

Level 6/7 apprenticeship (non-degree qualification) · Education and early years route · Standard ST0490 v1.1

Level: 6
Typical duration: 9 months (about 1 years)
Max funding band: £9,000
End-point assessment: 1 months
Route: Education and early years
Regulated by: Department for Education

Educating young people to achieve the highest possible standards.

About the role

This occupation is found in a variety of settings where teaching is delivered to pupils between the ages of 3-19. This includes maintained schools, academies, specialist schools, faith schools, and private schools.

A teacher’s primary role is to plan and deliver a high-quality curriculum to their pupils to promote good progress and outcomes. Teachers set high expectations which inspire and challenge pupils and manage behaviour effectively to ensure a safe learning environment. Teachers make accurate and productive use of assessment and adapt their teaching to respond to pupils’ needs. They will have strong subject knowledge and keep their teaching practice up to date through regular professional development.

A teacher's day will look different depending on the type of school they work in and the subject they teach. Each school will have its own timetable and different responsibilities outside of teaching hours. In their daily work, a teacher interacts with children, young people, parents and carers. They will work with the senior leadership team in their school, led by a headteacher or head of school. They interact with teaching colleagues and pastoral and curriculum leads. They will also work closely with specialists such as the special educational needs coordinator and designated safeguarding leads.

A teacher will be responsible for upholding the Teachers' Standards, which set the minimum requirements for teachers' practice and conduct. Teachers demonstrate consistently high standards of personal and professional conduct. They are responsible for safeguarding and must follow statutory guidance set out in 'Keeping Children Safe in Education'. This includes safeguarding pupils' wellbeing. Teachers are responsible for the pupils in their care. They typically report to a subject or year group coordinator in the first instance, with the headteacher having overall responsibility. Qualified teacher status (QTS) is a legal requirement to teach in maintained schools and is considered desirable for teachers in the majority of schools in England.

How it compares

At 9 months (about 1 years), it is shorter than average for a degree-level apprenticeship (the average across all 172 Level 6+ standards is 39 months).

The funding band — the maximum an employer's levy can contribute to training costs — is £9,000, below the £21,500 average for degree-level standards. Apprentices never pay tuition either way.

Typical job titles

Teacher

Entry requirements

Apprentices must meet the entry requirements for initial teacher training (ITT) as set out by the Department for Education (DfE): Initial teacher training (ITT): criteria and supporting advice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
In line with other ITT routes, entry requirements for the teacher apprenticeship require apprentices to have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examinations in English and mathematics; and ensure that those who intend to train to teach pupils aged 3 to 11 additionally have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examination in a science subject.

The ITT criteria are clear that all entrants to an ITT course leading to QTS, must have achieved a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examinations in English and mathematics. Additionally, for those who intend to teach pupils aged 3 to 11, a standard equivalent to a grade 4 in the GCSE examination in a science subject is required. Where applicants do not have a relevant GCSE at grade 4 or an equivalent qualification, ITT providers can allow them to demonstrate they meet this entry requirement by taking a GCSE equivalency test.

Apprentices without GCSE Grade C/4 or higher in Maths and English or an accepted equivalent qualification (Apprenticeship_standards_English_and_maths_list-Oct2022.ods (live.com).) who meet the entry requirement for ITT by taking a GCSE equivalency test, will also be required to achieve Functional Skills in English and Maths at Level 2 or GCSE grade 4-9 as part of the apprenticeship exit requirement.

Entry requirements are ultimately set by each employer — treat these as the baseline, not the bar.

What you come out with

A BA or BSc degree that aligns to the occupational standard and leads to the award of QTS. — Level 6 (integrated degree)
Professional recognition: Department for Education — Qualified Teacher Status

What you'll learn

The official standard defines 13 core duties, 11 knowledge areas, 30 skills, 8 behaviours. This is the actual assessed content of the apprenticeship — worth reading before an interview, because competency questions are usually written straight from these lists.

Core duties 13

Plan and teach lessons to the classes they are assigned to teach within the context of the school’s plans, curriculum and schemes of work.
Assess, monitor, record and report on the learning needs, progress and achievements of assigned pupils.
Participate in arrangements for preparing pupils for external examinations.
Contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of the school’s policies, practices and procedures in such a way as to support the school’s values and vision.
Work with others on curriculum and pupil development to secure co-ordinated outcomes.
Promote the safety and well-being of pupils.
Maintain good order and discipline among pupils.
Direct and supervise support staff assigned to them and, where appropriate, other teachers.
Deploy resources delegated to them.
Participate in arrangements for the appraisal and review of their own performance and, where appropriate, that of other teachers and support staff.
Participate in arrangements for their own further training and professional development and, where appropriate, that of other teachers and support staff including induction.
Communicate with pupils, parents, and carers.
Collaborate and work with colleagues and other relevant professionals within and beyond the school.

Knowledge 11

Have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how pupils learn and how this impacts on teaching
Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
Demonstrate a critical understanding of developments in the subject and curriculum areas, and promote the value of scholarship
Demonstrate an understanding of and take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English, whatever the teacher’s specialist subject
Demonstrate clear understanding of content and teaching methodologies required for relevant curriculum areas and age groups (for example, systematic synthetic phonics if teaching early reading, or appropriate teaching strategies if teaching early maths).
Know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively
Have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome these
Demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of children, and know how to adapt teaching to support pupils’ education at different stages of development
Have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs; those of high ability; those with English as an additional language; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them.
Know and understand how to assess the relevant subject and curriculum areas, including statutory assessment requirements

Skills 30

Establish a safe and stimulating environment for pupils, rooted in mutual respect
Set goals that stretch and challenge pupils of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions
Demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values and behaviour which are expected of pupils.
Be accountable for pupils’ attainment, progress and outcomes
Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
Be aware of pupils’ capabilities and their prior knowledge, and plan teaching to build on these
Guide pupils to reflect on the progress they have made and their emerging needs
Encourage pupils to take a responsible and conscientious attitude to their own work and study.
Plan and teach well-structured lessons
Impart knowledge and develop understanding through effective use of lesson time
Promote a love of learning and children’s intellectual curiosity
Set homework and plan other out-of-class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired
Contribute to the design and provision of an engaging curriculum within the relevant subject area(s).
Make use of formative and summative assessment to secure pupils’ progress
Use relevant data to monitor progress, set targets, and plan subsequent lessons
Give pupils regular feedback, both orally and through accurate marking, and encourage pupils to respond to the feedback.
Deploy support staff effectively
Have clear rules and routines for behaviour in classrooms, and take responsibility for promoting good and courteous behaviour both in classrooms and around the school, in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy
Have high expectations of behaviour, and establish a framework for discipline with a range of strategies, using praise, sanctions and rewards consistently and fairly
Manage classes effectively, using approaches which are appropriate to pupils’ needs in order to involve and motivate them maintain good relationships with pupils, exercise appropriate authority, and act decisively when necessary.
Communicate effectively with parents with regard to pupils’ achievements and well-being.
Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils
Make accurate and productive use of assessment
Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
Develop effective professional relationships with colleagues, knowing how and when to draw on advice and specialist support
Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
Reflect systematically on the effectiveness of lessons and approaches to teaching
Make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school
Take responsibility for improving teaching through appropriate professional development, responding to advice and feedback from colleagues
Fulfil wider professional responsibilities

Behaviours 8

Teachers uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school.
Treating pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher’s professional position
Having regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions
Showing tolerance of and respect for the rights of others
Not undermining fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Ensuring that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils’ vulnerability or might lead them to break the law.
Teachers must have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school in which they teach, and maintain high standards in their own attendance and punctuality.
Teachers must have an understanding of, and always act within, the statutory frameworks which set out their professional duties and responsibilities.

Live vacancies

3 live vacancies for this course right now:

Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) – Jiminy Cricket Apprenticeship
Horsell Childcare · WOKING (GU21 4NQ) · £12,480 to £19,827.60 a year
Closes on Tuesday 1 September 2026 · starts 2 September 2026
Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) – The Ark Childrens Centre Apprentice
The Ark Children Centre · EVELYN STREET (SE8 5RB) · £7,072 to £11,235.64 a year
Closes on Tuesday 1 September 2026 · starts 2 September 2026
Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) – Abacus Ark - Apprentice
Abacus Ark · London (SW11 1SH) · £16,640 to £26,436.80 a year
Closes on Tuesday 1 September 2026 · starts 2 September 2026

Live adverts from the government's Find an apprenticeship service, checked 2026-07-24. Closing dates move fast — apply on the official service.

Universities registered to deliver it

21 universities are on the government provider register for this standard. Registration means they can deliver it — live vacancies depend on employer partnerships each recruitment cycle.

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Official sources

Occupational summary, duties, knowledge, skills and behaviours reproduced from the ST0490 apprenticeship standard (last updated 2025-08-05) — contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Always check the official page before applying: standards get revised.