Primary School Direct

School Direct is a one-year full-time route into teaching. All School Direct programmes lead to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) - allowing you to teach either primary or secondary age groups in England and Wales. As a School Direct trainee you can choose whether to opt into studying for a PGCE or follow the QTS-only option.

School Direct programmes enable you to gain a school-led teaching qualification whilst working in close partnership with the Institute of Education.

We work with over 400 schools - both primary and secondary - to offer this route into teaching alongside the university-led PGCE route. At the Institute of Education, we pride ourselves on the excellent relationships we have with these partner schools.

"The School Direct route is individually tailored to meet your needs and work on your already existing skills and experiences. You're the one who sets your starting point really."

Sherine Ahmed

Primary School Direct (Salaried)

Read Sherine's story

How you'll learn

The Primary School Direct route prepares you to teach in all primary and early years schools and settings. Most of your time will be spent in your training school with a placement of six weeks in a contrasting second school. You can also choose to train or carry out a second school placement in a special school.

You will be trained to teach the full curriculum within the primary age-range, and your training will cover a minimum of four year groups.

During the year you will attend around 30 days of central training, based at the University. These sessions are where you will receive input and support and have the opportunity to meet with other trainees. You will be assigned a school mentor, who you will meet with once a week. A tutor from the University will also visit you regularly.

Subject Specialism in Primary Mathematics

We offer Primary trainees the opportunity to follow the General Primary with Mathematics specialism route. This route is ideal for those with a particular love of mathematics hoping to go on to lead the subject in the future. In addition to the training sessions for all General Primary trainees, this route offers some additional central training and school-based mathematics enrichment.

School Direct Partners

If you decide to follow a school-led route you will need to select from the following programmes:

School Direct Tuition Fee Programme QTS only

Lead Schools offer training based in school with supporting sessions at the Institute of Education. You may be eligible for a bursary depending on your subject and undergraduate degree.

• Duration: 1 year
• Fees: payable by the student
• Outcome: QTS only

School Direct Tuition Fee Programme PGCE

This programme is delivered through training in schools and supporting sessions looking at effective teaching taught at the Institute of Education. You may be eligible for a bursary and student loan for this programme.

• Duration: 1 year, full time
• Fees: payable by the student
• Outcome: PGCE and QTS

School Direct Salaried Programme QTS Only

This programme is taught through training in schools and supporting sessions at the Institute of Education. For a salaried place you must have at least three years' full time work experience (in any industry) after your degree.

• Duration: 1 year, full time
• Outcome: QTS only
• Fees: typically paid by the student, however the student will receive a salary
• Require at least three years' full time work experience (in any industry) after your degree.

School Direct Salaried Programme PGCE

This programme is taught through training in schools and supporting evidence-based sessions at the Institute of Education. For a salaried place you must have at least three years full time work experience (in any industry) after your degree.

• Duration: 1 year, full time
• Outcome: PGCE and QTS
• Fees: typically paid by the student, however the student will receive a salary
• Require at least three years' full time work experience (in any industry) after your degree.

Apply for teacher training is a new GOV.UK service where you can apply for postgraduate teacher training.

Primary School Direct Partners

• Burnham Teaching Partnership: Lead school Burnham Grammar School (Slough)

• North East Hants Consortium: Lead school Calthorpe Park School, Fleet (N Hants)

• Court Moor Partnership: Lead school Court Moor School, Fleet (N Hants)

• Geoffrey Field Partnership: Lead school Geoffrey Field Junior School (Reading)

• Maiden Erlegh Institute: Lead School Maiden Erlegh

• The Trinity Partnership: Lead school The Trinity School, Newbury (West Berks)

• Forest Learning Alliance: Lead school Uplands Primary School (Bracknell Forest)

• Teach Slough: Lead school Upton Court Grammar School (Slough)

• Wokingham Federation: Lead school The Piggott School (Wokingham)

Climate and sustainability education

At the University of Reading, we believe that climate and sustainability education is everyone’s responsibility. This is why we have set out our vision that all initial teacher trainees should be able to access training that empowers them to effectively incorporate climate education within their teaching across all levels and subjects as part of our National Climate Education Action Plan.

Across all of our ITT programmes at the Institute of Education, you will learn about:

• what is happening to our climate, how to help children learn about climate and sustainability in an age-appropriate and accessible way, and how to develop your own positioning as a teacher
• climate justice, the impact of current and future changes to our environment and climate on ourselves and others, and implications for teachers
• how to translate knowledge and theory into change and personal action through building climate and sustainability education into your planning, teaching, and children’s learning.

Visit Partnering for the Planet to find out more about the University of Reading’s world-leading work in climate science.

Applications and Enquiries

If you are thinking of applying to become a teacher, we have put together some top tips for you. 
Apply for teacher training is a new GOV.UK service where you can apply for postgraduate teacher training. You can apply to more than one school with School Direct, and also for other routes into teaching such as our University-led campus-based Primary PGCE programmes.

Visit the Department for Education (DfE) website for more information on School Direct, or contact the University of Reading School Direct administration team on schooldirect@reading.ac.uk.