Initial Teacher Training

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Lift Schools’ full-time onsite Initial Teacher Training in London offers a school-based route to a PGCE and QTS through Ark Teacher Training, letting you teach hands-on as an unqualified teacher while you build your independent classroom practice. You’ll benefit from two weeks of August summer school, personalised tutor and in-school coaching, weekly training sessions, and a national support network, all under a strong commitment to equal opportunity. The programme includes half-day Ark tutor sessions plus in-school work, with post-graduate teaching apprenticeships and salary, bursary or scholarship routes available. When applying, show you can make an immediate impact, embrace collaboration, and engage with the network and Summer School to accelerate your development.

Teacher Training Programme:


Classroom-based Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme based in one of our 58 schools. Lift Schools is one of the largest school trusts nationwide and we are partnered with Ark Teacher Training to deliver our programme.

You'll gain a PGCE (Post-Graduate Certificate of Education) and your QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) whilst working hands-on in the classroom as an unqualified teacher. Immediately having impact, your tutor and coach will support you to build up your independent teaching time during the year.

The Programme Includes:

Summer school - We provide two weeks of intensive preparation in August. This ensures you enter the classroom with a good grounding in educational theory and practice.
Personalised support - Your tutor and in-school coach will be on hand to offer advice and discuss any challenges.
Weekly training sessions - These sessions will take place throughout your training year, enhancing the skills you’re learning in the classroom.
National support network - ‍We have trainees – and recent former trainees – in schools around the country. As a Lift Schools trainee, you will be able to draw on support from across our trust – during your training year and beyond.
Commitment to equal opportunity - ‍We are committed to diversity and equal opportunity in our trust and its schools, and we provide a support system to ensure that all our trainees are able to reach their full potential.

The training programme itself is school-based and you will spend half a day every week in a session with your Ark tutor and other trainees from the network.

Post-graduate Teaching Apprenticeships/Salary and Bursary/Scholarship routes available.