Cambridgeshire Paid Teacher Internship

The *Cambridgeshire Paid Teacher Internship is a two-year programme. It offers an employment based route to obtaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It was created in 2015 by Teach in Cambs, which is a Cambridgeshire County Council sponsored collaborative recruitment group.

*The programme operates in Cambridgeshire, including Peterborough.

 

Who is it for?

If you want to train as a qualified teacher over a longer period and receive a salary during that time, this is the route for you. We are particularly interested to hear from existing Teaching Assistants or school volunteers who are working in a school willing to support their application. Applications are welcome from primary, secondary and special school candidates. Click `How the Cambridgeshire Teacher Internship Programme Works document below for more details:

How the Cambridgeshire Teacher Internship Programme Works 2024

 

Eligibility Criteria

You must have (or be completing during year 1), the following :

  • A degree (for secondary, your degree must be relevant to the subject you want to teach)
  • A GCSE grade C/4 in Maths and English (and in Science if a primary teacher).

If you do not have the required GCSEs, you’ll need to show that you have an equivalent level of education.

You will need to provide evidence of residency in England for the last 3 years from the start date of year 2 of the programme. This is a requirement for apprenticeship levy funding.

Programme Structure and Timeline Example

Year one

This is a pre- initial teacher training year. Interns will work as a Teaching Assistant or HLTA (depending on prior experience), gradually increasing their experience of whole class and small group teaching with support as the year progresses.

Interns attend a training session every fortnight delivered by specialist advisers and practitioners. The intern curriculum focuses on introducing interns to key themes from the ITT core content framework and other important areas of learning, connected to practical tasks and reflection facilitated by their mentor. The programme also supports interns with their teacher training application in the spring term.

Year two 

Teacher interns will complete initial teacher training (ITT) through a Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship course and gain their QTS at the end of this year (N.B. the apprenticeship year runs for 12 months from July to June). This part of the programme is delivered by a local ITT provider and will involve working as an Unqualified Teacher with some timetabled teaching, supervision from a mentor in school, and one day of training per week.

Secondary

If your degree is not in the subject you want to teach, or it’s been a while since you studied, you may be able to take a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course.

Example timetable of the recruitment process and programme:

  • Interns placed in schools – April to July
  • Interns start year 1 in September
  • Apply for year 2 Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship in April
  • Year 2 Postgraduate Teacher Apprenticeship starts July
  • QTS granted  in the following June
  • End point assessment in the following June.

Benefits for the intern:

  • A chance to build up your skills, knowledge and experience gradually.
  • Earn a salary during both training years.
  • Build a solid relationship with your school.
  • Receive support and guidance with your teacher training application.
  • Training costs in year 2 are covered by the apprenticeship levy.

Benefits for the school:

  • The chance to `grow your own’ staff.
  • Retain and develop existing high-quality staff.
  • The chance to future-proof staffing issues, in a difficult recruitment climate.
  • The opportunity to make use of your apprenticeship levy funding in year two.

Costs:

  • Year 1 – £650 for fortnightly training term time sessions, observation visits, monitoring between the school and county council, apprenticeship recruitment process facilitation and programme management. Paid by the employing school/Trust. Salary – at least national living wage.
  • Year 2– Up to £9250 for training. Paid for by the apprenticeship levy. Salary Unqualified Teacher rate 1 (July to June). Main Pay Scale from July onwards (assuming QTS is granted).

What our current interns think….

“I would recommend this approach to teacher training, especially for someone who is coming to teaching from another profession.”
“It is so reassuring to be based in a school that will support you. “
“My school is as invested in my training as I am.”
“It’s paid! I simply could not have afforded to pay £9k for a PGCE and not be earning.”

How to apply

To apply for the Cambridgeshire Paid Teacher internship, please read the `How the Cambridgeshire Teacher Internship Programme Works’ document above and the documents below. You will find guidance on how to apply, as well as the application form which must be completed fully and returned to [email protected]  before the deadline. We strongly recommend that you read through the Job Profile and Person Specification before applying. Click on the job role and person specification document and application form  below. The application form will be used as the basis of shortlisting.

Teacher internship application form 2025 2026

Teacher internship application form January 2024

Recruitment Window:

Recruitment window for 2025 start is now open.

*Please note that if you are successful at interview for the paid Teacher Internship programme this DOES NOT guarantee you a placement for September 2025. Placements are dependent on participating schools.

Contact us:

For more information please contact us using the details below:

Cambridgeshire Paid Internship Manager
Email: [email protected]

 

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