To become a teacher in Wales you will require Mathematics and English or Welsh GCSE grade C or equivalent whilst prospective primary teachers will also require a C grade in GCSE Science. If you are applying to a PGCE programme, you will also need an appropriate university degree.

Yes! Certain graduates could be entitled to up to £25,000 depending on circumstances such as your degree subject, degree classification, and Welsh language abilities. Visit the Financial Incentives section to find out what you may be entitled to. Information about funding for postgraduate Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes can be found on the Student Finance Wales website.

If you are considering a career teaching in Wales, you will need to obtain qualified teaching status (QTS). You can do this by studying on an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme, accredited by the Education Workforce Council (EWC) through its ITE Accreditation Board. 

ITE programmes are available at both Primary and Secondary levels and can be studied either as an undergraduate (UG) or postgraduate (PGCE) degree. They provide the professional education and development of student teachers, preparing them for work in schools in Wales and providing the foundation for career-long professional learning. These programmes are based on learning that is both rigorously practical and intellectually challenging.

You can study an ITE programme at:

• Bangor University
• Cardiff Partnership 
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales (USW) – which offers primary level training only
• Yr Athrofa: Professional Learning Partnership (APLP) (University of Wales Trinity St David, Carmarthen and Swansea)
• The Open University Partnership – which offers a Salaried PGCE, where you can train whilst working as a non-qualified teacher at a school, as well as a Part Time PGCE

Two routes into teaching are delivered for selected subjects by the Open University partnership, meaning you can train in the way best suited to you. 

There is a Salaried PGCE, where you can work as a non-qualified teacher at a school, and a Part Time PGCE for those with other life commitments. These are available at both Primary and Secondary levels. These two innovative programmes will help to widen access to a teaching career more than ever before. Guidance on support available can be found here. 

Yes! Whether you have gained qualified teacher status (QTS) in another area of the UK, or from outside the UK, you will need to first apply to EWC for recognition of your QTS in Wales. Please visit the EWC website to find out how.

Does this kind of job sound appealing to you?

• One that offers a stable, long term career combined with opportunities to grow professionally
• The opportunity to utilise your degree subject and share that passion and specialist knowledge every day
• A chance to inspire the next generation of young minds and guide them in the most important, formative years of their lives
• The feeling that you are making a real, tangible difference every time you go into work, and knowing that you’ll be remembered for the rest of someone’s life
• Using the Welsh language on a daily basis and passing it on to the next generation of speakers 

Of course there’s no way you can know for sure until you are actually working as a teacher, but if this sounds like the kind of job you would enjoy, then teaching could be perfect for you. 

A great way to help find out is to apply for work experience at a local school, or multiple schools, to get a taste of what life is like at the front of a classroom rather than behind a desk. It may feel very different to how you remember it from your own time as a pupil! This will also stand you in very good stead when applying for teacher training. 

It isn’t a compulsory requirement to speak Welsh to teach in Wales, although there are opportunities for Welsh speakers to improve their skills, and for non-Welsh speakers to learn the language. All teachers are expected to increase their understanding and use of Welsh throughout their career. 

We also provide financial incentives for those who wish to teach through the medium of Welsh - visit the Financial Incentives section to find out more.

The starting salary for new teachers in Wales is currently £32,433. Over your working life, you can expect to increase your salary as you gain experience and take on additional pastoral/academic duties, such as within your faculty or as a tutor. Continuous professional development (CPD) will also be offered to increase and improve your skills throughout your career.

No! You can train to teach at any age, from 18 upwards – you’re never too old! In fact, today’s headteachers believe it is important for schools to have a well-balanced workforce, with a combination of both career changers and new graduates who choose teaching as their first career upon leaving university. Having more years under your belt before entering the profession means you probably have valuable insights and experience to bring to your pupils.

Teaching is a great profession whatever you decide, but secondary school teachers are particularly needed at the moment, and especially for these subjects:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Mathematics
• Welsh (and teaching any subject through the medium of Welsh)
• Computer Science
• Modern Foreign Languages 

That’s why we offer a range of financial incentives worth up to £25,000 depending on circumstances such as your degree subject, degree classification, and Welsh language abilities. Visit the Financial Incentives section to find out what you may be entitled to.

We may be a small nation, but our innovative approaches and high ambitions make us stand out from the crowd. 

A brand new curriculum in Wales is currently being developed in conjunction with teachers, ready for teaching in September 2022. The new curriculum will give teachers more freedom to be creative in what they teach, and the way they teach it, with the intention of creating students who are:

1. Ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
2. Enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
3. Ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
4. Healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

In addition to this, Wales offers a high starting salary of over £30,000 for teachers, as well as fantastic long term career opportunities. Continuous professional development (CPD), including the brand new National Masters in Education, is offered throughout your career, and teaching is recognised as providing a stable, reliable income throughout your working life.

Professional development (CPD) continues throughout your teaching career and as there are so many different elements involved with the delivery of education within our schools there will be plenty of opportunities for you to take on board new responsibilities, while expanding your skillset and relishing new experiences.