Initial Teacher Training - Applicants
Why choose Potentia TSH for your Initial Teacher Training (ITT)?
Potentia TSH’s ITT provision is built on a foundation of organisations that have historically delivered Primary, Secondary, SEND, Apprenticeship, and SCITT routes into teaching within Derbyshire for over a decade. These organisations include Ashbourne Dove Valley ITT, Matrix ITT, and Altius TSA. This foundation ensures that teachers commencing their ITT with Potentia TSH receive high-quality training, support, and development.
Trainee workload is a primary focus for us. As such, with our TSH covering a large geographical area within Derbyshire and 6 of its districts (Amber Valley, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, North East Derbyshire, and High Peak), we can place you in high-quality schools close to where you live and minimise the impact on workload, travel time and support well-being.
Throughout your time on either our Primary or Secondary programmes, you will have access to training that is facilitated by experienced and inspirational serving school leaders, teachers, and lecturers from a range of settings, contexts/geographical locations.
Our teacher training courses are an excellent opportunity for graduates and career changers to join the teaching profession.
Once you have completed your ITT programme, our involvement does not stop there.
For any teacher employed by one of our local schools, we support you in the next stages of your career, providing you with continued access to the DfE’s golden thread of evidence-informed practice through your 2-year entitlement as an Early Career Teacher (ECT).
Our Accredited Provider
We are delighted to be working with the University of Derby as our accredited provider for Initial Teacher Training.
The University of Derby has a strong reputation for nurturing successful, confident, and forward-thinking teachers. Their courses are highly regarded, with an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating.
By training to teach at the University of Derby and Potentia TSH, you’re on your way to a worthwhile, rewarding, and enjoyable career in teaching, where you can truly make a difference. With a rich heritage of teacher training, the University of Derby is a major provider of new ECTs to the profession across the East Midlands.
Practical teaching experience lies at the heart of all of their courses. This includes high-quality placements in different educational settings which build skills in the classroom, supported by expert mentors throughout our schools.
Our Courses
Primary 3-7 & 5-11
Potentia Teaching School Hub (Accredited by the University of Derby) is a provider-led, school-based PGCE course.
The Primary Curriculum
By studying this programme, the successful beginning teachers will be awarded a PGCE (Level 7) and be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status. This will allow them to apply for teaching posts in UK schools and colleges. All beginning teachers will enrol in the three Level 7 modules and the three professional practice modules. The successful completion of all modules will lead to the award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Education with QTS (PGCE).
The University of Derby works collaboratively with expert colleagues from across our community of practice to deliver an innovative and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all learners. The programme will equip you with the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding to have a significant impact on the lives ofthe pupils that you work with.
The ambitious curriculum design is based upon a school-based model that best prepares you to be game-changers in the classroom. A series of Intensive Training and Practice periods, following a designed model of implementation, allows for deeper exploration, application, and deconstruction of key areas of teaching and learning. Whilst on the programme, you will be supported by expert staff, including a Lead Mentor and personal and academic tutor.
The programme adopts an integrated approach to all aspects necessary for the award of QTS with PGCE and a variety of delivery modes will be employed to reflect this. Given the professional nature of the programme, much of the support during the practical parts of the programme will be school classroom-based. You will be allocated a trained school-based mentor who will support you through continuous professional development and discussion.
Placements
During your course, you will have access to 2 placement schools. This includes your main placement (host school) and a 2nd contrasting key stage school. You will be in your main placement school for terms 1 and 3 and will access your contrasting school placement during term 2.
Intensive Training & Practices
To develop your expertise in identified areas of pedagogy, you will access IT&P weeks when you work with an expert mentor to apply this learning in your schools and integrate it into your practice. This includes areas such as metacognition, behaviour management, and SEND.
Entry Requirements
- Degree - Minimum 2:2 or above.
- Grade 4 (C) or above in English, maths, and science, or equivalent qualification.
- Knowledge of curriculum, an awareness of current education issues and initiatives, and an understanding of school life.
- Successful applicants must complete an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service and a satisfactory medical report.
How to apply
- Search for teacher training places through the Find Teacher Training website and Search for Potentia Teaching School Hub, S40 1UT.
- Apply for teacher training places through the Apply for Teacher Training website. Apply for Teacher Training.
Cost
The cost of the PGCE course is £9535.
Bursaries and loans may be available. Visit the Get into Teaching and Gov.uk websites for more information.
Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE)
Once you complete your course, and if you are employed by one of our local 327 schools, you will continue to be supported by Potentia TSH.
As the Teaching School Hub for the region, we provide Early Career Teachers (ECTs) with the next stage in their career, which is the ECTE. This 2-year entitlement is part of the ITTECF framework and builds on the professional knowledge and pedagogies that you will have learnt during your ITT year.
To date, we have supported over 600 ECTs and school mentors across the region and are recognised as a high-quality provider of this by our schools.
The continuation from your ITT to your ECT years with Potentia TSH ensures that, during your first 3 years of teaching, you will have access to high-quality, evidence-informed practice and support.
Secondary
The Secondary Curriculum
Our Secondary teacher training programme for all courses is an exceptional partnership between Potentia TSH Initial Teacher Training, the University of Derby, and local secondary schools.
By studying this programme, the successful Beginning Teachers will be awarded a PGCE (Level 7) and be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status. This will allow you to apply for teaching posts in UK schools and colleges. All beginning teachers will enrol in the three Level 7 modules and the three professional practice modules. The successful completion of all modules will lead to the award of a Postgraduate Certificate in Education with QTS (PGCE).
The University of Derby works collaboratively with expert colleagues from across our community of practice to deliver an innovative and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of all learners. The programme will equip you with the necessary skills, knowledge, and understanding to have a significant impact on the lives ofthe pupils that you work with.
The ambitious curriculum design is based upon a school-based model that best prepares you to be game-changers in the classroom. A series of Intensive Training and Practice periods, following a designed model of implementation, allows for deeper exploration, application, and deconstruction of key areas of teaching and learning. Whilst on the programme you will be supported by expert staff, including a Lead Mentor and personal and academic tutor.
The programme adopts an integrated approach to all aspects necessary for the award of QTS with PGCE and a variety of delivery modes will be employed to reflect this. Given the professional nature of the programme, much of the support during the practical parts of the programme will be school classroom-based. You will be allocated a trained school-based subject specialist mentor who will support you through continuous professional development and discussion.
Placements
Beginning Teachers (BTs) will spend both secondary school placements in two of our secondary schools across Derbyshire. All placements are arranged by Potentia TSH, you will not be expected to find your placement. Where possible, we aim to assign BTs geographically close to their placement school. We do this to ensure minimal travel time for BTs, minimise workload pressures, and support well-being.
The schools we work with within our region have a history of training secondary teachers to a high standard. They are also heavily involved in providing recruitment pathways, either at their school or through their Academy Trust or Federation.
You will spend the majority of the autumn and summer terms with your main school placement and the spring term with your second school placement. You will also have the opportunity to experience a special school and a bespoke placement based on individual needs.
Find out more about how school placements work
Subjects
The subjects that we are offering for 24/25 (and their DfE Apply course codes) are:
- Biology (G405)
- Business Studies (M865)
- Chemistry (R664)
- Computing (M063)
- Design and technology (P012)
- English (N673)
- Geography (T803)
- History (R336)
- Mathematics (G871)
- Physical Education (H705)
- Physics (G968)
- Psychology (R637)
- Religious education (Q613)
Entry Requirements
- Degree - Minimum 2:2 degree in your subject
- GCSE - Grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths, or equivalent qualification
- Knowledge of curriculum, an awareness of current education issues and initiatives, and an understanding of school life.
- Successful applicants must complete an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service and a satisfactory medical report.
How to apply
- Search for teacher training places through the Find Teacher Training website and Search for Potentia Teaching School Hub, S40 1UT.
- Apply for teacher training places through the Apply for Teacher Training website. Apply for Teacher Training.
Cost
The cost of the PGCE course is £9535.
Bursaries and loans may be available. Visit the Get into Teaching and Gov.uk websites for more information.
Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE)
Once you complete your course, and if you are employed by one of our local 327 schools, you will continue to be supported by Potentia TSH.
As the Teaching School Hub for the region, we provide Early Career Teachers (ECTs) with the next stage in their career, which is the ECTE. This 2-year entitlement is part of the ITTECF framework and builds on the professional knowledge and pedagogies that you will have learnt during your ITT year.
To date, we have supported over 600 ECTs and school mentors across the region and are recognised as a high-quality provider of this by our schools.
The continuation from your ITT to your ECT years with Potentia TSH ensures that, during your first 3 years of teaching, you will have access to high-quality, evidence-informed practice and support.
Our Training Venues
As a trainee, you will access training at either the University of Derby Kedleston campus or at one of Potentia TSH's premises within Chesterfield.
These sites provide excellent learning environments for training and study spaces that can be accessed 24/7.
Kedleston Campus, Derby.
Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre, Chesterfield.
How to Apply
- Search for teacher training places through the Find Teacher Training website and Search for Potentia Teaching School Hub, S40 1UT.
2. Apply for teacher training places through the Apply for Teacher Training website. Apply for Teacher Training.
Further Information
For more details about our courses, placement schools, or support with your application, please contact us via itt@potentiatsh.co.uk
You can visit the Get into Teaching website if you are thinking about or ready to apply, they offer free advice and support to help you decide if teaching in a primary or secondary school in England is right for you.
In addition, you can also look at the DfE Digital Brochure 24/25.
