Train to Teach 

Change lives without changing your postcode!

Start your journey into teaching with Little Lever Train to Teach — a school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) programme based in Bolton, supporting aspiring teachers across Greater Manchester and the North West.

Little Lever Train to Teach was created to train the next generation of excellent teachers, and we are proud to work in partnership with the national leading training provider for initial teacher training - Teach First - to deliver a high-quality, practical, and supportive route into teaching, designed to help you thrive in the classroom from day one.

Our mission is simple: To train confident, capable teachers who make a real difference in the classroom.

What is a SCITT?

Little Lever Train to Teach is a SCITT programme, meaning your training is based in real schools, full time from day one, making a difference to young peoples’ lives and education.

From the very start, you will:

  • Be immersed in the classroom
  • Learn directly from experienced teachers
  • Develop your teaching skills through practical, in-person experience

We are a bespoke programme, purposely keeping our trainee intake small, to ensure you are receiving the support and training that you deserve. With Little Lever Train to Teach, you’re part of our team and will receive:

  • Personalised support
  • Tailored progression
  • A close-knit training environment

Ready to apply now? Applications are open between October and July every year, and are submitted via the Department for Education portal. Apply now! 

Would you like a bit more information? We host School Experience Days on a regular basis throughout the academic year. You can see available dates and book onto the best date for you. Book your free spot now!

Why choose Little Lever Train to Teach?

  • Local to you 
    • Train in a school close to home here in Bolton, or at one of our partner schools close to you in Bury, Blackburn, Salford, or across Greater Manchester 
  • One-year only
    • Unlike other teacher training programmes, in just one year with Little Lever Train to Teach you can be qualified and on your way to make a difference to learners! 
  • Personalised approach
    • We keep our cohort small to ensure you get the best training, and a personalised approach tailored to you, to support you! 
  • Expert mentorship
    • Our mentors are teaching right now too - and they’re in the classroom each day, so are able to support you with their own experiences. As well as ensure you’re receiving the most up to date CPD support.

Please see our year-on-year results from our trainee cohorts!

25/26

 

 

24/25

Key Course Information

Our training is spread across the year to ensure you’re getting training and support at various stages to enhance your current experiences of your teacher training. 

Day to day, alongside your teaching you will also work on 2 x PGCE assignments, as well as 6 x Brightspace modules to support your QTS. Further, each half term you will receive 3 webinars from subject experts across our partner schools. How does this all look? See below!

The programme runs for one academic year (September – July).

By the end of the year, you will be fully qualified and ready to begin your teaching career

Upon completion of the course, you’ll qualify with:

QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) - certified by Teach First

PGCE (Post-Graduate Certificate in Education) - certified by Sheffield Hallam University

We welcome applications for all. Although we have an eligibility criteria (more on that below), providing you meet these standards, we welcome you to our programme whether you are straight from Univeristy and embarking on your first full time career, or if you are a career changer and looking for a fulfilling and impactful role! 

If you already have teaching qualifications (either a QTS or PGCE) you will be unable to apply as our programme qualifies you with both these qualifications. If this is the situation you are currently in, we advise booking a call with Teach First for further guidance.

Eligibility Criteria Information

Our eligibility criteria for applications, if in line with guidance from the Department for Education and Teach Firsts recruitment procedures, please find important guidance below:

To be eligible to apply you must have achieved: 

  • An undergraduate (bachelors) degree 2:2 or above 
  • GCSE English Grade C (4) or above 
  • GCSE Maths Grade C (4) or above 

It is preferable that applicants completed a degree within their subject field, or an A-Level, and GCSE in the subject they are wishing to teach. Although it is not compulsory it does support with sufficient subject knowledge. If you’re unsure about this and have a question, please contact us and we can offer tailored advice for your position.

Yes, we welcome applications even if you are not from the UK. However, our eligibility requirement are different. 

If you completed education, including University in another country you must:

  • Apply for an ENIC equivalency test certificate - this is to assess that your degree is the equivalent to the same degree in the UK. Your degree must meet the standard of Bachelors (with honours) and be a grade 2:2 or above. 
  • Apply for equivalency testing for your GCSE equivalent exams. This can be done via ENIC also. 
  • You must have the Right to Work in the UK up until the August of the year you will complete the course. For example, if you applied now to start our course in September 2026, you must have Right to Work until August 2027. This ensure you will complete the course fully and receive your qualifications.

Yes of course! If you completed education and have been working in industry for over five year, you are still welcome to apply. It’s never too late to start your teacher training journey. 

However, you may be required to complete a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course as part of your conditional offer. This is to support refreshing knowledge and confidence with the curriculum. 

 

Course Funding 

There are fees and costs associated with the course, but there are also bursaries and scholarships too! So take a look below to find out what you need for your subject.

This is a fee-based training route, and therefore is classed as ‘non-salaried’. However, via the SCITT route some subjects do offer tax-free bursaries and scholarships, which act as a wage to support you through your training year. Further to this, all trainees can apply for student finance if eligible, whether you receive a bursary/scholarship or not. 

 

The total amount for bursaries and scholarships changes each academic year and is not guaranteed to increase - they may also decrease or be removed. 

It is important to note these totals are for trainees starting in September 2026 - July 2027 only. 

 

As our course is an affiliated university degree with Sheffield Hallam Univeristy, you will be required to also pay tuition fees. For the 26/27 academic year these are:

  • UK Students = £9,750
  • International Students = £15,000

You can apply for student finance to cover these tuition fee loan costs.

 

Partner Schools

Our partner schools are developing each year as we build a fantastic programme that benefits not only you, but also our local area in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. 

At present we are working full time with:

  • Little Lever School (Bolton)
  • Thornleigh Salesian College (Bolton)
  • Smithills School (Bolton)
  • Blackburn Central High School (Blackburn)
  • Tottington High School (Bury)

However, we also work in partnership and have worked alongside:

  • Kearsley Academy (Bolton)
  • University Collegiate School (UCS) (Bolton)
  • Buile Hill Academy (Salford)
  • Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School (Blackburn)
  • Hazel Wood High School (Bury)
  • St Cuthberts RC High School (Rochdale)
  • St Paul’s High School (Wythenshawe)

Have further questions, you can get in touch with the team via email or on our social media channels! 

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