Biology Graduate Trainee Teacher

Wanting to pave out a career in getting people excited about science, I hadn’t considered ‘traditional’ education and teaching as an option for me… but as I looked into it more and more, I was sure that teaching training with Ark was my next step!” Georgia, Ark Biology trainee

By sharing your passion for Science with young people through fantastic teaching, you’ll be giving them the knowledge and skills they need to broaden their horizons, pursue the sciences and wider areas of study. You’ll open up their futures to a vast number of exciting career opportunities.

Who are we?

Ark Teacher Training is an ‘Outstanding’ teacher training programme offering the perfect mixture of theory and classroom practice to develop you into the best teacher you can be. We believe that every child, regardless of their background, deserves to have access to a great education, which is why we work mainly in areas of low income with a history of academic underachievement.

The majority of trainees, particularly recent graduates, are put on the School Direct (SD) Bursary route. The amount range depending on the subject you wish to teach but for Biology this would be £10,000.

How is the programme structured?

You’ll be based in a school of your choice from day one, spending the whole academic year watching your students progress. At the end of your training year, you’ll have achieved the following:

• QTS (Qualified Teacher Status)
• PGCE (postgraduate certificate in education) in your chosen teaching subject

After successfully completing your training year you can progress onto our highly supportive, tailored ECT (early career teacher) programme. We will help you secure an ECT role at your school or at another one in the Ark network and guide you through your first few years of teaching.

What support is available to me during the programme?

“99% of trainees feel their wellbeing is well supported by the Ark Teacher Training team.”

We are committed to providing high-quality professional learning for our teachers. On our teacher training programme, you will benefit from:

• Your own Ark Teacher Training tutor.
• Continuous support throughout your training year and beyond, including an in-school coach and weekly training sessions.
• Being able to practice teaching strategies before entering the classroom.
• A curriculum based on leading educational research and a unique focus on subject curriculum.
• A supportive network of tutors, other teachers, and trainees past and present.

Qualification criteria

To be eligible to teach in the UK you must

• have a grade C or above in Maths and English language GCSE (or equivalent)
• hold (or will hold) an undergraduate Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) prior to beginning your Initial Teacher Training
• have a degree or A level in a related subject to teach science
• have the right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the programme (3 years)
• not currently hold Qualified Teacher Status

Diversity and inclusion

At Ark Teacher Training, we have a particular responsibility to advocate for diversity and inclusion in teacher training to make a positive difference to the lives of our pupils. We believe that inclusivity and the representation of people, circumstances, identities, cultures and ethnicities from all sections of society make us stronger as individuals and as an organisation.  

We are committed to attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce, with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We have therefore taken steps to address our own internal bias and consider how our recruitment practices are impacting diversity which you can find more information on here. We welcome any candidate requests for reasonable adjustments to the selection process in order to ensure equal access to all candidates.  

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in our academies. To meet this responsibility, we follow a rigorous selection process. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding the welfare of children, and this will be tested at interview. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.