Returning to Teaching

    Information and a list of course providers can be found at www.tda.gov.uk/returners
    Tel: 0845 6000 993

    Information is available on:
    •  Course providers
    •  Return to Teach Programme
    •  Financial incentives
    •  Finding a job

    Return to Teach Courses (RTT)

    Return to Teaching (RTT) courses are designed to build your confidence and update your skills, to help you return to a teaching role. They will give you the opportunity to meet with other former teachers, and those currently working in the school environment.

    RTT courses are not suitable for those wishing to convert from teaching in one phase to another. To apply for a course you must first register with the RTT programme and must meet the eligibility criteria.

    Funding

    As courses are funded by the TDA, they are free to participants. A bursary of up to £150 a week is available to participants, worth up to a maximum total of £1,500 over the duration of the course.
    The TDA currently runs up to 67 RTT courses a year, offering up to 1,200 places. Courses are limited to a guaranteed 18 participants per course, so it is important to apply early to avoid disappointment

    Course Length

    RTT courses take place over 10 weeks on average. They include both tuition and a school placement. Courses are full or part-time and are available around the country.

    To be eligible for an RTT course you must:
    •  have qualified teacher status (QTS) in England to teach either primary or secondary phases. This includes teachers who did not go on to teach after being awarded QTS. Reciprocal working agreements across the European Economic Area (EEA) mean that teachers from these countries who have been granted QTS in England are treated in exactly the same way as UK trained teachers when being considered as potential participants for RTT courses.
    If you are not a qualified teacher or you are qualified to teach outside of the EEA and would like to enter the profession, please contact the Teaching Information Line (TIL) on 0845 6000 991.
    •  have been out of the teaching profession for a minimum of 12 months. Teachers who have completed more than 30 days of supply teaching within the last 12 months are not eligible for an RTT course.
    •  have not previously completed a TDA-funded RTT course.
    •  be proficient in speaking, reading and writing English.
    •  wish to return to teaching the phase in which you are trained. Courses are not appropriate, and funding is not available, for teachers who wish to convert from one phase to another, eg secondary to primary.
    •  wish to return to teaching in England.