Teacher training and your salary
Changing career to retrain as a teacher will mean a change in salary for many people, so it is important to understand how you can use the financial options available to support your training. We will give you advice to try to ensure you receive a monthly payment while you train.
As a trainee teacher, you will usually have access to a range of bursaries, scholarships or student loans and there is additional financial support for parents or those with a disability.
We are here to help you and the fellow 200+ Now Teachers who have joined the programme make an informed choice and offer advice on applying for the funds that will support you through your teacher training.
Tax-free bursaries and scholarships
Tax-free bursaries and scholarships are provided by the Department for Education for those training in key subjects and who meet their academic criteria.
To be eligible for a bursary or scholarship the government states, you will need a first, 2:1 or 2:2 in an undergraduate degree or a PhD or Master’s degree and be on a course that has tuition fees to pay.
The bursaries are paid to you in monthly instalments and do not need to be repaid.
Shortage subjects, such as sciences, modern foreign languages and computing receive more substantial bursaries, so it’s worth considering this when choosing which subject to train in. We will offer you advice and guidance on what is right for you.
View below the Tax-free bursaries and scholarships for your chosen subject:
Scholarship – £28,000
Early-career payments – £6,000
Total – £34,000
Bursary – £26,000
Early-career payments – £6,000
Total – £32,000
Scholarship – £28,000
Bursary – £26,000
Early-career payments – £6,000
Scholarship – £28,000
Bursary – £26,000
Early-career payments – £6,000
Scholarship – £28,000
Bursary – £26,000
Early-career payments – £6,000
Scholarship – £28,000
Bursary – £26,000
Scholarship – £17,000
Bursary – £15,000
Bursary – £26,000
Bursary – £26,000
Bursary – £15,000
Bursary – £12,000
Bursary – £9,000
Find out how other trainees in the Now Teach network dealt with their finances.
Tuition fees and maintenance loans
It’s important for you to know that trainee teachers are required to pay tuition fees but that a loan is available to cover this. Loans are available for all trainees, regardless of subject choice or previous qualifications.
Tuition fees are generally between £6,000 and £9,250. The Tuition Fees Loan of up to £9,250 means you do not pay these costs upfront. The threshold for paying back your student loan is if you earn over £25,725 per year.
A Maintenance Loan is also available to help with your living costs. If you’re on a full-time teacher training course and live in London you can borrow £5,812. If you live outside of London, you can borrow £4,168 or £3,314 if you’re living at home. (The Now Teach 4 day compressed training counts as a full time offer)
You can borrow more if you are a parent or have a disability. Depending on your circumstances, you could borrow up to £11,672. We suggest you use the student finance calculator below to find out more.
If you’ve no previous student loans and take one out for your teacher training course, you’ll only start repaying when you are (a) working and (b) your salary exceeds £25,725.
Monthly repayments start at £9 and rise to £107 if you are earning above £40,000. The student loan is written off after 30 years.
You only repay your loan if you are working. Your repayments depend on how much you earn, not how much you have borrowed. You will not start repaying your loan until you earn above a threshold.
Access to tuition fees and any other financial support will depend on your status as a home, EU/EEA or overseas student.
If you have studied overseas and have international academic grades, you will need to show how your qualifications compare to UK equivalents. You gain this Statement of Comparability though NARIC.
Schedule of payments
- Bursaries begin in September and are paid to you on a monthly basis in ten instalments. The final payment is in June
- Exact timing of bursary payments will depend on your training provider and could be at the end of the month
- Student loans are paid in three instalments in October, January and April
- Students fees are invoiced in three instalments in October, January and April
Teacher salaries
England & Wales
Minimum – £23,720
Maximum – £35,008
Inner London
Minimum – £29,664
Maximum – £40,372
Outer London
Minimum – £27,596
Maximum – £38,963
London fringe
Minimum – £24,859
Maximum – £36,157
Subject to satisfactory performance, this would usually increase to between £35,008 and £40,372 in six years.
TLR 1 min
£7,853
TLR 1 max
£13,288
TLR 2 min
£2,721
TLR 2 max
£6,646
Career Progression
Everyone’s career path is different and many Now Teachers have talked about the pleasure of leaving management behind. Others in the Now Teach network have already progressed in their new roles and were given TLRs in their second year.
Peter Jerrom became head of year at Oasis Academy Shirley Park, taking responsibility for sixth form. Anne Marie Lawlor was given leadership of career’s advice at her school, using her experience in the public sector and civil service to help students consider their futures.
Additional benefits
- Opportunities for progression – experienced career-changers have many skills that lend themselves to school leadership and management
- School holidays – while teachers tend to do some work during the holidays, many Now Teachers value the different lifestyle longer holidays can offer
- Pension – you automatically become a member of the Teachers Pension Scheme
