There are several ways you can complete your IIT: Alongside a degree or straight after a degree, as a part-time course alongside work or as a full-time course.

Alongside a degree: A bachelor of education (BEd) course is an honours degree course in education and enables you to study for your degree and complete your initial teacher training at the same time. The same applies for a BA or BSc with QTS, which is an honours degree that also incorporates teacher training. Course content can often vary according to the university or college you go to, but all graduates receive qualified teacher status (QTS) in addition to their degree. Courses generally take three or four years full-time

Straight after a degree: A post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course mainly focuses on developing your teaching skills, rather than the subject you intend to teach meaning that you usually need a degree in your chosen subject(s) before you start training. Or you can complete a School-centred initial teacher training course (SCITT) meaning that you spend more time training in the classroom, putting theory into practice and gaining confidence.

Employment-based teacher training: The graduate teacher programme (GTP) is on-the-job training which allows graduates to qualify as a teacher while they work. You can apply direct to a GTP provider who will either find you a school, look for advertisements or find a job in a school to support you through the programme. You will be employed as an unqualified teacher the training will be tailored to your own individual needs and lead to qualified teacher status (QTS). Training usually lasts 1 academic year.

The Registered Teacher Programme (RTP) combines work-based teacher training and academic study, allowing non-graduates with some experience of higher education to complete their degree and qualify as a teacher at the same time. You need to be working in a school as an unqualified teacher and the course will usually last for 2 years.

Teach First is a programme run by an independent organisation which is for high-flying graduates who may not otherwise have considered teaching, enabling them to spend two years working in challenging secondary schools in London, Manchester and the Midlands, qualifying as a teacher while completing leadership training and work experience with leading employers. Teach First aims to build the leaders of the future by providing high quality teacher and leadership training. This course takes 2 years to complete.

Whichever route you decide to take to get into teaching there are hundreds of sites on the internet to help you with your studies and lesson planning.