Financial support to help you reach your career destination
If you are training to teach, you may be eligible for a tax-free bursary worth up to £28,000, depending on your subject. The highest bursaries are available for shortage subjects including physics, maths, chemistry, computing, and languages. These bursaries are paid directly to you during your training year and do not need to be repaid. In addition, prestigious scholarships are available through subject associations such as the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry, offering both financial support and professional membership benefits.
If you are pursuing an undergraduate degree, you can access student loans for tuition fees and maintenance through Student Finance England. For those undertaking a PGCE, postgraduate loans of up to £12,167 are available to help cover your living costs during training. Repayment is income-contingent, meaning you only start repaying once you earn above the repayment threshold, and any remaining balance is written off after a set period. This makes higher education an accessible route regardless of your current financial situation.
The Learning Academy Trust (LAT) is a levy-paying employer, which means apprenticeship training is fully funded for staff at no cost to the individual. This opens up a wide range of qualifications and development programmes, including Teaching Assistant qualifications, Business Administration apprenticeships, and Leadership and Management programmes. If you are looking to gain a formal qualification while continuing to work, the apprenticeship route offers an excellent opportunity to develop your skills and progress your career without any personal financial outlay.
All National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are fully funded by the Department for Education (DfE), at no cost to the individual or their school. This includes NPQML (Leading Teaching), NPQSL (Senior Leadership), NPQH (Headship), and NPQEL (Executive Leadership). NPQs are designed to support teachers and leaders at every stage of their career, providing evidence-based training that is directly applicable to your role. With full funding available, there has never been a better time to invest in your professional development through an NPQ.
Each academy within the trust has a dedicated CPD (Continuing Professional Development) budget to support staff development. This funding can be used for external courses, conferences, professional qualifications, and specialist training. If there is a course or programme that will support your career development, speak to your line manager about accessing the CPD budget. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and are aligned with both your professional goals and the strategic priorities of the academy.
For courses and qualifications that are not covered by other funding routes, Professional and Career Development Loans offer an alternative way to finance your learning. These loans are available from participating banks and can be used to pay for a wide range of vocational and professional courses. Repayment terms are flexible, and you may not need to start repaying until after your course has finished. If you have identified a qualification that will help you progress but falls outside standard funding streams, a Career Development Loan could be the right option for you.
