Trainee Primary School Teachers

Train to Teach with Chester Diocesan Academies Trust

Primary Teacher Training – ages 3–7 or 5–11
Full-time, one-year course starting September 2026
£9,535 course fee | QTS with PGCE

Are you ready to begin a rewarding career in primary education?

Chester Diocesan Academies Trust is recruiting graduates to join its fee-funded primary teacher training programme from September 2026. We offer two pathways, enabling trainees to specialise in teaching children aged 3–7 or 5–11.

CDAT is a growing multi-academy trust of primary schools across Cheshire, Wirral, Warrington, Halton, Stockport and Tameside. Our schools range from small rural primaries with around 50 pupils to larger urban schools of more than 400 pupils, giving trainees the opportunity to experience teaching in a wide variety of contexts.

Our one-year programme leads to Qualified Teacher Status and a PGCE. Training is heavily school-based and delivered through a combination of school experience, face-to-face training and online learning. Sessions are led by experienced serving teachers, school leaders and specialist advisers, alongside our accredited and university partners.

Trainees spend at least 24 weeks in school across a minimum of two contrasting placements. We work closely with each trainee when arranging placements and, because of the geographical spread of our schools, we can usually offer placements within reasonable travelling distance of their home. Most trainees are placed within approximately 30 minutes of their term-time address.

From the beginning of the course, trainees become active members of their school communities. Teaching responsibility builds gradually throughout the year, from working with individuals and small groups to taking responsibility for up to 80% of the timetable by the end of the programme. Each trainee is supported by a trained school-based mentor and receives regular guidance from an experienced quality-assurance tutor.

Our cohorts are deliberately small, typically involving no more than 20 trainees. This allows us to offer a highly personalised programme in which trainees are known well, supported closely and given regular opportunities to observe and learn from excellent practice across different schools.

CDAT has strong course-completion and employment rates, and many of our trainees go on to secure teaching posts within CDAT or one of our partner schools.

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally have:

• a bachelor’s degree, normally at Third-class honours or above, or an equivalent qualification;
• GCSE grade 4/C or above in English, mathematics and science, or an accepted equivalent.

Applications from candidates awaiting GCSE or equivalency-test results will be considered.

Applicants must have the right to study in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available for this course. Online interviews can be arranged.

This is an opportunity to train in great schools, learn from excellent teachers and begin your career as part of a supportive and growing family of primary schools.

We will be continuing recruitment until mid-August, ready for successful candidates to begin their training year in September 2026.