Designing new pathways into teaching: Widening access, representation and inclusion in school communities through teacher degree apprenticeships

The presence of teachers who reflect the diverse communities they teach is critical in shaping who feels welcome, who can belong and what futures seem possible (Demie and Huat See, 2022). Efforts to recruit student teachers from underrepresented groups have highlighted the barriers that prevent many from applying to teacher training (Kotonya et al., 2025). Recruitment challenges are also especially acute for schools serving the communities that face the most difficulties in raising pupil outcomes (McLean and Worth, 2025). While our day-to-day focus as a university provider of initial teacher training (ITT) is on those entering the profession, we wish to play our part in shaping who enters the profession, how they are supported and included, and how they are enabled to thrive within the school workplace.

This article examines how we have sought to address these challenges, sharing how we have used the new teacher degree apprenticeship (TDA) to inform our offer.