Thursday 12 May 2016

UCAS Teacher Training references

Before you can apply for teacher training programmes in England and Wales, you need two references on your application. The process may seem a little daunting and confusing, but we’ve got it covered in this blog post!

Who can be my referee?
If you’re at uni or college, or finished within the last five years, we’d recommend that your first reference is from a tutor or lecturer who can comment on your academic achievements.
Your second referee can be someone who knows you well enough in a professional capacity – either from an academic or professional background.

Both your referees will be asked to comment on your suitability for teaching.

Your referee can’t be a family member or friend.

How do they provide a reference? 
First off, speak to your referees to make sure they’re happy to provide one for you, and give them a heads up on what to expect. If they’re willing to provide you with a reference, you need to send them a request on your application once you’ve completed the following sections:


  • personal details
  • additional information
  • education
  • personal statement 

Once these sections are marked as complete, and you’ve saved your referees details, you can send your reference requests by following this process.

It’s always worth asking your referees to add UTTenquiries@ucas.com to their contacts list, so our automated emails don’t get blocked by their firewalls.

If your referees have not provided a reference within 14 days, we’ll issue a reminder email automatically. You can send one yourself within the reference section after the 14 days.

If you have any questions about the reference section, take a look at our website, or get in touch with our advisers on Facebook or Twitter.