Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership

What Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership does

The Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership (GUTP) is a School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) consortium founded in 1997 and headquartered at Sponne School in Towcester, Northamptonshire, UK. It delivers postgraduate teacher training leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Master's Credits, awarded in academic partnership with the University of Leicester. The programme operates across a network of partner schools in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Milton Keynes, serving both recent graduates and career changers, and additionally offers a Part-Time ITT route, an Assessment Only route for experienced unqualified teachers, and Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses delivered in partnership with TES Institute.

GUTP's core delivery model combines school-based placements with central training at GUTP House, structured around the Department for Education's Core Content Framework and Initial Teacher Training Educational Framework. The training programme includes weekly twilight sessions, intensive training and practice (ITaP) days, subject-specific training days, and online learning modules delivered via Google Classroom. The organisation also publishes a Mentor Bites Podcast and Espresso Shots series on Spotify to support ongoing professional development.

The business model is tuition-driven, charging £9,535 per trainee for the PGCE course, funded through UK government Student Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans, supplemented by DfE-funded SKE provision and subject-specific incentive bursaries (£4,000 for English, History, and Business Studies for the 2026-27 cohort). GUTP is a non-profit, private consortium with no external investment, a small core management team, and over 50% of graduates placed into first teaching posts within the partnership school network, reflecting strong employer-side demand for its trainees.

Name

Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership

Legal name

The Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership

Website

https://gutp.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership is a UK non-profit SCITT consortium, founded in 1997 and based in Towcester, delivering school-centred PGCE and QTS teacher training across Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Milton Keynes. It serves graduates and career changers through partner-school placements validated by the University of Leicester.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Initial Teacher Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary & Subject-Area Teacher Preparation Programs (STEM, Humanities, etc.) (EDAHAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

College-Level Core Subject Tutoring (Gen Ed: Math, Writing, Sciences, Humanities) (EDANAAAJ)

Keywords

• Initial teacher training
• School-centred ITT
• PGCE teacher training
• Qualified Teacher Status
• SCITT consortium

Headquarters

HQ city

Towcester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: GUTP charges tuition fees of £9,535 per trainee for the PGCE teacher training course. Trainees can apply for Student Tuition Fee Loans and Student Maintenance Loans through the UK government student finance system to cover these costs.
2. Bursaries and Incentives: Trainees may be entitled to bursaries depending on their subject specialisation and degree classification. GUTP also offers incentive bursaries of £4,000 for trainees joining English, History, and Business Studies for the 2026-27 course, paid in monthly instalments.
3. Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) Funding: SKE courses are fully funded by the Department for Education (DfE). GUTP works with TES Institute as an SKE provider, with trainees receiving a weekly £175 bursary during the SKE course period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership (GUTP) is a SCITT consortium delivering school-centred initial teacher training across Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Milton Keynes. It awards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Master's Credits through a one-year full-time or two-year part-time programme blending school-based placements with academic study validated by the University of Leicester. It also provides an Assessment Only route for experienced unqualified teachers and Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) pre-course training funded by the Department for Education.

Product overview

Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership (GUTP) is a SCITT (School-centred Initial Teacher Training) consortium providing Initial Teacher Training across Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Milton Keynes. The core offering is the PGCE Teacher Training Course, which awards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Master's Credits, delivered through school-based placements and academic partnership with the University of Leicester. GUTP also offers an Assessment Only route for experienced unqualified teachers and a Part-Time training route for those needing flexible scheduling. Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses are available as add-on pre-course training. The programme includes 13 subject-specific PGCE modules spanning Business Studies, Computer Science, Design & Technology, English, Geography, History, Maths, Modern Foreign Languages, Physical Education, and Science. Training combines intensive training days, twilight sessions, subject training days, and school-based placements with dedicated mentor and link director support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PGCE Teacher Training Course A one-year full-time Initial Teacher Training programme leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Master's Credits. Delivered through school-based placements combined with central training and academic study in partnership with the University of Leicester. Intended for graduates and career changers seeking to teach secondary subjects.
• Assessment Only Route
• Part-Time Initial Teacher Training A flexible two-year part-time training route designed for aspiring teachers with existing work, caring, or study commitments, allowing them to gain Qualified Teacher Status over two academic years.
• Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) Pre-course training programmes lasting 8 to 28 weeks that prepare trainees for Initial Teacher Training by strengthening subject knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, Computing, English, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, and Physics. Delivered via TES Institute and fully funded by the DfE, with an optional weekly bursary of £175.
• Business Studies PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach Business Studies at GCE AS/A2, Applied GCE, GCSE, BTEC and Cambridge National levels.
• Computer Science PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach Computer Science across Key Stages 3 and 4, with post-16 experience aligned to school offerings.
• Design & Technology PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach Design & Technology across Key Stages 3 to 5, covering food, product design, textiles, systems and control.
• English PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach English Literature, English Language, GCSE English, and KS3 English.
• Geography PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach Geography at GCE AS/A2, GCSE, and KS3 humanities levels, including fieldwork and trip planning.
• History PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach History at GCE AS/A2, GCSE, and KS3 humanities levels.
• Maths PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach GCE Maths AS/A2, GCSE Maths, and KS3 maths, covering lesson planning, assessment, behaviour management and data handling.
• Modern Foreign Languages PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach French, German, or Spanish across Key Stages 3 to 5, covering the four skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing.
• Physical Education PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach Physical Education across Key Stages 3 to 5, including GCSE, A level, and BTEC courses.
• Science PGCE Subject-specific PGCE training preparing graduates to teach Biology, Chemistry, or Physics across Key Stages 3 to 5, with general science up to GCSE.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50% of trainees secure first teaching posts in partnership schools
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• University of LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for the PGCE element of the teacher training programme. The University of Leicester validates the academic side of the provision, awarding the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with Master's Credits. Alison Pemberton serves as external examiner from the University of Leicester.
• Sponne SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead school of the partnership and founding member of TOVE Learning Trust. Hosts the GUTP training hub (GUTP House) at its Towcester campus. The school provides placement opportunities and is the primary administrative centre for the partnership.
• Tove Learning TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-academy trust comprising Sponne School and associated partner schools. The trust is committed to developing staff and improving outcomes for pupils through collaboration and shared expertise.
• Swan Training School AlliancesupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining school alliance based at Sponne School that works closely with GUTP to provide professional development and training resources.
• TES InstitutesupportingTechnology or IntegrationSubject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course provider. TES Institute offers online SKE courses that GUTP recommends to candidates who need to refresh their subject knowledge before beginning the PGCE programme.
• NASBTT (National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides access to training resources and live sessions, including sessions from Dylan Wiliam on Assessment for Learning. GUTP trainees access NASBTT Hub for professional development content.
• Partner Schools (Guilsborough Academy, Lord Grey Academy, Moulton School, etc.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of good and outstanding schools across Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, and South Leicestershire that provide placement opportunities for trainees. Includes schools such as Guilsborough Academy, Lord Grey Academy, Moulton School, Abbeyfield School, Campion, Caroline Chisholm School, and many others.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Teach First: Large UK-wide teacher training and leadership programme. Directly comparable as an alternative ITT pathway awarding QTS, but operates at national scale with salaried training model rather than GUTP's regional SCITT model.
• UCL Institute of Education (IOE): One of the UK's largest university-based PGCE providers, running secondary ITT programmes across most subjects GUTP offers. Comparable product mix (PGCE, QTS, Master's credits) but operates at national scale with university-led delivery.
• Best Practice Network: National teacher training provider delivering school-centred routes, SKE, and assessment-only programmes across multiple regions. Directly comparable in product mix (SCITT-style routes, SKE courses) with broader geographic reach than GUTP.

Direct peers

• SWAN Training School Alliance: Co-located training school alliance based at Sponne School working closely with GUTP on CPD and teacher development. Functions as a structurally similar school-based training alliance providing overlapping teacher training and development services in the same Northamptonshire geography.
• Cambridge Partnership SCITT: School-centred initial teacher training partnership operating in the Cambridge/East region, offering secondary PGCE routes. Closely comparable in business model (SCITT consortium with partner schools, academic university validation) and subject offering.
• Severn Bridges Teaching Alliance SCITT: Regional SCITT partnership offering secondary PGCE across multiple subjects with partner school placements. Comparable school-centred model, subject breadth, and academic university validation, but serves a different West of England region.
• University of Leicester School of Education: Academic partner that validates GUTP's PGCE; also runs its own university-based PGCE and School Direct programmes. Directly comparable in product (QTS/PGCE) and target market (aspiring secondary teachers), differing in delivery model (university-led vs. school-centred).

Others

• National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers (NASBTT): Industry body representing SCITTs and school-led ITT providers. GUTP trainees access NASBTT Hub for CPD content. Not a competitor but a peer category membership body that shapes standards and advocacy for the SCITT sector.

Regional players

• Marywood SCITT (Nottinghamshire): East Midlands-based SCITT partnership providing secondary ITT across Nottinghamshire and surrounding counties. Comparable SCITT model with overlapping subject coverage, but operates in an adjacent region rather than competing directly with GUTP in Northamptonshire.
• Northamptonshire Teaching School Hub (NTSH): Regional teaching school hub covering Northamptonshire providing ITT, CPD, and ECF programmes. Adjacent to GUTP's mission and overlapping in geography and partner schools, though broader in scope (CPD + ECT) than GUTP's ITT-focused offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-grand-union-training-partnership

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grand Union Teacher Training Partnership