Choosing a non-REPs reformer training to save money
Reformer trainings outside the REPs Ireland approved register are typically cheaper — and almost always a false economy. Insured studios will not hire you, your qualification will not transfer to the UK or EU, and you will likely re-qualify within two years to access the work you wanted in the first place.
The fix
Verify reformer providers at repsireland.ie/approved-education-providers before paying any deposit. As of May 2026, Image Pilates is the only REPs Ireland approved Reformer Instructor course in the country.
Qualifying mat-only and assuming reformer can wait
Plenty of teachers qualify in mat first with every intention of adding reformer "in a year." A year later, the local studios have hired someone dual-qualified, and the reformer slots are gone. Reformer is the fastest-growing pilates format in Ireland; the window to be first into a new studio is narrow.
The fix
If you are career-serious, combine Mat + Reformer in one pathway. If you genuinely cannot, book the reformer add-on at the same time as the mat to guarantee your place.
Picking online-only with no in-person practical
Pilates is a contact-and-cueing discipline. Online-only trainings without in-person practical assessment graduate qualified-on-paper teachers who freeze the moment they have to give hands-on corrections to a real student.
The fix
Insist on at least 4 in-person practical weekends with structured supervisor feedback. Anything less and you will learn the hard way on a paying class.
No path into a studio network after you qualify
The hardest part of year one is not teaching — it is finding the studios that will hire you. Solo private-only routes take 18+ months to fill a schedule. Teachers who get into 2-3 studios while building privates clear a full-time income inside 6 months.
The fix
Pick a provider whose graduate pipeline feeds directly into hiring studios. The Image-Approved Studio Network has 200+ hiring partners and is the largest in Ireland.
The pathway we built to solve mistake #4
Image Pilates is the only Mat + Reformer pathway in Ireland that includes direct access to the Image-Approved Studio Network — 200+ hiring partners across the country. Graduates routinely walk into paid teaching slots before completing the final exam. REPs Ireland accredited. €300 deposit, monthly plans.
See the Pathway →Underpricing yourself in year one
Most new teachers quote €25/hour because they feel new. The market rate is €40–€70 for a 60-minute group class regardless of how recently you qualified. Underpricing leaves money on the table and signals lack of confidence to studios that pay properly.
The fix
Charge the market rate from day one. If you need help with pricing conversations, pick a training programme that includes business and pricing modules.
Not checking who actually teaches the course
Brochure photos do not always teach the class. Some providers use a senior name for marketing and rotate junior contractors through actual delivery. You are paying for the people who will be in the studio with you on a Saturday — not for the website.
The fix
Ask for named tutors at your specific intake location. Image Pilates publishes the full team — Pilar Lokko, Tomas Whelan, Nina Plazanin, Aisling O'Leary, Holly Ring, Rachel Edwards, Aoife McIntyre, Amy Halligan.
Forgetting the post-qualification support gap
Months 3 to 9 after qualifying are the loneliest part of a new pilates teaching career. Initial momentum has faded, the class roster is thin, and the course you paid for has stopped returning your messages. Most providers consider their job done at the certificate.
The fix
Pick a provider that includes at least 6 months of post-qualification community. The Image Pilates Circle gives you 6 months of mentorship, community and direct studio network access.
The pathway we built to avoid all seven
After 16 years and 5,000+ graduates, we built one programme that addresses each mistake directly:
- ✓ REPs Ireland accredited Mat + Reformer pathway (fixes 1, 2)
- ✓ Minimum 4 in-person practical weekends + supervised teaching hours (fixes 3)
- ✓ Image-Approved Studio Network: 200+ hiring partners (fixes 4)
- ✓ Pricing + business module built into core curriculum (fixes 5)
- ✓ Named tutors per location with 5–15+ years teaching (fixes 6)
- ✓ The Circle: 6 months post-qualification community access (fixes 7)