Overview

QualifiedYou must have qualified teacher status (QTS) is a legal requirement to teachtake inup manya Englishteaching schoolspost and is considered desirable for teachers in theEngland majority of schools in England.a:

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• maintained intoprimary Teachingschool
• maintained explainssecondary teacherschool
• maintained trainingspecial routesschool
• non-maintained tospecial QTS for UK citizens.
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The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) are responsible for awarding QTS. They also award QTS to qualified teachers outside England.

Schools where QTS is a legal requirement

Schools where QTS is a legal requirement are referred to as maintained schools. Maintained schools are part of the state-funded schoolschools system in England – funding and oversight are generally provided by the local authority.

TheyMaintained include:schools make up the majority of schools in England and are mostly either:

• community schools or voluntary controlled schools (where the local authority employs the school’s staff and is responsible for admissions)
• foundation and voluntary-aided schools (where the school’s governing body employs the staff and is responsible for admissions)

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Inof someState schoolsfor inEducation. England,They are responsible for awarding QTS. isThey notalso aaward legalQTS requirement.to Forqualified example:teachers from:

• withinNorthern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales
• the English state school sector, academy schools and free schools can employ teachers without QTSEU
• outsideIceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway
• Switzerland
• Australia
• Canada
• New Zealand
• the English state school sector, private schools or independent schools can employ teachers without QTS USA

Even where QTS is not a legal requirement, many schools use it to assess the quality of candidates for teaching jobs.

Teachers who trained in England

When you finish your training, your initial teacher training provider will tell us about your results. This applies to all teacher training routes and to those awarded QTS following the assessment only route.

If you’re successful, we’ll award you QTS and update your teacherrecord record.on the database of qualified teachers. Your QTS certificate will be available online from the teacher self-service website.

Teachers who trained in Wales

If you completed your initial teacher training in Wales, you’ll be awarded QTS by the Education Workforce Council (EWC). This is recognised in England and the information is held on teacherthe records.database of qualified teachers.

Teachers trained or recognised in Northern Ireland or Scotland

If you trained in either Northern Ireland or Scotland, you must apply for QTS if you intend to take up a teaching post in a maintained school or non-maintained special school in England.

Overseas trained teachers who have gained recognition as a teacher in either Northern Ireland or Scotland can also apply for QTS in England.

You can apply for QTS.

WeIt aimshould totake assessbetween applications2 withinand 904 workingweeks days.to process your application.

TeachersAll whoteachers trainedfrom outsideoverseas: thegaining UKQTS during coronavirus (COVID-19)

IfAlthough youglobal aretravel, including to the UK, is affected by coronavirus (COVID-19), eligible overseas teachers can still apply online to have their qualifications recognised to teach in England.

Learn more about getting into teaching in England if you’re a qualified teacher from overseas.

Teachers from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or USA

You can apply for QTS if you:

• have a countryteaching outsidequalification from an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada or USA
• can submit evidence that you:
  • are recognised as a teacher in the UKcountry where you qualified
  • are not prohibited or haverestricted gainedfrom teaching experienceby a professional sanction against you

Evidence can include documents which show your official status as a teacher from the organisation that regulates teachers in your country.

When you apply for QTS, we’ll review the evidence you’ve provided and contact you if we need any further information.

Teachers who qualified in other countries

Teachers who trained in a country outside of the UK, readEU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the guidanceUSA, onwill routesnormally need to complete an accredited training programme in England. After completing the training, you will get QTS and be able to apply for teachersa whopermanent qualifiedteaching outsidepost in a maintained school or non-maintained special school.

Alternatively, if you’re an experienced teacher with a degree, you may be able to demonstrate that you already meet all of the UKstandards for QTS through the assessment only route.

Recognition of QTS for teachers who want to teach overseas

ToArrangements findin outthe ifEU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland for recognising QTS may change from 1 January 2021. Check the countryhost wherestate’s younational planpolicies to workfind recognisesout if QTS, is recognised if you:

• want to have your qualification recognised in a country overseas and whetherhave theyQTS
• are requiredoing anyteacher furthertraining teachingwhich qualifications,leads checkto withQTS, theand organisationwant thatto regulatesteach teachersoverseas in thatthe country.
  EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland

UKYou ENICcan isget advice from the UK’s national information centre for professional qualifications and(UK canNARIC) giveto find out which regulatory or professional body you should contact.

Alternatively, if you’re intending to teach in an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, contact detailsthe single point of contact for thethat appropriatecountry organisationto infind out how to get your chosenprofessional country.qualification recognised.

Qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS)

If you are an experienced post-14 teacher and have QTLS status and membership ofwith the Society for Education and Training,Training, you maywill be eligible to work as a qualified teacher in schools in England.

YouIt canwill findbe outup howto schools and local authorities to obtaindecide QTLSwhether andyou howare suitable for a post and to teach ina particular subject. You will be exempt from serving a maintainedstatutory schoolinduction withperiod in schools.

For further information about QTLS and working in maintained schools please contact the Society for Education and Training.

Independent sector teachers

If you’re from the independent sector, you need QTS to teach in the maintained and non-maintained special schoolschools sectors.

There are a number of routes thatwhich assess previous teaching experience.

Learnexperience more- aboutfurther teachingdetails andare trainingavailable toon teachGet ininto a private or independent school in EnglandTeaching.

Contact