Graduate Teacher Programme

Why gain Qualified Teacher Status?

In England , QTS is awarded by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. To gain QTS, trainees must meet the Standards for the award set out in Qualifying to Teach: Professional Standards for Qualified Teacher Status and Requirements for Initial Teacher Training. Teachers need QTS before they can work as qualified teachers in maintained schools or non-maintained special schools in England . Teachers in independent schools, City Technology Colleges , Colleges for the Technology of the Arts and further education institutions (including sixth form colleges) are not legally obliged to have QTS, but in practice many do. If a teacher does not have QTS, they may only work for limited periods in schools where QTS is the normal requirement. They may be employed under categories such as instructor, temporary teacher, student teacher and graduate or registered teacher. Student teachers may work for up to five years if they have not yet passed the QTS skills tests. Teachers who have qualified overseas may be employed as temporary teachers for up to four years without QTS. Other routes to QTS include 'provider-based' training, offered by accredited ITT providers, such as BEd and PGCE courses, and flexible modular or distance learning postgraduate courses. Every candidate aiming for QTS must follow one of these routes and demonstrate that they meet the Standards before they can gain the award.

Teachers who have qualified in Scotland , Wales or Northern Ireland , or in certain EU or European Economic Area states, may be entitled to QTS without further assessment. Please contact the Teachers' Qualifications Section of the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) on 0870 001 0308 (select option 1 for advice).