Routes Into Teaching

Qualified Teacher Status

Three little letters that hold crucial significance for anyone concerned with teaching professionally in a maintained state school, or non-maintained special school in England or Wales. On most Initial Teacher Training routes (e.g. undergraduate, postgraduate, employment based etc.), successful completion of your training will result in the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). In all cases you will be required to take basic literacy, numeracy and ICT skills tests. You have an unlimited number of attempts to pass these tests, but they must be passed before you are eligible to teach. Once you have gained QTS all that remains is to register with the GTC (General Teaching Council) and take the first steps in your new career.

People pursuing Adult/Further Ed should check if their training leads to QTS (PGCE FE, Cert Ed, C&G)