Qualified Teacher Status

Qualified teacher status (QTS or QTLS) is required in England and Wales to work as a teacher of children in state schools under local authority control, and in special education schools. A similar status exists under a different name in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

An undergraduate degree and successful completion of a teacher training programme is compulsory for QTS recommendation. One of the main routes to achieving QTS, for those already in possession of a degree, involves undertaking a postgraduate teacher training course, such as the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), or a School Direct programme. There are also some undergraduate degree qualifications leading to QTS, such as the Bachelor of Education. In England only, candidates must also pass professional skills tests. All candidates must have GCSEs at grade C or above in English and mathematics, and prospective primary teachers must also be in possession of (usually) a grade C in a science subject before embarking on teacher training.

All training which leads to qualified teacher status requires trainees to train across at least two key consecutive pupil age ranges, as defined in the Secretary of State's Requirements for Initial Teacher Training. The age ranges are:

The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) and General Teaching Council for Wales maintain all registrations, as well as issuing QTS certificates.

QTS is technically recognised only in the country it was awarded (England or Wales), but teachers can normally apply for QTS in other Home Countries relatively easily. QTS is also recognised by many other countries once the relevant paperwork has been completed, though many countries place a lot of importance on the route to QTS (such as requiring a PGCE, whilst not accepting the GTP). Teachers trained outside England and Wales must also apply to be awarded QTS if they wish to teach in these countries.

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