How do I get Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England?

Are you looking for opportunities to work with a diverse population of students in a different country? Have you thought about expanding your teaching experience by working and living overseas?

If so, teaching overseas is a great opportunity to get experience in a new learning environment while also taking advantage of the wealth of history and charm found in the UK.

Getting qualified to teach in England and Wales can be a relatively smooth process, especially if you’re already qualified to teach and have prior teaching experience in certain countries.

If you’re planning to work in a maintained primary, secondary, or special school, you will need to apply for a Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is a professional qualification for teachers and allows teachers to work across sectors in the UK. It is also crucial to get a QTS if you want to qualify for the teacher pay scale and certain advancement and leadership opportunities within the UK school systems.

How to apply for QTS in the UK

Teachers who are already certified to teach in the European Economic Area, Canada, the USA, New Zealand, or Australia may qualify for QTS without any further testing or training. Teachers from outside an EEA-qualified state must have three years of teaching experience and be recognised by an EEA member state.

If you are working in a private or independent school you will not necessarily need a QTS. However, having a QTS can help you to secure a job, and will mean you will be on the qualified teacher pay scale. Once you are on the qualified teacher pay scale, you will become a member of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, which provides a generous pension for retirees.

Having QTS will allow you to have more employment opportunities and location availabilities, so getting your QTS is a great idea if you’re thinking of teaching in England and Wales.

Teachers who qualified in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States have to apply for the QTS before they can be recognised as qualified teachers. Candidates applying to teach in the UK with Point To Point Education must have QTS in order to secure a job in UK schools.

Applications for QTS are completed through the NCTL Teacher Service using their online application form. When starting your QTS application online, you should have a few items on-hand first:

• Copies of qualifications, with details of those qualifications;
• Copies of identification, including your passport and driver’s license;
• If your name has changed on your qualifications, legal documents showing that name change;
• Evidence that you are qualified to teach in your country of origin.

Evidence that you are qualified to teach can often be checked online. If so, be prepared to provide this information to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) so that they can certify that you are licensed to teach in your territory.

If your Department of Education does not provide online checking, you will need to supply a letter from a recognised authority stating that you have completed the appropriate training, you have satisfied additional requirements including necessary experience, and that you are not banned from teaching in your country.

Once this process has been completed, you will receive a letter confirming you have been granted QTS, and you are ready to teach in England and Wales. Once you have gained QTS, you will become a Newly Qualified Teacher, and your training will continue for one year (also known as the probationary period).

Having QTS also means you will be paid on the British pay scale, which provides a minimum and maximum pay amount for teachers, depending on the local authority where you teach. You will be eligible for performance reviews, and potential pay raises, depending on your demonstrated competency and achievements.

In the UK, your salary raises are closely linked with your performance, so the opportunities to achieve raises in pay are exciting recognition of hard work and dedication.

Working in schools in the UK also comes with many opportunities to progress in your career, including becoming a department head, a leading practitioner, or even moving into a leadership role. For teachers who are looking to bring their energy and ambition into their school environment on a new level, the Ambition School Leadership programme identifies qualified, motivated teachers who are ready to take the next steps into leadership roles and set high standards for their schools.

This programme provides scholarships and development opportunities for educators to improve their leadership skills, create a positive leadership model in their schools, and help reduce educational disadvantage for all students, regardless of background.

Opportunities for Maths and Physics Teachers

Are you a STEM teacher? There is support available for qualified teachers and graduates seeking to train as teachers in England, particularly if you are teaching Maths and Physics.

Qualified Maths and Physics teachers can register with the UK Government through STEM International Teacher Recruitment Programme. The programme helps provide teachers assistance with work visas, matches candidates with schools, and offers professional development and support for transitioning into England’s school system. STEM teachers are in high demand, and now is the perfect time to take advantage of this special recruitment programme.

Your details will then be shared with school networks who are looking for highly skilled teachers. Schools will also offer support on visas and work permits, professional mentoring and subject-specific teaching practices and development.

Teaching abroad provides many opportunities to learn about new cultures and education systems, meet students with fresh perspectives, and inspire new ideas and practices for your classroom. Who knows, you may just love teaching in the UK so much, you’ll never see yourself teaching anywhere else!

Point to Point Education can help you to land the dream teaching job in the UK. We can help qualified teachers to improve their CV and collate important travel documents such as the QTS. We will also host mock interviews to prepare teachers for the real interview and help them to secure a teaching job. You’ll even get to interview with school leaders before leaving for the UK, so you’ll feel right at home once you arrive.

Fill out our application today, and your dedicated Point to Point Education Consultant will help you find the right fit for your teaching experience of a lifetime in the UK.

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