From the 1st of February, teachers from 18 countries will be able to apply for Qualified Teacher’s Status in England, giving them the opportunity to come and work in the UK like any other English teacher.
However not everyone will be meet the criteria for QTS, so the Department of Education created another option, an assessment only QTS.
There are 4 different routes, in total, to gaining recognised status as a teacher in England (Scotland routes different).
The assessment only QTS for overseas qualified teachers is a route that focuses more on the teacher’s practical experience, as opposed to certificates which QTS requires.
To be eligible for this path, the following general requirement must be met:
- At least 2 years of teaching experience
- Have a grade 4 in GCSE English and Mathematics or equivalent overseas -for Nigerians WAEC level qualifications
- Have a grade 4 in GCSE science or equivalent overseas – criteria for Nigerian teachers are for secondary school students aged 11 – 16 years
- Hold a degree recognised by UK higher education or equivalent
Along with the general requirement, there are also teaching requirements to be met which are:
- They must have been doing teaching, not other roles in a school
- They must have taught in 2 separate schools – 2 separate classes or 2 separate locations but the same school does not count
- Show you have taught a range of young people from diverse background
- Show you are aware of different approaches to teaching, learning and school management
There are additional requirements which are beneficial but not compulsory. Full details of requirements can be found on the government website here.
Should individuals meet the requirement, the next step is to contact a government approved service provider who will provide the assessment and further information at varying fees.
On approving eligibility, the provider will supply an examiner who will then assess the teacher at their place of work (in their country). The teacher training provider can explain what type of school you must be working in to undergo assessment only QTS.
Note if you are already in UK, more training providers and other options may be easily and suitably accessible to you.
Which training provider offer assessment-only QTS?
There are many training providers inside England if prospective overseas individual are interested and based inside the country see all here. There are only a handful of providers outside England:
- University of Sunderland
- Educational Success Partners
- Buckingham International School of Education
- TES Institute
