The Department for Education (DfE) is developing a fairer approach to awarding qualified teacher status (QTS).
A professional recognition service, called Apply for qualified teacher status in England, sets consistent standards so the qualifications and experience of overseas teachers can be fairly assessed.
How can I check eligibility to apply for QTS?
Non-UK teachers can now check their eligibility using this button.
Which Countries and regions will be able to use the new service to check the eligibility requirements?
If you have a teaching qualification from any of the following countries or regions, you can apply for QTS in England, if you meet the requirements:
Australia / Canada / the EEA / Gibraltar / Guernsey / Hong Kong / Jersey / New Zealand / Northern Ireland / Scotland / Switzerland / Ukraine / the USA
Applicants with a subject specialism in languages, mathematics or science and a qualification to teach 11- to 16-year-olds from the following countries can also use the service to apply for QTS, if they meet the requirements: Ghana / India / Jamaica / Nigeria / Singapore / South Africa
The body responsible for awarding QTS will continue to be the Teaching Regulation Agency.
What Qualifications and experience will I need?
We will award overseas teachers QTS based on an assessment of each individual’s qualifications and experience against strict requirements. These requirements are mandatory and must be met in full exactly as set out here.
To be awarded QTS as a non-UK teacher, you must:
have a bachelor’s degree of the same academic standard as a UK undergraduate degree, as verified by UK ENIC, the UK national agency for international qualifications and skills
have completed teacher training that meets the standard of a level 6 qualification and is of at least the same length as an English initial teacher training course – for example, a Bachelor of Education or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education
have completed a course with content that is practically and pedagogically focused
be qualified and suitable to teach children aged between 5 and 16
have at least one school year (9 months) of experience employed as a teacher in any country after qualifying, including school holidays but not including time taken out for any other reason
have the professional status needed to be a teacher in the country where you qualified, and not be subject to any conditions or restrictions on your practice
English language proficiency
You must also meet a certain standard of English language proficiency. This means you must be able to show one of the following. You have:
been born in, hold citizenship of or have studied at undergraduate level (or higher) in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Guernsey, Jersey or one of the exempt countries or territories
been taught in English at undergraduate level (or higher) – you will need to provide evidence that English has been the medium of instruction of your degree
sat a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) B2 level English language test at a secure English language test provider and met a CEFR B2 level of English proficiency
You can check approved providers, tests and scores for secure English language tests before applying.
Additional requirements for teaching qualifications
If you are a teacher with a qualification from Ghana, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Singapore, or South Africa, you must also have one of the following:
a teaching qualification that meets the standard of a level 6 qualification qualifying you to teach children aged 11 to 16 in mathematics, languages or science
a teaching qualification that meets the standard of a level 6 qualification qualifying you to teach children aged 11 to 16, and a bachelor’s degree made up of at least 50% mathematics, science or a language (excluding English) taught in English state schools, for example:
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Latin
Mandarin
Russian
Spanish
Will I receive any additional support?
Once awarded QTS, overseas teachers who come to England with less than 2 school years’ experience will become an ECT (Early Career Teacher) and complete statutory induction. This includes participating in ongoing professional development based on the Early Career Framework with the support of an in-school Tutor and Mentor.
Where can find more information and support with applications?
For additional QTS queries not covered in this information please email teach.inengland@education.gov.uk
For help with an application, if you’re eligible for QTS please email: qts.enquiries@education.gov.uk or call: 020 7593 5394