Qualified teacher status

last updated:19 Dec 2011

The Education Act, which confirms the abolition of the GTC, became law in November 2011. Until the GTC’s final closure on 31 March 2012, it remains a legal requirement for all teachers in maintained schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and most academies to be registered with the GTC.

For more information regarding the abolition of the GTC please see the Future of the GTC section.

Gaining qualified teacher status
Qualified teacher status (QTS) is awarded to teachers who can demonstrate that they meet the required professional standards to teach in maintained schools or non-maintained special schools.

The standards are a rigorous set of statements, formally setting out what a trainee teacher is expected to know, understand and be able to do in order to be awarded QTS and succeed as an effective teacher. They are divided into three professional categories:

• attributes
• knowledge and understanding
• skills.

The GTC is the awarding body for QTS. Without QTS, a teacher cannot fully register with the GTC and so cannot be employed as a qualified teacher in maintained or non-maintained special schools.

QTS is a permanent award and does not expire. Once gained, it allows teachers to teach any age and any subject. When you have achieved QTS, you can begin your induction as a newly qualified teacher (NQT).

When you have completed your training, your initial teacher training (ITT) provider will inform the GTC of your course results. Teachers who qualify through employment-based routes, such as graduate and registered teacher programmes, also receive their QTS certificates from the GTC. The GTC sends out individual QTS certificates to successful students, welcoming them into the profession.

• email: tqanswer@gtce.org.uk
• phone: 0121 345 0140

Skills tests
Besides satisfying academic requirements, all trainee teachers in England are required to pass three skills tests set by the Government in order to achieve QTS. Trainees are encouraged to take the tests as soon as they are eligible to do so. This is generally in the final 12 months of training (or final 18 months of a Flexible PGCE course).

Currently the tests are in

• numeracy
• literacy
• information and communications technology (ICT)

For more information, including information and resources, are available from the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) Skill Tests.