United Kingdom’s New Regulations

Thank you for choosing My Teacher Recruitment Portal (MTRP) to assist in securing the best suited teaching position in the United Kingdom. Following the latest changes in the United Kingdom’s regulations for teacher’s which state;

“From February 1, 2023, teachers who qualified in the following nine countries (listed below) will also be able to apply to the QTR through the TRA.

“This change is part of the launch of a new service.

“Teachers from all eligible countries will have to show they meet a consistent set of criteria for the award of the QTS. Over time, this route will be opened to qualified teachers from every country outside the UK.

“To apply for assessment – only QTS, you do not need a formal teacher training qualification.

“However, you must have: a minimum of two years teaching experience, a first (bachelor’s) degree from a UK or non-UK university, an English language qualification which is the same standard as a grade four General Certificate of Secondary Education, a maths qualification which is the same standard as a grade four GCSE to teach children aged three to 11 in primary school, a physics, chemistry or biology (science) qualification which is the same standard as a grade four GCSE.”

Teachers who qualified outside the UK can work in English schools for up to 4 years without QTS. However, obtaining QTS will make it easier for you to find work and develop your career as a teacher.

Changes to eligibility for QTS

From 1 February 2023, applicants with a teaching qualification from the following countries and regions will be able to use the new service to check they meet the requirements for QTS and apply:

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • the EEA
  • Gibraltar
  • Hong Kong
  • New Zealand
  • Northern Ireland
  • Scotland
  • Switzerland
  • Ukraine
  • the USA

In addition, applicants with a subject specialism in languages, mathematics or science and a teaching qualification to teach 11 to 16 year olds from the following 7 countries will be able to use the service to check if they meet the requirements for QTS and apply:

  • Ghana
  • India
  • Jamaica
  • Nigeria
  • Singapore
  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe

These countries have been selected for our initial launch because our research shows:

  • teachers from these countries already have a substantial presence in the UK as valued members of the teaching workforce
  • there is an established interest in teaching in England in these countries
  • we have strong educational ties with the country in question

The body responsible for awarding QTS will continue to be the Teaching Regulation Agency.

Restricting subject eligibility in some countries

To ensure we offer an efficient and consistent service to all applicants for QTS and prioritise the subject specialisms most needed by schools in England, we have decided to temporarily restrict subject eligibility. This will allow us to handle applications in a timely manner when we receive them.

We will provide an update on our plans to open the service to other subject specialisms by May 2023.

Rest of world

By the end of 2023, it’s our intention that teachers from every country in the world will be able to use the new service to check their eligibility and apply for QTS. We cannot currently give you details of documents needed for countries which are not able to use the service.

We plan to provide updates about using the service for the rest of the world by May 2023.

Qualifications and experience you’ll need

We will award overseas teachers QTS based on an assessment of each individual’s qualifications and experience against set requirements. You will be guided through the documents you need to submit as part of the application.

From 1 February 2023, to be awarded QTS as a non-UK teacher, you must:

  • have an undergraduate degree of the same academic standard as a UK bachelor’s degree, as verified by UK ENIC
  • 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 to teach children aged between 5 and 16 years
  • have at least one school year (a minimum of 9 months including school holidays but excluding time out taken for any other reason) of professional experience working as a teacher after qualifying
  • 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

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 or in one of the exempt nationalities
  • been taught in English at undergraduate level (or higher) – you will need to provide evidence that English has been the medium of instruction (MOI) of your degree
  • sat a CEFR B2 level English language test at a secure English language test (SELT) provider and met a CEFR B2 level of English proficiency

A B2 level is equivalent to the following test scores from the approved English language test providers:

  • IELTS SELT Consortium – 5.5
  • LanguageCert – 33/50
  • Pearson – 59
  • Trinity College London – Pass
  • PSI Services (UK) Ltd – Pass

If you are a teacher with a qualification from Ghana, India, Jamaica, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa or Zimbabwe, 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

Mathematics and science qualifications

In future, we intend to ask overseas teachers applying for QTS for evidence that they hold a:

  • mathematics qualification which meets the same standard as GCSE grade 4
  • science qualification which meets the same standard as GCSE grade 4 (for teaching primary school)

We know from research that applicants find it difficult to provide this evidence. We plan to introduce these criteria later, at the end of 2023. This will allow us to learn how best to support applicants to meet them.

Overseas teachers who no longer meet the criteria for QTS under the new system

Some overseas teachers who have up until now been eligible to apply to the Teaching Regulation Agency for QTS may no longer meet the requirements for training and experience.

Our user research indicates that previously eligible teachers who lack the necessary training and experience can struggle in English schools. We believe it will be fairer for both schools and teachers to set a consistent criteria for all applicants for QTS.

Teachers who do not meet the criteria for QTS can obtain it by applying to train to teach in England.

Additional support for overseas teachers

Once awarded QTS, overseas teachers who come to England with less than 2 school years’ experience will complete statutory induction and undertake development support based on the Early Career Framework.

International qualified teacher status (iQTS)

Apply for qualified teacher status in England will complement international qualified teacher status (iQTS).

iQTS is suitable for aspiring or inexperienced teachers who are located outside of England and who wish to train abroad to English standards with a DfE-accredited teacher training provider. iQTS is recognised by the UK government as meeting the same standards as English qualified teacher status, and if successfully completed, leads to QTS.

Providers who wish to offer iQTS can apply to become an iQTS provider for delivery in academic year 2023 to 2024. To be eligible to apply, providers must already be accredited by DfE to offer initial teacher training courses leading to QTS.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales

Exceptions apply to the devolved nations. Teachers who qualified in Scotland and Northern Ireland will not need to demonstrate the same criteria as teachers using the apply for qualified teacher status in England service. They will only need to supply evidence of their teaching qualification to the Teaching Regulation Agency. Teachers who qualified in Wales will continue to hold QTS automatically.

There are separate processes for teachers from overseas who are looking to work in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.