Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Assessment Only Route

A teacher sat with a student

Course Summary

If you’ve gained significant teaching experience as an unqualified teacher, you may be able to get qualified teacher status (QTS) through our assessment only programme.

You can take the assessment only route to QTS if you can demonstrate meeting all the standards for qualified teacher status, without the need for further training. This includes having 'substantial' experience of teaching full classes of mixed ability learners, and fulfilling all the roles, duties, and responsibilities of a qualified teacher, in at least two schools or settings (Early Years and/or Further Education).

If you already meet the standards, instead, you will undertake a series of assessments. This may include lesson observations, providing a portfolio of evidence to show you meet the teachers’ standards, or written assessments. This will vary by your provider.

The assessment programme takes up to 12 weeks.

Entry Requirements

Those who wish to gain the Qualified Teacher Status qualification through the Assessment Only Route might include very experienced graduate teachers without QTS who have substantial experience of teaching the National Curriculum across the required age and ability ranges in mainstream schools/settings, and:

  • are currently teaching in schools.
  • are trained to teach in the further education sector, or in early years.
  • have GCSE or equivalent in English and Mathematics (Secondary) at Grades 9-4 (A*-C).
  • have GCSE or equivalent in English, Mathematics and Science (Primary) Grades 9-4 (A*-C).
  • have a first degree and/or a Higher Degree.
  • show that you can meet the Teachers' Standards for your chosen teaching specialism.

Assessment Process

If you are successful at the interview stage, a member of the University's Initial Teacher Education (ITE) staff will be assigned as your assessor.  An initial assessment visit will be planned, where you will be formally observed teaching across two Key Stages.  You will also be asked to share your emerging portfolio of evidence against the QTS Teachers' Standards. If after the visit the Initial Assessor feels that, for whatever reason, you are not ready to start the route, an action plan will be put into place in order to plan your progression onto the route at an agreed date. This will be agreed by yourself, the University and the school where you will be undertaking the three-month assessment period.  If after the initial visit the Assessor feels that you are ready to progress, a final assessment date will be agreed by all parties. This must be within the three-month timeline mentioned earlier. A complete day must be set aside for the final assessment visit for formal observations across two Key Stages, and a final assessment of your Portfolio Evidence.

More information

Further national information about the Assessment Only Route to QTS can be found on the Get into Teaching website.