How can I train to teach?

Whatever your qualifications and experience, find out how you can become a teacher through:

  • postgraduate teacher training
  • undergraduate teacher training
  • an assessment only route

Find out about teacher training

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Postgraduate teacher training

If you have a degree, you can do postgraduate teacher training to get qualified teacher status (QTS) – this is what you need to teach in many primary, secondary and special schools in England.

Courses take 9 months full-time or 18 to 24 months part-time. They usually start in September. Your training will include time spent in at least 2 schools to get classroom experience, as well as some academic learning.

Find out more about how to train to teach if you have a degree.

Undergraduate teacher training

If you do not have a degree, you can do undergraduate teacher training. Courses that include qualified teacher status (QTS) can take up to 4 years and usually start in September.

Find out more about how to train to teach if you do not have a degree.

Assessment only route to QTS

If you already have at least 2 years' experience as an unqualified teacher, you might not have to do any further training.

Instead, you could be eligible for the assessment only route to QTS which can take up to 12 weeks.

Find out more about the assessment only route to QTS.

Find out more about getting into teaching

Explore how you can get into teaching primary or secondary and find top tips on making a successful application for teacher training.

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