Become a qualified teacher in England
Follow these steps if you want to become a qualified primary or secondary school teacher in England. You’ll need to work towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This can be achieved in different ways, including:
- doing a postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) course if you already have a degree
- doing an undergraduate degree course which leads to QTS
If you’re not looking to teach primary or secondary, consider training to teach early years or further education.
What to do if you’ve already qualified to teach and want to come back to teaching.
Check your qualifications
To start primary or secondary initial teacher training, you’ll need to have a degree or equivalent qualification. Find out what to do if you do not have a degree.
You’ll also need:
- English GCSE grade 4 (C) or above
- Maths GCSE grade 4 (C) or above
- Science GCSE grade 4 (C) or above if you want to teach in primary education
If you do not have the required GCSEs or you have overseas qualifications, you’ll need to show that you have an equivalent level of education.
Chat to us online to find out moreFind out about teaching and training
Before you commit to a training course you’ll need to decide if teaching is for you, and think about what age group or subject you want to teach.
Events give you a chance to talk to real teachers, experts, and training
providers about every aspect of teaching and teacher training. They cover
everything from funding your training, a day in the life of a teacher, to what
you’ll need for a successful application.
All our teacher training advisers are experienced teachers who can
support you through the whole process and offer you one-to-one advice.
This is a free service and your adviser will be there to support you
throughout the whole process of becoming a teacher.
Get personalised information straight to your inbox with everything you need to
know about getting into teaching including: what teaching is really like, where
a career in teaching could take you, and how to take your next steps.
Reading other people’s experiences can give you inspiration into what you
might like to do, insight into the things they learnt along the way, and
an idea of what it might be like for you.
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Go to an event
Get advice from a teacher training adviser
Receive personalised updates and tips
Read other people’s stories
Consider School Experience
Before you commit to a teacher training course, you might want to spend some time in a school. This can give you valuable first-hand experience of what teaching might be like, and what’s involved during a teacher’s day. It may also give you a chance to see a range of lessons and age groups being taught.
Read moreabout school experience
You can approach schools and teachers yourself or search for school experience in your area using our service.
If you are interested in teaching secondary maths or physics, and you are an undergraduate on a STEM related degree, you may be eligible for a paid Teaching Internship. This provides an opportunity to experience the teaching profession, gain new skills and be paid £300 per week for your time.
Search for school experienceIf getting into the classroom is not possible for you right now, you can observe teachers reflecting on lessons they have delivered on the Oak National Academy website. Although these videos are designed to support trainee teachers and are not a claim of best practice, they may be helpful if you are seeking school experience.
Ways to train
Once you know what age or subject you want to teach, you can decide how to train.
There are a few ways to train to become a teacher. Each route has different eligibility criteria, end qualifications, and funding options.
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These will depend on which school or training provider you select and the type of training they provide.
Some things you may want to think about:
- how long you want to study for
- if the course is in a convenient location for you
- what end qualification you would like
- whether you meet the eligibility criteria
- what funding you may need for any tuition fees or living expenses
If you need to pay fees, there are a number of different ways you can get funding to train as a teacher in England.
Find out more about ways to trainFind and apply for teacher training
When you’ve decided the best route for you and what you want to teach, search for a course.
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Once you have an idea of the courses available, you can do more research about the individual providers. You can look at their websites, attend one of their events, or look at Ofsted inspection reports for schools. There is also guidance if you want to teach a subject that you did not study at degree level.
To apply for a course, you will need:
- a written personal statement
- 2 references
- GCSE (or equivalent) and degree certificates
For support finding and applying for a course, you can get support from an adviser. They can help to select the best provider for you, and assist you with your application.
Before you make your application read our tips on applying.
Search for postgraduate teacher trainingAfter you have applied
After you’ve submitted your application, you may be contacted to provide copies of your supporting documents. These could be:
- your degree certificate
- your academic degree transcript
- evidence of your qualifications or equivalent
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You may be invited to attend an interview. Providers will be looking for qualities that would make you a good teacher, and evidence of relevant skills.
