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School Teacher

Regulators
  • Teaching Regulation Agency
  • Secretary of State for Education
Nations
  • England
Sectors
  • Education

Regulatory or professional bodies

Primary regulator

Regulatory authority
Teaching Regulation Agency
Address

5 Quinton Road
Coventry
CV1 2WT

Phone number
+44 (0)2075 935 394

Additional regulator

Regulatory authority
Secretary of State for Education
Address

Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT

Phone number
+44 (0)3700 002 288

Regulation

Regulation summary

Teaching work (known as specified work), as an activity, is regulated by law through the Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012/762. Section 133 of the Education Act 2002 provides the power for the Secretary of State to make these regulations. Teachers practicing this activity are subject to disciplinary regulations set out in section 141B and 141C of the Education Act 2002, and the Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) has responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession. This includes teacher misconduct hearings and the maintenance of a record of teachers, trainee teachers and those who hold a teacher reference number.

The Education (School Teachers' Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003, and later amendments, are the basis for the recognition of teachers in England. TRA acts on behalf of the Secretary of State as the competent authority for teaching in England. The role includes the recognition of the professional status of appropriately qualified teachers from outside England and the award of qualified teacher status (QTS).

Regulation type

Licence

Reserved activities

Regulation 5 of the Education Act 2002, lists the activities which are classed as specified work for the purposes of teaching in a school maintained by a local authority - which includes a maintained nursery - and a special school not so maintained:

• planning and preparing lessons and courses for pupils
• delivering lessons to pupils
• assessing the development, progress and attainment of pupils
• reporting on the development, progress and attainment of pupils

Protected titles

Not applicable.

More about regulated activities and titles
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/560/contents/made

Qualifications and experience

New professionals

Routes to qualification

In order to teach as a qualified teacher in maintained schools and non-maintained special schools in England, a teacher must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The main internal routes to QTS in England are:
• Initial Teacher Training (ITT) course (comprising an Undergraduate or Post Graduate ITT)
• Experienced teachers from overseas

Initial Teacher Training
An undergraduate ITT normally lasting 3 to 4 years, that enables them to achieve QTS whilst completing a degree. Undergraduate ITT courses can offer 3 types of degree qualifications: Bachelor of Education (BEd), Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc).

A Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is a one- or two-year academic qualification. Entrants to postgraduate ITT courses are required to have a degree (or equivalent qualification) and must demonstrate GCSE grade C/4 (or standard equivalent) in English, Maths and, for primary teachers only, a science subject.

Both routes require the successful completion of an ITT course. For more information about applying for an ITT course in England, please visit www.gov.uk/apply-for-teacher-training.

A graduate with QTS from either route, is called an Early Career Teacher (ECT) and must complete a statutory 2-year induction (professional practice) period as a transition from their ITT to their career in teaching.

ITT training providers must be accredited by the Department for Education (DfE). All teacher training courses must deliver:
• QTS
• classroom experience in at least 2 schools – a minimum of 24 weeks of school experience
• training to meet the Teachers’ Standards (the Teachers’ Standards define the DfE’s minimum expectations of teachers’ professional practice and personal conduct and provide a benchmark for teaching practice and personal conduct)

Experienced teachers from overseas
Experienced teachers can also gain QTS by undergoing an assessment only route, demonstrating that they already meet the standards for QTS (with no further training needed).

For more information, please contact Get Into Teaching on 0800 389 2500, or visit

Professionals from other UK nations

Routes to recognition within the UK

Teachers trained in Scotland and Northern Ireland must apply for QTS if you intend to take up a teaching post in a maintained school or non-maintained special school in England.

Teachers who completed their ITT in Wales will be awarded QTS by the Education Workforce Council (EWC). This is recognised in England by TRA and the information is held on teacher records.

Professionals from outside the UK

Recognition for professionals outside the UK
Some - qualifications from some countries may be recognised, but professionals from other countries will have to re-qualify
Summary of routes

Teachers trained and formerly recognised as teachers within a European Economic Area (EEA) member state, Australia, Canada, Ghana, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Jersey, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, United States of America (USA) and Ukraine are also eligible to apply for automatic professional recognition in England without the requirement to undertake any additional training or assessment in England.

Teachers from the above eligible countries should apply to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) for qualified teacher status (QTS), https://teacherservices.education.gov.uk/MutualRecognition/?.

Experienced teachers from other overseas countries can also gain QTS by undergoing an assessment only route, demonstrating that they already meet the standards for QTS (with no further training needed).

Another route to gaining QTS, is by completing an ITT course in England with an accredited training provider. For more information please contact Get Into Teaching on 0800 389 2500 or visit https://beta-getintoteaching.education.gov.uk.


Registration

Registration requirements

Those teachers awarded qualified teacher status (QTS) in England will have their teacher details held on a central record of qualified teachers.


Legislation

Title of relevant act or charter

The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012

Title of relevant act or charter

The Education (School Teachers' Qualifications) (England) Regulations 2003 (Sections 133, 141B and 141C)

Licence Finder

You may need licences and permits to carry out certain activities in the UK. These are called authorisations. Use the licence finder to find what you need.