Assessment Only Route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Do you have considerable experience working in education but still need to achieve Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)? We offer a flexible, convenient pathway to help you realise your ambitions and progress your teaching career.

Our Assessment Only Route to QTS could be ideal if you are:

• Working as an unqualified teacher – paid or unpaid in a primary or secondary setting
• A cover supervisor, Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) or supply teacher
• An experienced Further Education lecturer now working in a school and keen to gain QTS           
• An overseas trained teacher who does not automatically qualify for QTS or who did not gain QTS within the four-year limit
• The Assessment Only Route is open to colleagues in Independent Schools, Academies, Special Schools, PRUs

Formalise your teaching skills and open up your career prospects. If you are an experienced teacher with a degree, this route is your chance to demonstrate that you already meet all the standards for QTS – without the need for further training.

A fast-track route to qualification

The Assessment Only Route enables you to become formally qualified within a short space of time while you continue to teach. It takes up to 12 weeks of assessment to secure QTS and you can start on any of the start dates shown below.

You are required to demonstrate that you are a reflective practitioner who has met the Teachers’ Standards and can apply your skills, knowledge and understanding effectively in a wide range of school settings. In addition, you need to show that you can relate theory to practice and to evaluate critically the fundamental aims and values of education. You will be required to demonstrate competency towards the Teachers’ Standards prior to applying for the course. Candidates and schools need to provide evidence towards the Teachers’ Standards both at application stage and whilst being assessed on the route. 

In-school assessments

As part of your journey to QTS, we will work in partnership with your school to assess your ability to demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards. You will be assessed while you are teaching by staff from both your school and the University.

International candidates will have 2 observations of their teaching from university assessors using a live online platform, along with weekly mentor feedback during the duration of the route, to ensure that the assessment is securely moderated, and the process is rigorous and robust.

During the assessment period, your supporting school will need to ensure that you have sufficient opportunity to develop and demonstrate the Teachers' Standards. These are recorded on an electronic portfolio which forms part of your final professional discussion with your assessor.

Support and inspiration

We have a rich heritage in training and assessing successful, confident and forward-thinking teachers. Your University assessor will come from our highly competent, experienced team and will work alongside your school-appointed mentor to offer you personalised support at every stage of the Assessment Only Route.

The maximum period for the Assessment Only Route is 12 weeks.

The Assessment Only Route is not suitable for candidates who require training in order to develop and demonstrate Teachers’ Standards. Candidates who require training are advised to consider the Level 6 Teacher Apprenticeship with QTS, PGCE Primary, Primary (Provider-Led, School-based) with Qualified Teacher Status PGCE or Secondary (Provider-Led, School-based) with Qualified Teacher Status PGCE routes.

Supporting schools need to provide candidates with sufficient opportunity to further prove and evidence how they are meeting the Teachers’ Standards during the 12 weeks of assessment.

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Although there is no formal training linked to the Assessment Only Route, it is expected that you will continue to develop professionally as a teacher and further develop your subject knowledge and teaching skills during the assessment period. You will have a school-appointed, professional mentor in school who will meet with you on a regular basis and also co-ordinate regular lesson observations with formative and constructive feedback, which is, in turn, moderated by your assessor. 

How you are assessed

During the assessment period you will need to:

• Be observed successfully teaching by your sponsoring school, as well as by University staff. Your teaching must regularly show competency against the standards
• Produce a portfolio of supporting examples measured against the Teachers’ Standards
• Provide a variety of high-quality evidence to demonstrate that you have consistently and competently met the Teachers’ Standards across two or more consecutive age ranges, and also evidence of having taught in two schools
• Undertake a subject knowledge assessment
• Undertake a final viva voce (oral examination)

You will need to:

• Hold an undergraduate degree with honours and evidence with official, original certificate
• Hold GCSE grade 4 or above in Mathematics and English Language or equivalent and evidence with official certification or official statement of results from the awarding body. Information on replacement certificates can be found on the UK Gov website.
• The European Network of Information Centres in the European Region (ENIC) provides advice on the equivalence of overseas qualifications.
• For primary teaching, you will also need GCSE grade 4 or above in a Science subject. Please note that Key Skills qualifications and OCR Level 2 Adult Literacy and Numeracy are not acceptable alternatives. Equivalency tests are only accepted from the Equivalency Testing website.
• For international candidates, show evidence of ILETS at grade 7, with each area no less than 6.5

Teaching experience

Typical applications to this route include people who have taught for more than two years in the UK or overseas. The Assessment Only Route to QTS is also possible if you wish to be assessed while teaching overseas.  

Please note that you must be at a school that runs the English National Curriculum, or a school that runs a recognised international curriculum (such as IB. IPC, Cambridge, etc).

Your teaching experience must:

• Consist of time spent teaching (as opposed to other responsibilities in a school)
• Have taken place in two separate schools (not 2 classes within the same school or two school sites within the same organisation)
• Demonstrate you’ve taught young people from a different range of backgrounds
• Demonstrate that you’re familiar with different approaches to teaching, learning and school management

Your teaching experience can have been:

• Gained in any type of school - for example, international schools, schools teaching the International Baccalaureate, and state- maintained schools outside of the UK.
• Spent time teaching a non-English curriculum (though you may need to show you have knowledge of the subjects taught in the English curriculum)
• Divided between 2 school settings, as long as you have 2 years teaching experience in total.

British International School Organisations 

It is not a requirement to gain your teaching experience at a British international school. However, British international schools provide suitable experience for teachers wishing to apply for assessment-only QTS.

Reputable British international school organisations include: 

• the Association of British School Overseas (AoBSO)
• the Council of British International Schools (COBIS)
• the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA)
• British Schools in the Middle East (BSME)
• the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA)

Suitability

• Provide evidence of an enhanced DBS check or international equivalent as detailed above.
• Applicants who have lived or worked outside the UK must undergo the same checks as all other trainee teachers. In addition, further checks will be carried out so that events that occurred outside the UK can be considered. The Home Office has published guidance on criminal record checks for overseas applicants, and there is DfE guidance on recruiting individuals who have lived and worked outside the UK in Keeping Children Safe in Education and Recruit teachers from overseas.
• We ask for certificates of good conduct that cover that last 5 years for any country that a candidate has worked in. If the candidate has worked within the UK in the past 5 years, we ask for a current ICPC.
• Health and physical capacity to train to teach. Successful applicants may be asked to declare fitness to teach before starting on the programme.

UK fees are based on the location from the University of Derby, DE22 1GB:

• Up to 50 miles - £2500
• 51-74 miles - £2500 + £60 extra per visit
• 75-100 miles - £2500 + £120 extra per visit
• 100+ Please contact askadmissions@derby.ac.uk to discuss

International Candidates:

The cost of the route is £3325 per candidate

With Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), you will be able to advance in one of the most satisfying and important careers of all. The qualification opens doors to greater responsibilities, more senior roles and progression up the pay scale.

You could also consider taking your skills and knowledge to the next level. Our MA Education is an excellent option, especially if you have your sights set on more senior roles such as middle and senior leadership roles.

“The Assessment Only Route was the perfect route for me to gain my qualification. From the very start, I felt well supported by the University. I found the course to be really flexible in terms of timings of observation and interviews. This was invaluable to me because of my role in school. My assessor offered me excellent advice and resources to support the development of my teaching practice and my school-based mentor was involved at every stage of the process.”
Karen Hayes

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

† Additional information about your studies

Applications for September 2024 have now closed and applications for January 2025 will open shortly so please check back soon.

Please see 'How to apply' for start date information.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Other courses you might like

• PGCE Primary with Qualified Teacher Status
• Primary (Provider-Led, School-based - with Qualified Teacher Status
• PGCE Secondary (Provider-Led, School-based) with Qualified Teacher Status
• PGCE Post-14 Further Education and Skills
• Level 6 Postgraduate Teacher with QTS Apprenticeship

Learn more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Derby