Although you may be qualified to teach overseas, you must still gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in order to work as a qualified teacher in the UK.
You can work on a temporary basis as an unqualified teacher in the UK providing that you:
- Have appropriate permission to work/reside in the UK.
- Can provide proof that your degree is equivalent to a UK degree. The National Academic Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) can provide this comparison (for a fee) and can be contacted on 01242 260010.
If you have a teaching qualification from:
- A European country: you may be able to take an Assessment Only route to QTS. Contact the Overseas Trained Teacher Advice Line on 01245 454321 or click on the GTCE link below.
- Country outside Europe: Contact UK NARIC to check the equivalency of your qualification in the UK. Tel 01242 260010 or click on the UK NARIC link below and then follow one of the programmes below.
If you have qualified as a teacher overseas and are already employed in a school as an unqualified teacher, you can gain QTS through the Overseas Trained Teacher Programme. You need to apply via a Designated Recommending Body (DRB):
Or, if your school is prepared to take responsibility for your training, they can be the Recommending Body and can apply to the DRB on your behalf. For more information click on the Training and Development Agency (TDA) website in the related links section below.
Graduate Teacher Programme
If you already have a degree or equivalent that has been verified by UK NARIC, you can apply to go on the Graduate Teacher Programme where you would work in a school for one year working to an individual training programme which is set by a Designated Recommending Body (DRB). Application through one of the DRBs as above.