I have a degree

QTS versus non-QTS

In terms of becoming a teacher, there are two types of degrees: those that grant you qualified teaching status (QTS) and those that don’t. There are some universities that offer a degree with opt-in QTS. These are usually in shortage subjects, such as maths, physics, modern languages and computing.

QTS is awarded with some Bachelor of Education (BEd) degrees, as well as some Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree courses. You should check with the education provider if QTS is included or not.

QTS qualifications

For the further education (FE) sector specifically, the full teaching qualification is the level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET), which is worth 120 credits. If your DET is taken at a university, it may be called a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or a Certificate in Education (Cert Ed).

DET is the recognised, full teaching qualification for the FE sector, which requires you to have at least 100 hours of teaching practice. In terms of working out what qualifications are needed, it can be a little confusing!

As a general rule, 120-credit qualifications are the most widely preferred, which means a DET, a DET including a specialist pathway, or a level 5 integrated specialist diploma, all of which hit the 120-point benchmark.

Earning QTS on the job via a SCITT course

For those degrees that don’t grant you QTS — don’t worry! You can either get QTS while you work via a School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) course, or you can do a PGCE if your degree was a 2:1 or higher.

A SCITT programme is a teacher training course that provides graduates with the opportunity to receive practical teacher training. SCITT programmes are a popular way to gain qualified teacher status. Most SCITT programmes enable trainees to gain a PGCE.

Older qualifications that still have kudos in the FE sector include the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS), the Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (CTLLS) and the Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) qualification.