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    • Lindsay West, EA AOQTS Director
    • John Manning, EA AOQTS Admissions
    • qtsmail@educatorsabroad.org

Assessment Only Qualified Teacher Status
Support Programme

Programme Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DO I REGISTER AND APPLY? Go to Top ^

Begin by opening the EA home page. Click on “Our Programmes” (top line), select AOQTS 
to see the Programme Overview page that answers what, where, who etc. questions and 
provides this list of Frequently Asked Questions to help clarify expectations. 
At the top and bottom of this page is a ‘Register Now’ button that opens a brief form. 
Complete and submit it to gain access to your own EA web page with information needed to 
apply for and complete the programme using the username (your email address) and a 
password you provide. 
There is no charge or commitment by registering an account to you or to EducatorsAbroad. 

When you are ready to apply for admission to the EA AOQTS support programme you must
provide:

  • A copy of your degree certificate (along with confirmation from ENIC if the degree is
    not from a university in the United Kingdom).
  • Information about your current employment. Note: Your school must also meet
    Department for Education (England) criteria to host candidates for QTS.
  • A letter of support from the school Principal or other senior colleague of your school.
    In addition to general comments about teaching skills, the reference should include
    confirmation that the school supports your registration for the AOQTS Programme,
    that you have the legal right to work in the school and that your general health renders you “fit to teach”.
  • A current CV stating your qualifications, your experience of working in schools and
    previous career history if you have worked outside schools.
  • Affirmation of your ability to complete requirements and to provide a current police
    clearance certificate (with translation).

  • Certificates of GCSE qualifications in Maths, English and, for primary teachers only, a
    science, at grade C (now grade 4) or above, or in the case of qualifications from
    countries outside the UK, confirmation from ENIC of their equivalence to GCSE’s in
    England. Candidates who do not have one or more of these GCSE scores can take an
    equivalency test, and we can advise on suitable bodies offering these tests.
  • Confirmation of having taught in more than one Key Stage (at least two from Early
    Years and/or Key Stages 1-5, e.g. EY and KS1, or KS 1&2, or KS 3&4 or 4&5). If you
    do not already have this on admission to the programme, your supervisor can advise on
    how best to meet this requirement.
  • Additional awards, e.g. iPGCE. Sports/Arts certificates.
  • References from at least one other school in which you have worked.
  • A current police clearance certificate (with translation).

The DBS only covers you for your time in the UK. For all other countries, you will need local 
police check to cover you for the time in your present school.

No, each candidate can register and begin when convenient for them. Sometimes, checking of 
academic qualifications takes longer than normal depending on nature of their university 
degree and teaching experience etc. that can extend the application process.  
However, if a candidate registers and then does not proceed to apply within a reasonable 
period of time they will receive an email that their status will be changed to ‘cancelled’. 
Candidates whose registrations have been cancelled will still be able to log in to their account 
and reactivate their profile. 

Once your information has been uploaded and your application submitted you will be 
contacted by EducatorsAbroad with minimal delay.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED? Go to Top ^

In some countries, we have locally available supervisors who may be able to visit you in 
person. Where this is not possible, we use online platforms to hold meetings and observe 
lessons.

One of our accredited AOQTS assessment partners acts on our behalf in this respect. 
Assessments involve one or two lesson observation/s, oversight of the portfolio, and may 
include a professional conversation lasting approximately one hour. Our accredited partners 
are universities offering PGCE courses with QTS or school-based initial teacher training 
opportunities with QTS.

IS TEACHER INDUCTION (ECT) REQUIRED? Go to Top ^

Each teacher who gains Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is given a Teacher Reference
Number which is kept on the Department for Education (DfE) database as a qualified teacher.
There are no further requirements to remain qualified.
The Early Career Teacher (ECT) induction process is only required for fully qualified
teachers who accept a teaching position in a maintained school in England where funding and
oversight comes through the Local Authority.
The induction process is integrated into the first two years of teaching in maintained
schools.

  • The induction process begins whenever a teacher accepts a post in a maintained school and can begin at any time in a teacher’s career.
  • There is no cost for teachers in maintained schools to complete the induction process.
  • For teachers who have worked in schools where the formal induction process is not required, the formal induction can be as short as one term.

Teachers who are employed in Academies and Free Schools (funding and oversight comes
directly from the DfE) and in Independent schools in the UK, are not formally required to
complete the ECT induction process, though many of these schools will still expect their
teachers to undergo induction. Teachers employed in schools outside the UK are also not
required to undergo ECT induction.
A teacher who fails the ECT induction process, cannot undergo another induction period at a
later date and so can never teach in the maintained sector in England.

Teachers employed in approved British International Schools [including members of the 
Council of British International Schools (COBIS)] may be able to complete the ECT 
induction process in their school. An approved school must meet the criteria in Section 2.1 of 
the ECT statutory guidance, which provides information for appropriate bodies, head 
teachers, school staff and governing bodies regarding eligibility for institutions.  
The ECT Appropriate Body must be a teaching school in England. The Independent Schools 
Teacher Induction Panel (ISTIP) also provides access to induction for teachers in 
international schools.

While ECT induction is not required for teachers outside the maintained school sector in 
England, EA strongly encourages QTS recipients to develop and implement a career-long 
professional development plan. 
There is little to be gained from going through the ECT process before taking up an 
appointment in a maintained school in England and there is risk and cost to do so. 

WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS? Go to Top ^

You must hold a bachelor’s degree; however, if the degree was earned outside of the UK, it 
will need to be validated by UK ENIC for equivalence to UK qualifications.  The degree can 
be in any subject for primary teachers, though should be in a relevant field for secondary 
teachers, who are subject specialists. All candidates will also require school qualifications in 
the core subjects of English and Maths. Primary teachers also need a school qualification in a 
science subject. School qualifications must be at least GCSE Grade C (Grade 4) or 
equivalent. 
You will normally have a minimum of two years’ experience in schools prior to assessment. 
This does not have to be all in the same school, and could be in roles such as unqualified 
teacher, cover supervisor, HLTA or even Teaching Assistant provided you have had experience
across this time in a similar capacity to a qualified teacher, i.e. doing the planning, 
teaching of lessons, and assessment to a whole class or timetabled group. It is perfectly 
possible to start the AOQTS programme with less than two years’ experience, but you will 
not be able to be put forward for assessment until you have completed sufficient time in the 
classroom. 

If you hold a bachelor’s degree from outside of the UK you must submit details of your 
University and High School/Leaving Certificate academic awards to ENIC, the organisation 
responsible for confirming the equivalence of overseas awards with their UK counterparts. 
ENIC works closely with England’s Department for Education to recognise and evaluate 
international qualifications and skills. There is a modest charge for ENIC’s services, and the 
usual response time is 10 working days. 
EA cannot provide any assistance with degree qualifications (UK or overseas) which do not 
meet the requirements.

This is not uncommon, and the simplest route is by taking an equivalency test. We can 
provide information on organisations who offer online tests which are accepted as equivalent 
to GCSEs. 

Your school must satisfy the criteria laid down by the Department for Education in England. 
Basically, the school needs to have its own website which confirms that it follows a UK-style 
curriculum, e.g. Cambridge or IB, or one which is compatible with the English National 
Curriculum (e.g., for schools following an American-style curriculum, it will probably be 
compatible for the primary age range but may differ at secondary level).

This is usually not a problem as the EA AOQTS Programme is portable. However, it is 
important to move to a school offering the IB, English National Curriculum or similar 
programmes, e.g. Australian/Irish curricula. You must show evidence of working within 
IB/ENC programmes as part of the “working in 2 schools” criterion for eligibility, although it 
is accepted that some modifications to the curriculum may be necessary to meet local or
national requirements.

The AOQTS Programme works alongside your normal teaching week but is not dependent on 
the school’s annual calendar. Many candidates continue to build their portfolio during school 
closure times. Some candidates work on a part-time basis or have other commitments 
meaning that they are not full-time class teachers. There is some latitude regarding class 
teaching commitment, but a nominal 50% teaching week may be considered typical. 

No. You can start at any time, including during the school holidays. Examples of portfolio 
evidence you can work on during school holidays will be given to you by your supervisor.

Ask at the initial stage of registration or your supervisor. It is always better to ask questions
or clarify personal circumstances before beginning the portfolio building stage or making a
fee payment.

WHAT IS THE COST? Go to Top ^

EducatorsAbroad fully supports the teaching profession. To encourage talented educators to
remain in the profession during a global teacher shortage and to further develop their careers,
EducatorsAbroad is offering a reduced cost for the AOQTS programme for prospective
candidates who have been admitted to the programme
and paid the initial fee by 31st December 2024.

The programme fee covers:

  • a)Personalised EA portfolio development support for twelve (12) months from
    the date of admission to the programme.
  • b)Preparation for the final assessment that is provided by an EA partner
    institution.
  • c)Fees for the assessment process that includes admission to the partner AO
    programme, their online procedures for portfolio review and assessment, and
    recommendation for QTS if you are successful.

On admission to the programme, AO candidates will receive an invoice for the

appropriate fee:

  • For teachers in England, the EA charge for this AOQTS programme is GBP £2,950
    (made in in one payment or instalments of £2,000 and £950).
  • For teachers in other countries, the EA charge for this AOQTS programme is GBP

    £3,600 (made in one payment or instalments of £2,000 and £1,600) or USD $4,700

    (made in one payment or two instalments of $2,700 and $2,000).

Admission to the EA partner online assessment process is based on receipt of the programme
fee and determination by an EA supervisor that a portfolio is complete and ready for assessment.
Assessments are normally completed within six weeks after all materials are submitted.

The fee is paid via bank transfer. Each payment/transfer must be identified by your name or
EducatorsAbroad reference number (provided at the initial registration stage).

WHAT SUPPORT AM I PROVIDED SO I GAIN QTS? Go to Top ^

At the initial stage of registration, you will have a named contact to enable you to ask any
specific questions. Once you have submitted your application, your eligibility has been 
confirmed, and you have made the first fee payment you will be allocated a supervisor from 
our team of highly experienced educators.  
Each EA supervisor guides and advises their assigned candidates through the entire process 
as they progress towards QTS. Your supervisor will ensure that you and your portfolio are 
well prepared for the final assessment by our assessment partner.  
To begin, your supervisor will arrange a Zoom call with you to introduce themselves and help 
you to establish a timeframe for gathering evidence, observations, and adding evidence to 
complete your portfolio in preparation for assessment

The school-based mentor is a person of your choice, who can offer support and advice as you 
work to achieve QTS. They must be familiar with the Teachers’ Standards and be willing to 
observe occasional lessons, providing notes for your portfolio. Usually, candidates invite their 
Head of Department/Section to act as their mentor, but other colleagues may act in this role. 

WHAT WILL GO INTO MY PORTFOLIO OF EVIDENCE? Go to Top ^

EA provides information that assists you in gathering evidence and developing your portfolio 
along with templates for lesson planning, classroom observations and letters/references. You 
are not obliged to use these templates as many schools have their own paperwork which can 
be used if your supervisor agrees that it is compatible with expectations of the Department for 
Education.

Evidence can take many forms, e.g. lesson plans, notes following observations of your 
teaching, details of formal and informal assessments of pupils’ progress, examples of pupils’ 
work (especially where progress can be identified), photos, personal reflections, professional 
development activities, contributions to the wider life of the school etc. All evidence should 
relate to at least one of the Teachers’ Standards. A piece of evidence can be used as an 
example of meeting more than one Standard. 

The key word is “relevant”. Assignments can be used from other programmes, e.g. iPGCE, 
Sports or Arts awards, but this material should be carefully edited and not included in totality. 
This should be checked with the Supervisor allocated to you.

The portfolio should be a Word Document so that it is accessible to all who need to view it.

WHY SHOULD I ENROL? Go to Top ^

It increases your options. Teachers in England must hold a first (bachelors) university degree
and have achieved Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to be recognised as having a valid
teaching qualification and to be a teacher in England. Increasingly, international schools
prefer to employ teachers who already hold QTS and it can also help with visas and work
permits for different countries. It can also enhance your pay grade.

Assessment Only Qualified Teacher Status ( AOQTS ) is a pathway for experienced teachers to
gain a Department for Education (England) teaching qualification through a portfolio
development and assessment process in which candidates gather and present evidence in a
portfolio that shows they meet the 9 basic competencies, skills and expectations in the
Teachers’ Standards set by the Department for Education in England.
Educators who complete the EA AOQTS programme gain Qualified Teacher Status ( QTS )
and are eligible to teach in state-maintained, special, and independent schools in England and
Wales, in the European Union and, depending on school policies, in independent and
government schools worldwide.

Yes. QTS covers the whole range of compulsory education in England and Wales (ages 5-18)
as well as being valid for Early Years teachers. It is not restricted to any subject or age range. 

The Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) is an academic award. This is one of the 
courses which can lead to becoming a teacher in England, though it is not the only route. 
There are PGCE courses that include QTS and others that do not. The award of a PGCE with 
QTS constitutes a valid teaching qualification. A PGCE that does not include QTS does not 
qualify a candidate as a teacher. 
PGCE courses with QTS are not available outside England. PGCEi courses are available 
outside of England but this course does not lead to the award of QTS.  
QTS can be obtained without a PGCE in England through an employment-based option. 
Graduates of the EA support and partner university assessment programme earn QTS without 
a PGCE 

The EA AOQTS programme is not a taught course, there are no examinations or coursework 
deadlines, there are no set start or completion dates, and it is not time limited. As a guideline, 
it is expected to be completed within 12 months from date of admission to the programme 
and can be completed in as little as one school term. Much depends on the completion of the 
portfolio of evidence to show that the Teachers’ Standards have been met. The programme is 
very flexible and takes account of your personal and professional commitments.

100% of EA AOQTS candidates in over 49 countries, have gained QTS. Candidate feedback 
continues to be extremely positive.