Can you teach in an academy without QTS?
The has introduced new legislation around teacher qualification. As a result, teachers in academies will be required to have or be working towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) from 1 September 2027.
Here's what the new rules mean for you if you're an academy teacher without QTS.
Contents:
Note that the below guidance is subject to further updates from the DfE. We will update this blog as and when we receive new information.
What do the new QTS rules mean for me?
The new rules mean you cannot be employed to work as a teacher in an academy if you have not been awarded QTS. However, depending on your circumstances, there are some exemptions.
Can I still teach in an academy without QTS?
Academy teachers without QTS can continue in their current role without it. You can also move roles with your current employer (this might be either your school or trust, depending on which is your employer).
However, you can't take on a teaching role with a new employer without QTS. Similarly, if you aren't currently in a teaching role at an academy, you can't start one without QTS.
Exemptions to the QTS rules
Similarly, you can still teach in an academy if you:
-
Have special qualifications or experience: for example, if you’re a sports coach, you could teach PE lessons
-
Teach a vocational course: if you have the relevant qualifications or experience to teach a vocational course, QTS is not needed
-
Trained as a teacher overseas: academies can recruit teachers who trained overseas, but you need to undertake a route to QTS – you are allowed 4 years to do this
-
Are on an employment-based teacher training scheme: you can work at an academy while working towards QTS on an employment-based ITT course or get QTS through the Assessment Only route
-
Work under the supervision of a qualified teacher: you can teach in an academy without QTS as long as a qualified teacher oversees the quality of teaching and learning children are receiving
-
Have Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status: since April 2012, teachers with QTLS status and professional membership to the Education and Training Foundation have QTS
-
Work at a 16-19 academy, academy nursery, University Technical College, City Technical College or Studio School: these are not subject to the new requirements
This legislation doesn’t affect Teaching Assistants (TAs) or Higher-Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), as TAs or HLTAs are not expected to take on a full teaching role.
Getting QTS: why is now a good time to get QTS?
With the new rules coming into effect from September 2027, now is a great time to start working towards getting QTS so you can be a fully qualified teacher by the start of the next academic year.
Here, we've answered some frequently asked questions about getting QTS.
What is the fastest route to QTS if you have significant teaching experience?
If you’re already an experienced teacher, you can get QTS through the Assessment Only route. Assessment Only enables those already working in a school to be assessed against the English Teachers’ Standards and gain QTS within three months – all without leaving your current school.
How do I get QTS if I'm already teaching?
If you're already in a teaching role and meet the English Teachers’ Standards, you can get QTS through the Assessment Only route, which requires you to be employed in a school in a teaching role.
Assessment Only requires you to have at least two years of teaching experience in at least two different schools, or five years' experience in one school.
If you don't have this experience but are currently in a teaching role, we also offer a Straight to Teaching course that prepares you for QTS assessment via our Assessment Only route, where you can gain the required experience. Our Straight to Teaching course is personalised to your needs and based on your current teaching experience.
We also offer a Straight to Teaching SEND course, which prepares those working in SEND settings for QTS via the Assessment Only route.
Will not having QTS affect my career progression?
While you can change roles under the new rules, you can only do so with your current employer. So, if you don't have QTS by September 2027, you can keep teaching under your current employer, but you won't be able to move to a new employer. This means you can’t move to a different academy or maintained school.
You will also not be able to move past the unqualified teacher pay scales. For the 2026/27 academic year, this scale ranges from £23,732 to £36,494 for England (excluding London), whereas the main teacher pay scale ranges between £34,069 to £46,940 – this reflects the cap on progression you face as an unqualified academy teacher.
One of our Assessment Only learners, Charli Faux, told us how important QTS was for her career progression:
"Having been teaching for ten years in a variety of schools, not having QTS meant that I couldn't progress. My wages had been stagnant for years as I was at the top of the Unqualified Teachers’ Pay Scale.
I had been in a perfect position at my last school to step up and apply for an assistant head role. I was told my application was outstanding but that they could not interview me as I was not a qualified teacher. I want to progress in the future to senior leadership – so it was vital for me to find a way to gain my QTS."
Will schools prefer qualified teachers?
From September 2027, academies are joining local authority maintained schools in not being able to recruit unqualified teachers.
This means that all primary schools, secondary schools, SEND settings and alternative provision settings that are academies or local authority maintained have no choice but to hire only qualified teachers.
As such, getting QTS is the best way to ensure you can still find work as a teacher when the new rules come into effect.
Get QTS through the Assessment Only routeÂ
Our Assessment Only route to QTS enables you to become a qualified teacher without leaving your school, ensuring that you can progress in your career and keep teaching in academies once the mandate comes into effect next September.Â
If you don't have the teaching experience required for the Assessment Only route, our Straight to Teaching course helps you gain this and prepare for getting QTS through Assessment Only.
Watch our on-demand webinar about the course to find out how it can help you gain QTS in as little as three months.Â