What qualifications do I need?
- You need a bachelor’s degree to teach in primary, secondary and special schools in England. This does not have to be a degree in teaching; it can be in any subject. Different training providers may also have specific criteria. For example, some may ask that you have a bachelor’s degree class 2:2 or above.
- You need qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England (schools funded by local authorities). You can get this through initial teacher training (ITT). You do not need QTS to teach in further education or early years.
- You also need the following GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above, or equivalent qualifications:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science if you want to teach primary
You may be able to show you meet the standard in another way if you do not have these GCSEs.
Click here if you do not have a degree (and you're not already studying for one) you can do undergraduate initial teacher training.
Click here if you have a degree (or equivalent qualification) you’re ready for postgraduate initial teacher training.
- If you have qualifications from outside the UK, you’ll need to show that they’re the same standard as UK GCSEs and a UK bachelor’s degree. You can get a statement of comparability from the UK European Network of Information Centres (UK ENIC)(opens in new window) to show the standard of your qualifications.
- Click here to get help and support with understanding your qualifications.
- Chat online for qualifications advice
- If you’re not from the UK, find out about training to teach in England as a non-UK citizen.
- Click here for GCSE Equivalency Testing | Home | GCSE equivalency testing