Can you teach in primary or seondary without further training if have QTLS ie qualified to teach in FE?

[bluehairnewhair]

I've worked in FE on and off for many years, teaching kids 16+ and adults.

Don't have a higher level teaching qualification, though I've just completed an MA in an education-related field.

Just discovered I could get QTLS via the recognition route very quickly and easily due to my many years of teaching. In theory, QTLS is equvalent to QTS, so would also qualify me to teach in schools.

But my question is if it would really? - or would I need to do further training to stand a chance of a job of working in primary or secondary? I have excellent academics and my subject is English and ESOL if that makes a difference?

I don't think I can face the thought or cost of doing lengthy PGCEs at this stage.

So would anyone employ me to teach younger age groups? I have younger kids myself and have done a little teaching and tutoring of younger pupils.

I'd quite like to teach in upper primary or secondary, but

...(oops, pressed too soon!) ... will my experience and degree/MA and QTLS be enough?

There's an Assessment-Only route for QTS - you would work as an unqualified teacher while they check that you meet all the teaching standards and then you get awarded QTS. It apparently takes about 3 months.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-assessment-only-route-to-qts

Thank you.

I don't think I'd qualify for that as the Assessment-Only route for QTS needs you to have experience in teaching in at least 2 schools over 2 years. Most of my experience is in FE. But I would def qualify for QTLS.

Also, would I still need to do an NQT year once I'd got either QTS or QTLS?

I chose to do a PGCE rather than QTLS and I'm glad I did, school teaching is so much different to FE.

In theory QTS and QTLS are equivalent but, I'm not so sure.

One thing to be wary of, if you do get QTLS you will not get funding for a PGCE or other training that leads to QTS.

It says in the advice document that the two schools experience includes FE settings.

No idea about whether you’d have to do an NQT year though.

If you get your QTS, then yes you do NQT year. If you have QTLS, you can teach in other age groups, but you need to be a member of SET and keep your membership up to date.

Would add, whether you get a school job with QTLS would v much depend on recruitment situation where you live. English teachers are like hens' teeth round my way, but somewhere there are plenty, then schools' conservatism might favour candidates with QTS.

Thank you. There do seem to be a lot of English teaching jobs advertised round my way which is partly what prompted the idea.

You're right, noblegiraffe, it does say FE teaching would count for QTS via the assessment route, but curiously it looks much harder to get QTS that way than QTLS - don't know why.

I think, although I may be wrong, that you need experience of two key stages to qualify. So FE may count, but if you've only done KS4 and 5 I think you'd find it hard to teach secondary, and almost impossible to do primary. A lot of schools would not consider that your FE experience related well to Y7, say. You would definitely have to do NQT year however you qualify.

It depends on the school to a great extent as to whether they would employ you, particularly with Academies. And to be brutally honest, good schools can afford to be fussier and insist on box ticking for qualifications. Schools that struggle to attract candidates for jobs may settle for QTLS whereas others might not.

Info on QTLS here: set.et-foundation.co.uk/professionalism/qtls/qtls-faqs/

Also they have a page with guidance for head teachers which I referenced in an application for a primary school position when asked for a Teacher Reference Number. I got sifted for interview last month and got excellent feedback although they did chose another candidate with QTS.