Qualifying as a teacher without a degree

[WhyWhyWhyMum]

Hi all,

I'm currently working in a school as a TA after a few years as a SAHM. I'm absolutely loving it and would like to train as a teacher, but I don't have a degree.

My previous job was as a trainer/NVQ assessor and verifier for school leavers so I have lots of qualifications relating to that as well as A levels/GCSEs.

Is there any route I could take? Google tells me no 😢 but I'm hoping you lovely little might have some advice.

Thanks!!

No, thankfully you do still need a degree to qualify to teach despite the government’s best efforts to undermine the profession still further.

Now is as good a time as any to get a degree, but surely you as anyone would want the people teaching your children to be properly educated before going on to teach others?

No. You'll either need to do a degree with QTS or a degree and then QTS.

Thank you both for replying.

I'm working in a school now with students straight out of degrees in art for example doing their PCGEs. I sit and have to listen whilst they make basic mistakes teaching the class.

I'm mid 40s with children of my own and lots of cross over experience as mentioned (I was a trainer was 15 years before being a SAHM for a while).

I totally agree that teachers should be well educated and I think that I am. It's frustrating that I chose to go into the workplace many years ago instead of doing a degree and I do regret it.

Again, thanks for replying and I presume there isn't a different way to train other than doing a degree now.

And I should have proof read before posting sorry!

There isn't. You can shortcut the QTS bit but without a degree you're not going to get on a course.

Well not strictly true.
You can work as an under qualified teacher in an academy I’ve worked with a few. They do not have degrees. They started off as TAs.

Cheap teachers basically.
All the same duties but half the wage of a qualified teacher.

@Chillychangchoo

Well not strictly true. You can work as an under qualified teacher in an academy I’ve worked with a few. They do not have degrees. They started off as TAs.

Cheap teachers basically.
All the same duties but half the wage of a qualified teacher.

This is what I've seen happening as well... Taking advantage of the TA's, presenting them to parents as teachers, and paying them a fraction. It's not supposed to be happening, but it certainly is. In my last school, the Head of Key Stage was unqualified! I have no idea how that happened! Welcome to multi academy trusts...

Our local uni used to offer a part time foundation degree in education, followed by a top up to qualify. Don’t remember the details but I knew several TAs do it whilst still working in school. Their school must have sponsored them in some way. Last one I met was only just before lockdown 1 so am sure it’s still a thing.

It's not just academies (and independent schools) though. Maintained schools have been able to employ unqualified teachers for years in certain circumstances (eg if they are unable to recruit qualified ones). I believe it's more common with more vocational subjects like DT, ICT/computer science, travel and tourism and health and social care. They don't have to be graduates but the governing body has to be satisfied with their qualifications and experience.
It's possible that the OP has qualifications and experience that would persuade a school to employ her as an unqualified teacher.

There is a separate pay scale for unqualified teachers in the Teacher's Pay and Conditions Document. It goes up to over £28,000 outside London, so much more than TAs would get.

@Fifthtimelucky

It's not just academies (and independent schools) though. Maintained schools have been able to employ unqualified teachers for years in certain circumstances (eg if they are unable to recruit qualified ones). I believe it's more common with more vocational subjects like DT, ICT/computer science, travel and tourism and health and social care. They don't have to be graduates but the governing body has to be satisfied with their qualifications and experience. It's possible that the OP has qualifications and experience that would persuade a school to employ her as an unqualified teacher.

There is a separate pay scale for unqualified teachers in the Teacher's Pay and Conditions Document. It goes up to over £28,000 outside London, so much more than TAs would get.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a good academic who would hire an unqualified teacher who left academic education at 18. I've worked in independents my entire career, and yes we have unqualified teachers, but they have always had a degree and in many cases PhDs or significant experience in the corporate or arts/design sectors, they were experts in their field and not hired to save money but because of their significant education and expertise.

**good independent, I mean.

Is there any route I could take?

Yes. Degree and then a Teaching qualification!

@Penyu

Yep welcome to multi academy trusts. I know of “teachers” with no degrees in primary and secondary, although it’s more common in secondary. The head teachers love them 🤔. Of course they bloody do they’re cheap as chips.

I absolutely hope there isn't! We don't need further deprofessionalisation of the sector...!

Is a degree an option for you?

Thank you all, I've just realised I didn't say I'm working in a primary school, not secondary.
I would never think anyone could teach a subject at higher level without a degree in it obviously!

@WhyWhyWhyMum

Thank you all, I've just realised I didn't say I'm working in a primary school, not secondary. I would never think anyone could teach a subject at higher level without a degree in it obviously!

Yes, because those of us who are primary school teachers don’t need a degree because all we do is play in the sand all day!!

I hope the requirement to have a degree is never removed.

I don’t want anyone without a degree teaching my primary aged DC. I want their teachers to understand how children learn and to understand best research methods as well as being able to teach. A degree is vital to those skills. Educating our children is the most important job and our children deserve the best.

I’m sure you didn’t mean to be insulting OP but you’ve made a couple of remarks which make me wonder whether you’ve been sucked into the government’s rhetoric of ‘anyone can do better than those workshy lefty teachers who don’t want to work and who think they’re better than they are’. I really hope not.

@CarrieBlue

I don’t want anyone without a degree teaching my primary aged DC. I want their teachers to understand how children learn and to understand best research methods as well as being able to teach. A degree is vital to those skills. Educating our children is the most important job and our children deserve the best.

I’m sure you didn’t mean to be insulting OP but you’ve made a couple of remarks which make me wonder whether you’ve been sucked into the government’s rhetoric of ‘anyone can do better than those workshy lefty teachers who don’t want to work and who think they’re better than they are’. I really hope not.

Completely agree!

I am sure that you will have many of the skills already. I agree that a degree isn’t necessarily the be all and end all of primary teaching (you can be a terrible teacher with one, and doubtless some people could teach well without) and you are probably a very well prepared candidate, but people are feeling sensitive as the government has been trying to deprofessionalise teaching and one method has been to try and introduce a non degree route into teaching. It feels quite important to many of us that it remains a graduate profession and personally I wish teachers were required to have more qualifications and training than that. In some countries a masters is a requirement. It’s a shame that we think of primary teaching as handing out the glue sticks and here.

Yes - I entirely agree with the above posts. And I find it concerning that somebody who works in a school has that view. If the requirement to have a degree in order to be a teacher is ever removed it will be a catastrophe.

You need either a 3 year Bachelor’s degree (1st or 2:1) in any field and then a PGCE with QTS (1 year teaching qualification) or a 3 years Bachelor’s in primary education. Some academies and private schools will hire unqualified teachers, but they’re not commonly advertised.

I do sympathise with the OP, and feel the question is genuinely not intended to denigrate the profession in any way..either directly or indirectly! A degree these days, is rather common place, compared to when I left school in the early 80s, and doesn’t always confer any great badge of academic kudos. I went straight from school into a professional training contract, and I can assure you my many years of exams were far more onerous than my eventual degree. Years later when I took a career break with children, I decided to do a degree...found it manageable and relatively easy by comparison. Got a high first class..and although the degree I studied was not relevant career wise, it enabled my eventual career change later on. I’d recommend looking into it OP, it might be more doable than you think. Good luck

You are, of course, correct that a degree does not necessarily 'confer any great badge of academic kudos'. I'm also not going to argue that some people can't find a degree 'relatively easy' as you put it (in fact, I'm just completing my doctorate now, and even that hasn't been massively hard, despite doing it in the evenings around work and children). However, the point being made is that to allow teaching to be a degree-less career would be incredibly damaging to the profession.

Yes I agree on that @surreygirl1987 . I’m just sympathising with the OP’s situation, as I’m sure it’s not unusual for people who left school in earlier decades. Nowadays it’s imperative, and particularly with teaching..I do agree!