What is QTS?
In short
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is the professional status you need to teach in maintained primary, secondary and special schools in England. You gain it by completing initial teacher training and meeting the Teachers’ Standards.QTS is awarded when you complete an approved training route and are assessed as meeting the Teachers’ Standards. It is what legally qualifies you to teach in local-authority-maintained schools. Academies and independent schools can employ teachers without QTS, but most still prefer it, and it makes you employable across the whole system.
QTS is not the same as a PGCE – see PGCE vs QTS. You can hold QTS without a PGCE, and vice versa.
Related statuses
Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) qualifies you to teach 0–5s in early years settings, but not in maintained primary or secondary schools – that needs QTS. iQTS is an international qualification that leads to full English QTS.