PD QTS Assessment Only (Secondary 11 - 16)

• For full guidance regarding the entry requirements and assessment criteria for the assessment only route to QTS, along with supporting advice, please visit the UK government website at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-assessment-only-route-to-qts/assessment-only-route-to-qts-criteria-and-supporting-advice
• Please note that this course is only available to Home students.
• You must have a lower second class (2:2) honours degree (or equivalent).
• Before starting the programme, you must also have GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent). If appropriate, the University of Bolton offers GCSE equivalence testing and accepts equivalence results from other providers.
• You must be working in an appropriate role in a secondary school so that you can fulfil the requirements of this Assessment Only route to QTS. Your supporting school will need to ensure that you have sufficient opportunity to meet the Teachers’ Standards.
• You must have a minimum of two years experience as a teacher. Before entering the Assessment Only route, you must have taught in at least two schools (including your supporting school). Before the end of the Assessment Only QTS period, you must have taught children and young people from different backgrounds, across all abilities in the 11 to 16 age range and gained experience of different approaches to teaching and learning and school organisation and management.
• The Head Teacher of your supporting school must sign the partnership agreement before you submit your application.
• The University of Bolton will review your application to ensure you have the necessary qualifications and experience. You will need to provide a portfolio of evidence of your experience of teaching so that we can evaluate your ability to meet the Teachers’ Standards within the necessary time frame. We will also confirm that your supporting school provides a suitable environment for assessment to enable you to reach the standards required for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
• If your qualifications are not from a recognised UK education institution, advice will be taken from the International Office on comparability.
• You will be required to attend an interview as part of the application process. You will be required to show original qualification certificates at your interview, along with proof of ID.
• You will need to provide satisfactory references, a satisfactory health declaration and a satisfactory student agreement before enrolling on the course.
• You will also need to provide evidence of a current enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
• Normally, your supporting school will be within a 50-mile radius of the University of Bolton.
• Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Is the lack of QTS restricting your career prospects? Formalising your teaching skills can enhance your professional status. If you are an unqualified secondary school teacher with a degree and substantial experience working with children aged 11 to 16, this course allows you to gain QTS without doing a teacher training programme.

This Assessment Only route does not lead to a PGCE qualification and is not suitable for candidates who require training to develop and demonstrate the Teachers’ Standards. While you do not need a PGCE qualification to teach in England, you may find it helpful as your career evolves, for instance, if you wish to teach in another country. The University of Bolton offers a range of master’s-level PGCE qualifications, or you could consider school-led teacher training programmes if gaining a PGCE is important to you.

What can I do with this qualification?

After gaining QTS, you will be eligible for an Early Career Framework-based induction, a two-year training and support programme available to early career teachers. You will be ready to take on greater responsibilities. As you gain experience, you will be able to seek more senior roles and progress up the pay scale.

You may also wish to undertake further study. Popular topics include education management, theory and policy. You could follow a master’s in education, pursue a PhD by research or study for a professional doctorate.

Useful information

Tuition fees may be paid by you, your supporting school or a combination of both. Please note that student finance is not available for this route.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2023-2024 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

To achieve QTS, you need to show that you meet the Teachers’ Standards for your chosen teaching specialism. You will need to have taught across two key stages and in two schools, and have the equivalent of at least two years of teaching experience.

As part of your route to QTS, your teaching will be assessed by staff from your supporting school and the University of Bolton. Your teaching must be regularly assessed as ‘meeting standards’. A school-appointed mentor will meet with you frequently to promote your professional development as a teacher, and your University tutor will be on-hand to provide advice and answer questions. Although there is no formal training linked to the Assessment Only route, you will be expected to further develop your teaching skills and subject knowledge throughout the assessment period. We will encourage you to reflect on your practice and identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Your teaching practice will be measured and assessed against the Department for Education Teachers’ Standards and documented through session planning, observation reports and reflective journals. You will evidence your progress on our online learning platform. This information will form the portfolio of evidence we require to recommend you for QTS if you successfully meet the Teachers’ Standards during the assessment.

You will also need to demonstrate competence in the fundamental English and mathematics skills required of teachers working in schools. English skills include speaking, listening, reading, writing, and communicating with different audiences and for different purposes. Mathematical competence includes analysing data, statistical information, and monitoring pupil progress, for example, through interpreting graphs and databases. Finally, you will need to demonstrate reflective practice, showing you can effectively apply your skills, knowledge, and behaviours to undertake a range of responsibilities in school settings.

Modules

• QTS Assessment Only (Secondary 11-16)

Assessment methods

Learning activities

Disclaimer

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.