Undergraduate degree

You can do an undergraduate degree that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS), for example:

• Bachelor of Education (BEd)
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) with QTS
• Bachelor of Science (BSc) with QTS

Postgraduate certificate

If you already have a bachelor's degree without qualified teacher status, you can complete a postgraduate qualification like a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) to get QTS. This can be done at university or through a training programme based in a school.

You need QTS to teach in most primary and secondary schools in England but you do not need a PGCE to teach.

Find out more about QTS from Get Into Teaching.

Change careers to teaching

Find out about the support available if you want to change to a career in teaching.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
• a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

You may be able to apply to do an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Teacher Level 6 Apprenticeship to teach children from ages 3 to 7 or 5 to 11.

The undergraduate option takes up to 4 years to complete. The postgraduate route takes around 9 months, with both leading to qualified teacher status (QTS).

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths
• GCSE science at grade 9 to 4 (A* to C) for primary school teaching

• a degree for a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship

You could start as a teaching assistant and do further training like a part-time degree or an undergraduate teaching apprenticeship to gain qualified teacher status (QTS).

You'll find it helpful to get some experience of working with children in different age ranges, though this is not essential.

You could volunteer at a school, help at an after school club or work on a holiday scheme.

You'll need:

• knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
• sensitivity and understanding
• the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
• the ability to work well with others
• to be flexible and open to change
• knowledge of English language
• maths knowledge
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

As a primary school teacher, you could:

• prepare teaching materials, set up the classroom and organise displays
• plan and teach lessons and work with small groups of students
• mark work and talk to parents and carers about their children's progress
• manage the work of teaching assistants
• follow safeguarding procedures and work with education psychologists and social workers
• organise trips, after school clubs and sports events
• work and attend meetings and training outside of usual working hours

You could work at a school or at a pupil referral unit.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.