If you are asking what education is required to become a teacher in the UK, the honest answer is that it depends on where you want to work and what age group you want to teach. Someone hoping to teach in a primary school in England will follow a different path from someone who wants to teach adults in a further education college, and the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not the same as the rules in England either.
This can feel confusing at first, because there are several routes, a handful of abbreviations such as QTS and QTLS, and different starting points depending on whether you already hold a degree, whether you have GCSEs in English and maths, or whether you are coming into teaching from another career altogether.
This article sets out the qualifications, training routes and general requirements you are likely to come across, so you have a clearer picture of what education is required to become a teacher in the UK before you start applying anywhere. It is general guidance rather than a substitute for checking the exact criteria on a course page, since universities, school-led providers and awarding bodies each set their own specific entry conditions.
Table of Contents
Before looking at individual routes, it helps to understand the basic building blocks that most teacher training providers ask for.
Most people training to teach in a primary or secondary school in England need a few things in place. You will usually need GCSEs at grade 4 (the old grade C) or above in English and maths, plus a science GCSE at grade 4 or above for primary teaching, since primary teachers cover the whole curriculum. Most postgraduate routes also ask for an undergraduate degree, and many providers set a minimum classification such as a 2:2, though some consider applicants case by case. On top of this, providers look for the personal qualities expected of a teacher, usually assessed through an interview, a written task, or time spent observing in a classroom.
None of this happens without professional recognition once training is finished. In England, that recognition is called Qualified Teacher Status, or QTS, which sits alongside your academic qualifications rather than replacing them.
This question comes up often, and the answer depends on which route you look at.
For most routes into qualified school teaching in England, yes, you need a degree. Postgraduate routes such as a PGCE with QTS or School Direct both ask for an undergraduate degree as a starting point. A degree is not always required before training begins, though. Some undergraduate courses combine a degree with QTS in one programme, usually over three or four years. There is also a teacher degree apprenticeship, aimed at people without a degree who want to earn one while training on the job in a school. A degree is generally part of the picture somewhere along the line, even if you do not always need to hold one before you begin.
QTS is one of the terms that causes the most confusion, so it is worth being precise about it.
Qualified Teacher Status is the professional accreditation confirming a teacher meets the Teachers’ Standards set out by the Department for Education. It is required to teach in state-maintained primary and secondary schools in England, and some academies and independent schools also expect staff to hold it, though they are not always legally bound to. QTS is awarded once a trainee completes an approved training route and shows the required teaching skills through classroom placements and assessed lessons. It is a professional status rather than an academic qualification like a degree or a PGCE, and some routes award QTS on its own, with no PGCE attached. You do not need a PGCE to be a qualified teacher in England, though some people gain one anyway, particularly if they might teach abroad later or study for a master’s degree.
There is more than one way to reach QTS, and the right route depends on your background and how you prefer to learn.
Each route leads to QTS, but they suit different starting points. Someone with years of unofficial classroom experience is in a different position from a graduate who has never taught before.
This depends on what kind of teacher you mean, since “teacher” covers more than one type of role.
If you mean becoming a qualified school teacher with QTS, you will need a degree at some point, whether gained before training or alongside it through an undergraduate course or a teacher degree apprenticeship. There is no route to QTS in England that skips a degree entirely.
If you are asking more broadly about working in education, roles do exist that do not need a degree. You can work as a teaching assistant without one, since this role usually asks for GCSEs, relevant experience, or a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in supporting teaching and learning. You can also move into parts of further education without a traditional teaching degree, since FE tends to value subject expertise and vocational experience alongside a teaching qualification gained on the job, covered further down.
GCSE requirements are one of the more consistent parts of the process, though there is some variation between providers.
Almost every route into teacher training in England asks for GCSE English and maths at grade 4 or above, or a recognised equivalent. For primary teaching, you will also usually need a GCSE science subject at grade 4 or above, since primary teachers deliver the full curriculum. Without these grades, most providers will not turn you away automatically. Instead, they may ask you to sit an equivalency test, or provide other evidence that you have reached the same standard. Requirements can vary between providers, so check the specific entry criteria for the course you are interested in.
A Levels play a smaller role in this process than many people expect, so it helps to be clear about where they fit in.
A Levels are generally part of the route towards a degree place, rather than a direct requirement for teacher training itself. Universities set their own A Level entry requirements for undergraduate courses, including degrees with QTS built in, so your grades matter mainly in getting you onto a degree course. Once you apply for postgraduate teacher training with a degree already in hand, A Level grades carry far less weight than your degree classification and your GCSEs. Alternative qualifications, such as BTECs or Access to Higher Education diplomas, can also lead to a degree place without A Levels, so they are one path towards a degree rather than the only one.
There are several named qualifications connected to teaching, and they are not all doing the same job, so it helps to separate academic study from professional status.
A PGCE or PGDE is an academic qualification gained through study and placements, often combined with QTS at the end. A degree with QTS combines undergraduate study with teacher training in one programme. For those aiming at further education or adult teaching, the Level 3 Award in Education and Training is a common starting point, giving an introduction to teaching roles and basic classroom skills. It is a useful entry-level qualification, but it does not on its own make you a qualified teacher in a UK maintained school, and it does not lead directly to QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills), the recognised status for further education. To progress in FE, most people go on to a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training before applying for QTLS through a period of professional formation.
Timelines vary depending on where you are starting from, so there is no single answer for everyone.
If you already hold a degree, a postgraduate route such as a PGCE with QTS, School Direct or SCITT usually takes one academic year full-time, or longer part-time. Without a degree, an undergraduate route combining a degree with QTS typically takes three to four years. Assessment Only is much shorter, around 12 weeks, but only open to people with substantial classroom experience. For further education, timelines depend on the qualification: the Level 3 Award can often be completed in weeks, while a Level 5 Diploma and then QTLS takes considerably longer.
Yes, and UK teaching has several routes suited to people moving across from another career rather than coming straight from a first degree.
If you already hold a degree, whichever subject it is in, a PGCE or a school-led route such as School Direct is usually the most direct path, since these are built for graduates rather than school leavers. Subject areas with teacher shortages, such as maths, physics or languages, sometimes offer bursaries to attract career changers, though details change from year to year, so check current funding directly. If you have been working in a school in an unqualified capacity, such as a cover supervisor or a higher level teaching assistant, with two or more years of classroom experience, Assessment Only may be worth exploring, since it recognises existing skills rather than asking you to repeat training you already have.
People often assume the rules are the same across the UK, but each nation runs its own system of teacher qualification and registration.
In England, teachers gain QTS, awarded once training and the Teachers’ Standards are met. In Scotland, teachers register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), and Scottish training does not lead to QTS, since Scotland has its own separate standards. In Wales, teachers gain QTS through the Education Workforce Council (EWC), and registration with the EWC is a legal requirement there. In Northern Ireland, teachers register with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI), which has its own criteria for recognising qualifications gained elsewhere.
Moving between nations usually means applying to the relevant council rather than an automatic transfer. GTCNI, for instance, does not accept QTS gained purely through Assessment Only, and some qualifications recognised in England are not automatically recognised in Wales or Scotland. If you know which nation you want to teach in long-term, check that nation’s registration body early on.
Teaching in further education, often shortened to FE, works differently from teaching in a school, so it is worth keeping the two apart.
FE covers colleges, adult education centres and workplace training rather than primary and secondary schools, and it often values subject expertise and industry experience as much as formal teaching qualifications. Many people begin with the Level 3 Award in Education and Training, giving a grounding in teaching roles and basic classroom practice, often studied while already working in a training setting. From there, people commonly progress to a Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training, a more substantial qualification covering assessment, curriculum planning and inclusive teaching. Reaching QTLS, the status for FE teachers working with learners aged 14 and over, generally requires this Level 5 qualification plus a period of professional formation through the Society for Education and Training, alongside a set amount of teaching experience.
Bringing the routes together, here is a practical outline of the steps most people follow.
Not as a qualified school teacher with QTS, since a degree is required at some point. You can work in related roles, such as teaching assistant, without one.
Most routes ask for GCSE English and maths at grade 4 or above, plus science for primary teaching. Equivalency tests are usually available if you do not hold these grades.
A postgraduate route typically takes one academic year for graduates. An undergraduate route with QTS built in takes three to four years. Assessment Only is much shorter, around 12 weeks, but only for experienced unqualified teachers.
Yes. Graduates from any degree background can usually apply for a PGCE or a school-led route, and some subjects offer funding for career changers.
Not exactly. It is a professional status confirming you meet the Teachers’ Standards, gained by completing an approved training route.
It gives a foundation for teaching in further education, but it does not make you a qualified teacher in a maintained school, and it does not lead directly to QTLS.
Yes. Many go on to train through a PGCE, School Direct, an apprenticeship, or Assessment Only if they have enough classroom experience.
No. Scotland uses the GTCS, Wales uses the EWC, and Northern Ireland uses the GTCNI, and qualifications do not always transfer automatically between them.
Working out what education is required to become a teacher in the UK comes down to a few core questions: what age group you want to teach, whether you already hold a degree, and which nation you plan to work in. For most school teaching in England, that means GCSEs in English, maths and, for primary, science, a degree at some point, and an approved training route leading to QTS. For further education, the path runs through the Level 3 Award and, further along, the Level 5 Diploma and QTLS.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each run their own registration systems, so check the right body if you plan to teach in one of those nations. Since entry requirements and course structures change from year to year, check the exact criteria for your chosen route directly with the training provider or the relevant national body before you apply.