Job Discussion Forums

[coledavis]

Yes, QTS is the qualification.

[HLJHLJ]

It depends on the school. QTS is the license not the qualification, the qualification is the PGCE. When you first get QTS you are actually NQT (newly qualified teacher). To finish the training you need to work for 1 year/ 3 terms, in an NQT position where you get additional on the job training. The rules have recently changed on this and you now get 5 years to complete the NQT year.

You cannot work in a UK state school as a fully qualified teacher until you've passed your NQT induction.

Some private and international schools ignore NQT status, and treat everyone as fully qualified. The better ones, especially those who are familiar with the UK system, will want someone who has passed their NQT year, because you are not licensed to teach in a UK state school without it.

Also, the better international schools want at least 2 years post-qualification experience in the licensing country. The good news is that the NQT year counts as one of those.

[coledavis]

so why not spend a couple of years in England and Wales, or Scotland (n.b. Scotland has its own laws and education system) and then go international when you've got all your stripes.

[mmcmorrow]

You might also want to check any residency requirements to be considered as a home / domestic rather than international student. Some years ago, my sister returned to the UK to do her PGCE after having lived and taught EFL for some years in Spain and had some difficulty in being recognised as a 'home' student. At that time, I believe, you had to have lived in the UK for a three-year period immediately before the course in order to qualify for home student status (the main implication being the much higher fees for international students).

Worth checking anyway - it may have changed, or I may have got the wrong end of the stick anyway.

By the way, another career path for maths / education graduates is in numeracy support at tertiary level. This can be combined with academic literacy support, including support for international students. If you are interested, you can look up the various national associations of Tertiary Learning Development (e.g. ALDinHe in UK, AALL in Australia, ATLAANZ in NZ, LSAC in Canada etc). Most Learning Developers have relevant MAs or PhDs in their discipline and/or in Education.

Martin McMorrow, Massey Uni, NZ

[Pan Alexander]

[HLJHLJ]

[Pan Alexander]

Well, my long term goal is to teach at one of the better international schools (who of us doesn't want that)?

I don't mind teaching at a less prestigious school for a few years before reaching the desired state through more extensive work experience, but I want to obtain the required papers and qualifications as quickly as possible in order to get access to such school. Completing the one-year training direct program is apparently not enough - you also need to work for at least one year after the training to obtain your NQT - Am I understanding it correctly?

Oh yes, and what about the IB? Am I required to get that as well?

[nomad soul]

[coledavis]

Agreed, as I think we are getting to the limits of our competence. (I haven't been involved in careers guidance for years, so my knowledge of the current teacher training situation is sketchy, to say the least.)

[MotherF]

There are also a couple of forums similiar to this one that are specifically about International Schools. They are pretty easy to find with google.

[Pan Alexander]