Routes into Teaching 2026: A Clear, Friendly Guide to QTS, QTLS and iQTS

Understanding the recognised routes into teaching 2026 that lead to Qualified Teacher Status in the UK

If you’re thinking about teaching in 2026, you’re not alone. Teaching is one of those professions people arrive at from all directions. Some know from school that it’s what they want to do. Others come to it later, after a career change, redundancy, or simply the realisation that they want to give something back and make a difference.

What many people don’t expect is just how confusing the routes into teaching can feel. There are more options than ever before, which in many ways is a good thing, but it can also be overwhelming. People hear terms like QTS, QTLS, iQTS, PGCE, apprenticeships, diplomas, assessment-only routes, and it’s not always clear what each one actually leads to, who it’s for, or which route makes the most sense for their own situation.

It’s very common for people to feel stuck at this stage, not because they lack motivation, but because they don’t want to choose the wrong pathway. Some are working full-time and need flexibility. Others want a traditional university experience. Some are already teaching but don’t yet hold formal status. Others are overseas or planning to work internationally. Without clear explanations, the choice can feel unnecessarily daunting.

This article is here to do one simple but important thing: make sense of the recognised routes into teaching in 2026, so that you can begin to identify the pathway that best fits your current circumstances, your experience, and what you want to do next.

It focuses on routes that lead to QTS, QTLS or iQTS, all of which result in the award of a Teacher Reference Number (TRN), signal that you have met nationally recognised professional standards, and enable access to the teachers’ pay scale and the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. Alongside each pathway, we’ve also included examples of organisations that deliver or support that route, so you can explore further if one option feels like a good fit. Where possible, links are provided to help you find accurate, up-to-date information directly from the providers themselves.

Routes that do not lead to QTS, QTLS or iQTS, such as TEFL, private tutoring, or sector-specific teaching roles, are valuable in their own right, but they operate differently and will be explored in a separate article.

For now, let’s start with the basics.

QTS, QTLS and iQTS: What’s the Difference?

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is the most widely recognised professional status for teachers in England, particularly in schools.

Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) is a professional status most commonly associated with Further Education, adult education and skills-based settings. Importantly, QTLS is legally recognised as equivalent to QTS in schools.

International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) is designed for teachers who are training or working outside England, but who want a qualification aligned with English teaching standards.

All three confirm that a teacher has met clear, national professional standards. All three lead to the award of a Teacher Reference Number (TRN). And all three provide clarity and credibility when applying for teaching roles.

The difference is not about quality. It’s about context, location, and the route that best fits your circumstances.

Routes into teaching 2026

Route 1: University-Led Routes to QTS

This is still the route many people picture first when they think about becoming a teacher.

If you already have a degree, the most common option is a PGCE with QTS. This is usually completed over one academic year full-time, or part-time over a longer period. These programmes combine university-based study with extended placements in schools, allowing trainees to connect theory with real classroom practice. Throughout the course, trainees are assessed against the Teachers’ Standards to ensure they are ready for the profession.

Some people choose an undergraduate degree that includes QTS, particularly for primary teaching. These programmes build teaching skills alongside subject knowledge from the very beginning, offering a gradual and well-supported introduction to the role.

University-led routes are delivered by higher education institutions such as the University of Hertfordshire, which is widely recognised in the UK for its teacher education and strong partnerships with local schools. Universities like Hertfordshire provide a structured learning environment, academic support, and space to reflect on practice before stepping fully into the classroom.

This route tends to suit people who value guided learning, academic reading, and time to develop confidence before taking on full teaching responsibility.

Route 2: School-Led Routes to QTS

School-led routes allow you to learn to teach from inside a school.

Some are salaried, meaning you earn while you train. Others are unsalaried but still heavily classroom-based. In all cases, trainees are assessed against exactly the same Teachers’ Standards as any other QTS route.

Well-known organisations such as Teach First offer supported routes into teaching, particularly in schools serving disadvantaged communities. These programmes combine classroom practice, training, mentoring and leadership development.

Other providers, such as Ark Teacher Training, deliver school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT), working closely with local schools to support trainees day-to-day.

These routes suit people who learn best by doing and want to feel part of a school from the start.

Route 3: Teaching Apprenticeships Leading to QTS

Teaching apprenticeships have moved well beyond being a “new” idea. By 2026, they are an established and well-regarded route into the profession.

A teaching apprenticeship allows you to work in a school, earn a salary, and train at the same time. Rather than stepping out of employment to study, apprentices develop their teaching practice on the job while completing structured training with an approved provider. Over time, they build a body of evidence and are assessed against the Teachers’ Standards, leading to QTS at the end of the programme.

This route is especially popular with teaching assistants, cover supervisors, and career changers who want a practical, work-based way into teaching and need to continue earning while they train. Support comes from both the school and the training provider, with mentoring and regular reviews built into the process.

Teaching apprenticeships are delivered by accredited organisations such as Best Practice Network, which works in partnership with schools to support apprentices through training, assessment and qualification. Other approved providers offer similar programmes, but all follow the same national standards and lead to the same professional outcome.

The most important thing to remember is this: the end point is exactly the same as any other QTS route. The only difference is the journey you take to get there.

Route 4: Assessment Only Route to QTS

Some people are already teaching confidently but don’t yet hold QTS, and crucially, they don’t need to be trained again to prove what they can already do.

The Assessment Only route exists for experienced practitioners who can demonstrate that they already meet every Teachers’ Standard. There is no training programme attached to this route. Instead, you compile a detailed portfolio of evidence from your current practice and are formally observed teaching in your setting.

Because there is no “learning how to teach” element, this route is demanding. You need to be teaching regularly, planning independently, assessing learners, managing behaviour, and working as a full professional. The assessment process is rigorous, but it avoids unnecessary retraining for capable teachers.

This route is particularly common for teachers working in academies, independent schools, alternative provision, or overseas who want formal recognition within the English system.

Assessment Only routes are delivered by accredited providers, such as the University of Sunderland, which works with experienced teachers to guide them through the evidence requirements and assessment process. Other universities and accredited providers offer similar routes, but all must assess candidates against exactly the same national Teachers’ Standards.

For the right candidate, the Assessment Only route is a straightforward idea with a high bar: show us what you already do — and do it well.

Route 5: QTLS via the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching

For many people working in Further Education, adult learning, or skills-based education, QTLS is often the most realistic and flexible route into professional teacher status.

The most common qualification leading to QTLS is the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching. This is a practical, work-based qualification designed for people who are already teaching or training in real settings. Rather than stepping away from practice, candidates develop their skills in the classroom while building evidence against professional standards.

After completing the diploma, teachers apply for professional formation with the Society for Education and Training, which now operates under the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) following their formal merger. Successful professional formation leads to QTLS status.

Once awarded, QTLS is legally recognised as equivalent to QTS in schools, meaning holders can work as qualified teachers in a wide range of educational settings.

Organisations such as Teacher Training UK deliver the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching through flexible models designed around working professionals. A key strength of Teacher Training UK’s approach is choice: programmes are available through face-to-face delivery, online delivery, or blended formats, allowing trainees to fit study around work and personal commitments.

Another distinctive feature is the calibre of facilitation. Programmes are supported by well-known and respected voices in education, including contributors such as Professor Dylan Wiliam, Andy Griffiths (author of Teaching Backwards), and Matt Bromley, alongside many other experienced practitioners and educational thinkers. This brings together practical classroom insight with wider thinking about curriculum, assessment, and professional identity.

These routes are particularly popular with FE lecturers, adult educators, trainers, assessors, and career changers, especially those who want a recognised professional status without leaving employment.

Organisations like NowTeach also support experienced professionals moving into teaching later in life, helping them navigate qualifications, placements, and the shift in professional identity that often comes with entering education.

Route 6: iQTS – International Qualified Teacher Status

iQTS is designed for teachers who are training or working outside England but want a qualification aligned with English professional standards.

iQTS is based on the same Teachers’ Standards as QTS, but it is delivered internationally. Programmes typically combine online study, structured mentoring and in-school practice in the teacher’s local setting.

iQTS leads to a Teacher Reference Number (TRN) and provides clear professional recognition aligned with the English system. While it does not automatically convert to QTS, it supports international mobility and long-term career planning.

Approved providers such as the UCL Institute of Education deliver iQTS programmes, offering a recognised and structured route for teachers working overseas.

So… Which Route Is Right?

There is no single “best” route into teaching, only the route that makes the most sense for where you are right now.

For some people, particularly those who want to work in schools in England and are early in their careers, a QTS route through a university, school-led programme, apprenticeship, or assessment-only pathway may feel like the clearest option. For others who are already teaching in Further Education or adult learning, QTLS may be the most direct and flexible route to professional recognition. And for those working overseas, or planning an international career, iQTS can provide clarity, credibility, and alignment with English teaching standards.

Throughout this article, we’ve explored a range of recognised pathways and included examples of organisations that deliver or support each route. These examples are there to help you start your research, not to rush a decision. Each provider works slightly differently, and what suits one person’s circumstances, experience, and commitments may not suit another’s.

The most important advice is to read carefully, take your time, and explore the different organisations and pathways. Look closely at entry requirements, delivery models, time commitments, and support structures. Doing this early can save a lot of uncertainty later on.

What matters most is not the acronym at the end of the process, but the end point: professional recognition, confidence in your practice, and a pathway you can build a sustainable career on.

Final Thought

Teaching in 2026 is more open than it’s ever been, but it’s also clearer. There are now multiple recognised routes into the profession, and none of them is second best.

QTS, QTLS and iQTS are not just labels. They represent trust, professionalism, and belonging to a profession that, despite everything, still changes lives every day.