Straight to Teaching

Straight to Teaching is designed for practitioners working in mainstream school settings who are already taking on substantial teaching responsibilities and want a flexible, supported preparation programme leading to the Assessment Only route to qualified teacher status (QTS).

If you work in a state-funded mainstream school, faith school, independent school or an international school teaching the British curriculum, this programme is built around the reality of your day-to-day teaching. It supports you to develop your practice in your current school while preparing for QTS assessment through the Assessment Only route.

You can continue working as a TA, higher level teaching assistant or unqualified teacher while you build the experience, confidence and evidence needed for QTS. Your course is personalised to your needs and based on your current teaching experience.

Straight to Teaching will help you work towards having two years of teaching experience in two schools, so you can develop your teaching without leaving your school and pupils.

If you do not already have experience of working in a second school, you can gain this while on the course. The minimum requirement is 20 days if you are employed in a mainstream school. Ideally you would complete this as a block to immerse yourself in the teaching and life of the school, but for flexibility this can also be arranged as a minimum of one day a week.

You will be assigned a Tes Institute pathway tutor who will support you throughout your journey and help make sure you are meeting the Teachers’ Standards. When you are ready, Tes Institute will support you through to the final QTS assessment via the Assessment Only route.

Straight to Teaching will help you to:

• become a fully qualified teacher
• potentially increase your salary by up to £7,000* per year
• become a teacher who can inspire pupils to make strong progress
• share best practice with colleagues
• potentially play a more significant role in school leadership and management

Straight to Teaching combines high-quality teaching practice with a flexible programme of online learning designed to support your development in a mainstream setting. Your online learning includes subject-specific and pedagogy modules on Tes Learn.

These modules help you develop your understanding and apply it in practice. They support you to connect your day-to-day work to the Teachers’ Standards and to the evidence needed for the Assessment Only route to QTS.

During the course, you will explore areas including:

• evidence-informed teaching and learning
• lesson planning and curriculum delivery
• assessment and pupil progress
• classroom practice and behaviour for learning
• subject and phase-specific expectations
• reflective practice and professional development
• building evidence for Assessment Only

You will also deepen your understanding of effective teaching across mainstream school contexts, so you can explain and justify your practice with confidence.

Straight to Teaching is delivered through a mix of in-school experience and online learning and theory, enabling you to develop your teaching and build evidence to demonstrate that you meet the English Teachers’ Standards.

You will have access to an extensive online library of subject-specific and pedagogy modules. Your pathway tutor will guide you to specific topics to close any gaps as your practice develops. You will have full access to all modules for self-study and to support research opportunities as you develop your reflective and analytical skills.

Throughout your course, you will be supported by your Straight to Teaching pathway tutor and your school mentor. Your pathway tutor will visit you face-to-face, arrange virtual Keeping in Touch meetings and provide feedback online via your learning platform as you develop through the course.

The length of your Straight to Teaching course will be based on your existing teaching experience and will be designed in collaboration with you and your school.

Phillipa Bild

Phillipa joined Tes Institute after a 20-year career in primary education, most recently as a head of school. Phillipa is passionate about professional development and made it a priority for all her teachers and support staff, especially in the wake of the global pandemic. After joining Tes Institute as a pathway tutor in 2022 she is delighted to be part of our mission to drive up standards in teaching. Read more.

For learners

Our course is aimed at school staff such as unqualified teachers, TAs or higher level teaching assistants. It is designed for educators working in mainstream school settings, including state-funded mainstream schools, faith schools, independent schools and international schools teaching the British curriculum.

If you have two years’ teaching experience in two schools in the QTS specialism you are applying for, you may be eligible to go straight to the Assessment Only route, which assesses you for QTS within three months.

To be eligible for Straight to Teaching you must:

• be teaching at least 50% of a full-time teaching timetable with full responsibility for a class. This must include planning, marking and assessing
• hold a Bachelor’s degree from a UK higher education institution, or equivalent qualification, or be in the final six months of your course
• have achieved at least a grade C or 4 at GCSE level, or equivalent, in English and maths, and science if you intend to teach pupils aged 3-11
• provide an ENIC showing comparability if you have an international qualification
• have the express agreement of your school to support you through the Straight to Teaching programme and Assessment Only route. This includes appointing a suitable member of staff to act as a school mentor
• have the relevant experience and skills to succeed through the programme
• have the health and physical capacity to teach
• have been subject to and passed the Disclosure and Barring Service and criminal or other records check

For schools

A school leader will need to support you during the application process, including: 

• Appointing an in-school mentor
• Signing your Confirmation of School Support Form (CSSF)
• Verifying your compliance documents and safeguarding checks

During the programme, your school will need to: 

• Agree your personalised programme together with you and your pathway tutor
• Ensure you can teach across the full curriculum and age phase
• Provide you with a minimum 50% teaching timetable throughout your programme, rising to 80%
• Arrange a second school experience, if required

For mentors

You will need to nominate an in-school mentor approved by your school before starting the Straight to Teaching programme.

Your mentor will need to: 

• Have gained QTS at least two years ago
• Undertake fortnightly class observations and mentor meetings with you
• Commit to supporting you throughout the programme

Fees vary depending on the amount of preparation you need to get ready for QTS assessment. All fees include the Straight to Teaching course and the cost of QTS assessment via Tes Institute’s Assessment Only route.

You can pay in full at the start of your course, or pay termly or monthly to spread the payments across the length of your course.

Our Straight to Teaching course costs £4,725-£7,875 plus VAT (as applicable).

A private loan company may provide you with a flexible loan with long-term repayment options to help you pay for course fees and other living expenses.

If you are an international applicant, Tes Institute will aim to find you an in-country pathway tutor and assessor to support you through blended face-to-face and virtual visits. Where pathway tutors and assessors are not available, you will be required to pay and provide costs for flights, hotel, transfers and sustenance for the visit. These will be discussed with you.

Courses start every half term.

You can apply for Straight to Teaching by:

• clicking the Apply button and submitting the application form. 
• You'll receive an email with a link to complete a Confirmation of School Support form (CSSF) which must be reviewed and signed by your school leader, evidence of your Bachelor's degree and a previous school testimonial (if required). 
• Your application will be reviewed by our team. 
• You will receive a conditional offer to join the programme and submit your compliance documents before enrolment. 
• You'll be invited to enrol on the course.

Find out more about related courses.

* On average, a fully qualified teacher in England earns approximately £6,000-£7,000 more a year than their unqualified counterpart. For full details about qualified and unqualified teacher pay scales, visit education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/salary.