Sara Bubb offers advice to students and NQTs I’m a qualified primary teacher from Australia with three years’ experience here and at home. Is there a quick way to get qualified teacher status in England?
Yes, a new scheme for overseas trained teachers (OTT) started on April 26. You no longer have to complete a minimum three-month training period to qualify through the graduate teacher programme. If you’re confident that you meet the standards you can apply for an assessment without further training. Since you’ve been teaching for more than two years, you could also be assessed against the QTS and induction standards at the same time and, if successful, will be exempt from serving the induction period.
Call the OTT advice line (0118 952 3966) to get more information and an applicatin form. If you want to do some training beforehand, the TTA will pay a training grant of pound;500-pound;750, depending on need. To meet the QTS standards you have to take the literacy and numeracy skills tests online. Only when you’ve passed those will an external assessor come to your school.
I qualified in July 1999 and have been working part-time, so my induction has lasted two years. Do I have to take the maths test?
No. Only those who qualified after May 1, 2000 have to pass the numeracy skills test.
Email your questions to friday@tes.co.ukSara Bubb’s book, A Newly-Qualified Teachers’ Manual: how to meet the induction standards, is published by David Fulton, pound;15. She regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. More of your questions answered at www.tes.co.uk.
