NA and Australian teachers getting UK certification

[TeacherGal]

Any info on North American and Australian teachers getting UK teacher certification? I remember seeing something posted some time ago but can't find it in a search of the forum.

[PsyGuy]

QTS is the professional educator credential in the UK. You can apply directly at the link below. The online application takes only a few minutes, and they will verify your credential online if they can.

https://teacherservices.education.gov.u ... ecognition

[TeacherGal]

Thanks Psyguy. Is it worth having this extra certification? I may have to pay my local certification yearly fee which is in arrears to get the UK certification. The fee will be a couple of hundred dollars.

[Helen Back]

I can't comment on your arrears, but UK QTS is free, so it's great value :-). Why wouldn't you apply?

I don't know if it affected the result of the interview I did for my current job, but they did ask how I got my QTS (it was just a paperwork exercise). I'm a North American qualified teacher, the job was in a British school. I got the job. You can draw your own conclusions.

[PsyGuy]

@TeacherGal

There is no fee to apply for QTS, its a very easy application. Whether its worth a few hundred USD depends what you are going to do with it. First, if your teaching credential is in the same field as your academic degree is in, than you could get QTS and just let your US certificate expire and never worry about PD or renewals or fees again. Second, if you wanted to be marketable to the upper tier BSs not having QTS would be a liability. Third, having QTS doesnt come with any actual knowledge of the UKNC, organization, structure, or operation of a BS. A quick look at your resume will show you have no experience in a BS.

[TeacherGal]

Any idea on how long after your application you are granted that certification so you can put it on your CV?

[PsyGuy]

@TeacherGal

About 1-2 weeks, it takes about a week to get the QTS approved from the day your application is submitted (it depends what they need to do, if your state has an online virtual lookup it will take a week, if it involves verifying by email it will take longer), and about a week for the letter to arrive by post, but since the new system was implemented you would be able to login to your teacher services account and print a QTS certificate the day its approved.