The University of Buckingham is one of a small number of universities granted permission by the UK government to offer the International Qualified Teacher Status course to teachers outside the UK, from September 2023. QTS is a requirement for teachers in many (not all) schools in England and QTS is often considered an excellent teaching qualification internationally.

The UK Government has decided that all holders of the iQTS will automatically be awarded the standard QTS as well.  

The iQTS programme offers teachers based in schools outside the UK who have not undergone a period of formal training the opportunity to participate in a structured programme of professional development leading to a teaching qualification.

The course starts September 2023 and will be taught in English. Delivery will be online. 

This course is only available to those who are employed as a teacher in their school.

Why choose the University of Buckingham?

1. We have 15 years of experience delivering teacher training to schools abroad. In a typical year we have trainee teachers from 40 different countries.
2. Our lecturers have wide experience in schools overseas, having taught in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, China, the UAE as well as the UK.
3. You will be assigned a University of Buckingham tutor who will meet online with trainee and mentor throughout the course. You will receive one visit from a University of Buckingham tutor in the first term of the course.
4. If you hold an IELTS 6.5 score or an equivalent proof of English qualification accepted by the university, you may also be able to add a PGCE (Post-Graduate Certificate of Education) to your course for an additional fee.

Course Info

Starting in September, the iQTS programme is a 37-week school-based course. During this course the trainee teachers will work under the guidance of a mentor (appointed by the school in which they work). The mentor will observe teaching and meet weekly to review progress and set targets. The trainees will follow a weekly programme of readings and reflective tasks set by the university and will have an allocated University of Buckingham tutor who will meet with them every month online to track progress and support where necessary. The trainees will also be expected to attend live lectures and seminars as a condition of the course.

Our subject specialists this year include: Art, Music, Design Technology, Food Technology, Business Studies and Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Computer Science, English, Drama, Classics, Modern Languages, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Psychology, Physical Education and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).

This course is available in most subjects and age levels and includes additional focus on working in international schools.

Probable dates (UK times):

• Thursday 24 August (Induction) 7am-2pm
• Friday 25 August (Induction) 7am-2pm
• Monday 11 September 2023 7am-2pm
• Thursday 21st Sept 2023 1.30-4pm
• Thursday 5 October 2023 1.30-4pm
• Thursday 9 November 2023 1.30-4pm
• Wednesday 29th November 2023 7am-2pm
• Thursday 7 Dec 2023 1.30-4pm
• Thursday 18 January 2024 1.30-4pm
• Thursday 1 February 1.30-4pm
• Tuesday 26 March 2024 7am-2pm
• Tuesday 30 April 2024 7am-2pm
• Monday 20 May 2024 7am-2pm

Teaching & Assessment

Trainees are assessed in a number of ways:

• you will have a mentor in your school who will arrange for your lessons to be observed and assessed so that you can improve week by week.
• you will record evidence of your teaching on an online form.
• trainees are assigned a University of Buckingham tutor who will be in touch regularly. You will have termly calls to assess your progress and guide your development.
  You will be expected to show evidence that you have mastered all of the International Teaching Standards

If you wish to add an optional PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of Education) you need to know:

• this is only suitable for students with good written English who have the ability to write at a high academic level
• the course consists of preparing for and writing 2-3 essays
• successful completion of the PGCE allows you to go on to take a Master' s degree

Your background

1. You must have a university bachelor' s degree. If your degree is not from a UK university, you will also need to provide ENIC statement of comparability.  
2. You must have the equivalent of a UK GCSE grade 4 in mathematics and the same in science if you are teaching pupils aged 5-11. If you do not have an equivalent qualification you will be asked to sit a proficiency test.
3. You must have good written and spoken English. This means you have either completed some of your education in English OR you have achieved an IELTS score of 6.5.
4. You must pass child protection/safeguarding/ criminal record checks.
5. You must have the health and physical capacity to teach.
6. If you are teaching now, you should be able to provide evidence of your professional standing as a teacher.
7. You must pass an online interview with staff from the University of Buckingham.
8. You must have access to a reliable computer.
9. You must be teaching within one of the following age phases (you do not have to teach children of all ages within any phase):
   • Ages 5-11 = primary
   • Ages 7-14 = middle route
   • Ages 11-19 = secondary route
10. You will need to show you have experience of a minimum of 3 weeks in a different school to your main school OR prove that you have worked in a different school previously.

Your school

1. You must be employed in a school as a teacher. You must be in school for a minimum of 120 days in the year.
2. That school must be happy to support you doing the iQTS course and must be happy to recommend you.
3. Your school must be able to provide an experienced member of staff in the school to act as your mentor, observing your lessons, providing feedback and discussing the weekly tasks set by the University of Buckingham. This will take 2-3 hours a week.
4. Your school should be able to provide written confirmation that they have carried out safeguarding/ child protection checks and that you have been deemed suitable to work with children.