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Fees and key information

Course type

Postgraduate

Entry requirements

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Why study this course?

London Met’s Assessment Only route to QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) provides you with a unique opportunity to gain a QTS qualification. It's designed for those who are already working in a school as an unqualified teacher. Successfully pass this 12-week programme and you'll be recommended for QTS accreditation.

If you have two years’ experience in schools and are working in a teaching role, then this programme could be for you.

As this is ‘assessment only’, it does not provide any training. Therefore, you will need to meet the following requirements:

You will need to have passed a degree at 2:2 or above. For secondary subjects the degree would normally be in a subject relevant to that which you are teaching. For primary applicants the degree can be in any subject.
You will need GCSE Maths and English at grade 4/C (and for primary teachers you will also need a GCSE in a science subject).
You need at least two years’ experience of working in schools.
Have worked as an unqualified class teacher in two different key stages.
Be employed in a school or children’s centre that is willing to support the process of your assessment.

You will undertake a rigorous assessment prior to acceptance on the programme, to ensure that you will be able to demonstrate that you are meeting the Teacher Standards by the end of the 12 weeks.

Once the programme has started, you will build evidence on our online portfolio system, including reflections on your practice and a case study. You will receive support and guidance from a university tutor (all of whom are very experienced classroom practitioners). You will also receive support in your place of work from a more experienced member of staff acting as a mentor. Please see the Assessment section for further information.

Take your experience further

This course is designed for those who are already working in a school as an unqualified teacher

Keep moving on your path to accreditation

Successfully pass this 12-week programme and you'll be recommended for QTS accreditation

Learn from industry professionals

You will receive support and guidance from a university tutor (all of whom are very experienced classroom practitioners)

Course modules

The modules listed below are for the academic year 2024/25 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.

Year 1 modules

Curriculum Studies

This module currently runs:
all year (September start)

(core, 30 credits)

NB: Teaching Period is a statutory period of currently 36 weeks, set by the Department of Education. Term dates are set separately to the standard university dates, with an earlier start and later finish than other postgraduate courses.

The Curriculum Studies module aims to ensure that all students have appropriate knowledge, skills and understanding to teach their chosen specialism as an effective practitioner, in fulfilment of all relevant aspects of the Core Content Framework.

To support the student:
● to develop an understanding of the curriculum knowledge and pedagogical knowledge that they will require as a teacher, including the ability to interpret this to plan, teach and assess engaging lessons which promote pupil progression.
● to develop their own subject knowledge to ensure they are confident to teach their chosen specialist subject and/or phase, through a combination of assessment, self-assessment, target setting, personal study and engagement with university teaching and learning sessions.
● to develop a critical appreciation of the relevant traditions in pedagogy, assessment and children’s rights related to the areas they will be required to teach, and to use this knowledge to make decisions about planning, teaching and assessment which promote pupil progression.

Read full details

Professionalism and Inclusive Practice

This module currently runs:
all year (September start)
all year (January start)
autumn semester

(core, 30 credits)

The Professional Inclusive Practice (PIP) module aims to ensure that student teachers are prepared for all aspects of professionalism and professional thinking as a teacher. It aims to ensure that they are fully equipped to meet the broader knowledge, skills and behaviours beyond individual subject or phase specialist topics, in fulfilment of all aspects of the Core Content Framework.
To support the trainee:
• to develop a critical understanding of the key philosophies that underpin our curriculum, based on the principles of Education for Social Justice, Critical Pedagogy and the UNCRC.
• to teach in a range of contexts, with a focus on teaching in multilingual, multicultural schools, working closely with families, communities and other professionals and to develop a sense of professional identity which reflects this.
• to develop the full range of skills, competencies and attitudes needed to enhance their employability, by enabling them to attain the professional Teachers’ Standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by the end of the course.
• to enable students to reflect upon, critically assess and research their own practice. 

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School Experience

This module currently runs:
all year (September start)

(core, 0 credits)

NB: Teaching Period (whole course) is a statutory period of currently 36 weeks, set by the Department of Education. Placement Module dates are set at 24 weeks minimum. Term dates are set separately to the standard university dates, with an earlier start and later finish than other postgraduate courses.

The module will be comprised of two school experiences placements in contrasting schools or other appropriate settings to support the trainee to:
• Develop their professional practice as a teacher.
• Gain the skills and understanding outlined in the Core Content Framework for ITT.
• Become a critically reflective practitioner inside and outside the classroom.
• Acquire the necessary skills, experience and understanding required to plan, deliver and evaluate the appropriate areas of the curriculum (for their route) by the end of the module.

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Course details

You will be required to have:

a UK honours degree (2.2 or above)
several years’ experience in at least two schools
worked as an unqualified class teacher in two different key stages
be employed in a school or children’s centre that is willing to support the process of your assessment
GCSE Maths and English (for secondary level) or GCSE Maths, English and Science (for primary and early years levels) all at grade 4/C or above (equivalents will be assessed on a case-by-case basis)
teaching experience in a school other than the school you currently work in
pass our literacy and numeracy tests — these are university-based tests that you will be asked to undertake at your interview

Application guidance

We'll ask you to complete a short form that asks a few questions about your experience. A member of our Initial Teacher Training team will then be in touch to discuss your experience and see if the course is suited to you. If suitable, you'll then be sent our formal application form.

When completing your application please include information to confirm your degree and GCSE qualifications and that you have the relevant work experience. Please ensure your personal statement confirms the subject you intend to teach.

You must include a declaration of support to be downloaded and completed by the head teacher at the school where you are employed. This can be scanned and uploaded as part of the online application process. You’ll then be shortlisted and interviewed by the University in line with the normal selection procedures.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

English language requirements

To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa (previously Tier 4) you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements.

If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.

Assessment for this course is divided into the pre-assessment phase and the formal assessment phase.

To complete the pre-assessment, you must prepare an audit of your teaching experience against the Teaching Standards (2012). You’ll then attend an initial assessment meeting to fully evaluate your experience and identify areas for development during the formal assessment phase. Please note that you’ll only proceed to the formal assessment phase if the tutor considers that you can achieve the standards for QTS within the available time frame.

The formal assessment phase will then take place over a 12-week block, which will be triggered following a successful first assessment visit from the university tutor.

To pass the formal assessment phase, you must present portfolio evidence that demonstrates you've achieved the teaching standards across two key stages. Your university mentor will make a further two assessment visits to your school placement during this phase. and will be responsible for training and ensuring that the Teaching Standards are being correctly assessed.

At the end of this phase, your mentor will complete a final assessment and you will present a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates that you have consistently met the teaching standards across two key stages. University tutors will then consider the evidence and, if you’re successful, recommend you to the Teaching Regulation Agency for the award of QTS.

On successful completion of the assessments, the University will recommend you to the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) for the award of Qualified Teacher Status.

Teachers who attend this assessment-only route have gone on to increase their earnings and responsibilities in their careers thanks to the QTS accreditation.

Either you or your employer can can pay the assessment fee. Please determine this before you apply.

Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.

Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.

How to apply

Please use the get in touch button to apply and complete the initial form. Someone from our Initial Teacher Training team will then be in touch to talk to you about your application and see if the course is suited to you.

When to apply

You are advised to apply as early as possible as applications will only be considered if there are places available on the course.

To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.

Assessment Only (AO) route to qualified teacher statusQTS

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Fees and key information