PGCE iQTS (DL): Additional information

iQTS (International Qualified Teacher Status) is a UK Government-backed teaching qualification, officially recognised by the Department for Education (DfE) as equal to English QTS. The University of Sunderland, the largest DfE-approved iQTS provider, delivers this qualification internationally.

All iQTS programmes are regularly reviewed to maintain high academic standards and ensure quality training. Courses must meet the strict criteria set by the Secretary of State for Education.

iQTS is designed for UK and non-UK citizens living outside the UK. This course could be a great fit if:

• You have no teaching experience but want a professional qualification equivalent to QTS
• You have some teaching experience and would benefit from expert training and mentoring
• You’re already a teacher looking to grow professionally and boost your global job prospects
• You want a qualification that allows you to teach in all schools in England.

Once you successfully finish the course, you’ll be awarded iQTS, which automatically converts to QTS – no extra fees or training needed. With QTS, you’ll be qualified to teach in all state-maintained schools in England and Wales, provided you have the right visa or immigration status.

You can complete the entire course from where you live and work, with no need to travel to the UK.

Yes, you'll be allocated a Teacher Reference Number (TRN) at the start of the course, which identifies you in the UK education sector.

Yes – iQTS is designed for both new and experienced teachers working in, or aiming to work in, international schools around the world. It’s especially valuable for teachers in the expatriate teaching community, where moving between countries is common.

However, when it comes to state school registration outside the UK, requirements vary by country. While many international schools recognise iQTS/QTS, some countries have their own teaching registration rules.

We strongly recommend checking with the education authority or governing body in the country where you plan to teach, to confirm whether iQTS/QTS will be accepted.

If you're enrolled on this course, it's your responsibility to find a school willing to host your placement. The school must understand what’s required to support your teaching practice. While we can’t arrange placements for you, we’re happy to provide information and speak with schools about the course and what’s involved.

As an iQTS trainee, you can choose to focus on one of the following age ranges:

• Primary (ages 5–11)
• Secondary (ages 11–16)
• Business Studies (ages 14–19).

During the course, you'll explore topics tailored to your chosen age group and subject area.

On successful completion, the certificate award states PGCE iQTS Primary or PGCE iQTS Secondary but won’t list a specific age range or subject. However, the University will provide documentation confirming the phase of education you trained in and the curriculum and subjects you taught. Your QTS will be awarded in your specific teaching phase (e.g. Primary or Secondary).

It’s recommended to teach across two key stages, usually with the same mentor, but having different mentors for each placement is possible. Practical teaching is full-time, with a goal of reaching 14 teaching hours per week, while being at school five days a week. This helps you experience school life fully – attending meetings, undertaking duties, observing lessons, meeting your mentor and staff, and collecting data for your studies.

If you’re already a full-time teacher, you’ll usually fit your practice hours into your regular schedule, though you still need time for meetings and tasks outside teaching. Many trainees are full-time, in-service teachers or teaching assistants, which can be challenging but doable.

If you're a teaching or educational assistant, you may work with classes already in your timetable, but this needs agreement with the school.

There are two routes for starting the practical module based on experience. Less experienced trainees start gradually with observations, one-to-one, small group, and team teaching before moving to whole-class teaching.

Teaching Experience 1 and 2 should be completed at the same school. Teaching Experience 3 can be at a different school, but it must be in the same educational phase. This means you won’t need a second school experience. Make sure to include the subjects and phase you’ll teach when submitting your school proposal form with your application.

You're welcome to take part in our annual graduation ceremony, which is held in Sunderland around the second week of July each year after the course is completed.

We’ll review your application as soon as possible, but it must pass certain checks first. In some cases, we may ask you to confirm your school placement or provide outstanding documents. After review, you’ll be invited to an interview and then told if you’ve received a conditional offer. Once you meet all the conditions, you’ll get an unconditional offer.

You’ll be advised to enrol at least two weeks before the course starts – please note, your deposit becomes non-refundable at this point. After enrolling, you’ll get access to your student email, where the registry and academic teams will contact you about induction.

Application timeline:

• Submit application and documents
• Application reviewed
• Shortlisted applicants invited for interview
• Conditional offers made
• Unconditional offer sent once conditions are met
• Enrolment details shared
• Induction information sent via email.

Before the course begins, the academic team will host informal ‘Keeping in Touch’ sessions.

Make sure you have a computer suitable for multimedia use (at least 1GHz processor and 256MB RAM – though faster and more memory is better). Since all teaching is online, a reliable internet connection is essential.