15th November 2018

Teaching in England with Australian Qualifications – what you need to know

Can you teach in England with your Australian qualifications?

Australian teachers are able to teach in England as soon as they complete a teaching degree and gain their final academic transcript from their University, showing their qualifications have been conferred. Whether they are recognised with British Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), will be based on whether they are “Provisional” or “Proficient” in their home state or territory.

What Qualifications do Australian teachers gain?

Australian teachers will either have completed an undergraduate degree and then a Post Graduate Diploma of Teaching or a Masters of Teaching. The other pathway is via a three of four year undergraduate Bachelor of Education degree.

New Graduate Teachers

When Australian new graduates complete their degree, they will register with their state/ territory education department and be granted  “Provisional” teacher status. This registration allows the teacher to work in state schools and work towards gaining “Proficiency.”

Gaining “Proficiency”

In order to gain “Proficiency”, an Australian teacher will need to be working in an Australian school/ schools and being observed and assessed. After a set number of hours/days they will be eligible to be confirmed as “Proficient.” The amount of time needed to gain “Proficiency” will depend on the state or territory the teacher is working in. It generally takes about a year for new graduates, with fairly regular work to move from “Provisional” to “Proficient”.

Provisional and Proficient Teachers working in England.

A teacher coming to work in England who has gained “Proficiency” in Australia, will be able to apply for QTS, which stands for Qualified Teacher Status, in the UK. Having QTS confirms the Australian teacher is paid to scale and have opportunities to work in all types of schools and work long-term in the UK.

Can a “Provisional ” teacher work in England?

Yes. A provisional teacher will be allowed to teach without issue in the UK for up to 4 years, without having QTS. They may have some limitations in the type of schools they can work in without QTS.

Non QTS eligible teachers are not automatically eligible to be paid on the QTS pay scale, but their overseas experience and expertise will be taken into account.

A new graduate teacher from Australia will not be able to gain British Qualified Teacher Status ( QTS) if they are only provisionally registered in home state/territory and there is no need for a new graduate to register in Australia if they plan to head straight to England to teach.

For a provisional Australian teacher to gain QTS while in the UK, they would need to go through an overseas teacher training program. This involves placements in several schools and coursework/ observations and so is not widely taken up, especially as it is at the school’s expense.

What if I want to teach in England but I don’t have a teaching qualification?

The are some people who have one or more degree qualifications like a Bachelor of Science or Maths or English Literature that may mean that a British school will consider them for a teaching role in those areas eg. Maths or Science or English Teachers. Instead of being employed as a teacher they would be offered a role as a “Highly Skilled Instructor.”

Teacher Aide work is available in primary, secondary and SEN schools across England. Formal qualifications are not required but would be well received. Australians can apply to work in schools as a support staff worker. First Aid qualifications are great to have if applying for any support or teaching roles.

Teaching Jobs London provide individual advice and support for Australian teachers looking to relocate and teach in England. We will take all the guesswork out of the process r relocating. We help with your visa application, compliance documentation collection and transitional support for setting up a UK bank account and securing initial and ongoing accommodation. Most importantly, your Teaching Jobs London consultant will work with you to find and secure your right role, in the right school.

Your support network in the UK

At Engage, we do our best to help you connect with our other Australian and Kiwi teachers in England – people who can show you how to settle in, and where all the best bars are! We’ll also give you a £1000 relocation bonus over your first year to help you find your feet in your new home.

When you register with Engage, you’re helping your education career to flourish, while benefiting from all the support we have to offer.