How To Become a Supply Teacher Without Qualified Teacher Status

In this blog, you will learn:

• What Qualified Teacher Status is.
• Whether or not Supply Teachers need Qualified Teacher Status.
• How to become a Supply Teacher without Qualified Teacher Status.
• Where the latest Teaching jobs are and how to apply for them.

If you’re wondering whether you can become a Supply Teacher without Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) look no further. There are several avenues to get into the teaching profession including an undergraduate degree in teaching, a PGCE, apprenticeships and Continued Professional Development.

However, there are many routes into the teaching profession and different requirements for becoming a Supply Teacher. 

Throughout this blog, we’ll delve into whether it is possible to become a Supply Teacher without Qualified Teacher Status, and what steps you may need to take in your teaching career.

What is Qualified Teacher Status?

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is a professional certification legally required to teach in most schools in England. Within the English state school sector, Academy schools and free schools can employ Teachers without QTS, and outside the English state school sector, private or independent schools can hire Teachers without QTS.

QTS is a recognised and respected status awarded in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and demonstrates that an individual has met the professional standards set by the government for teaching. Even where QTS is not a legal requirement, many schools use it to determine whether or not a candidate meets the requirements and are backed by an approved professional qualification.

Achieving QTS typically involves completing a period of teacher training, such as a Bachelor of Education (BEd), a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), or a school-based training program like Initial Teacher Training (ITT) program. Graduating with Qualified Teacher Status means you’ll be able to go straight into your first teaching position.

Do Supply Teachers need Qualified Teacher Status?

Qualified Teacher Status is a preferred requirement for becoming a Supply Teacher, however, it isn’t necessary as long as they have the right qualifications. In order to be a Supply Teacher, individuals need to obtain the equivalent of QTS through a relevant undergraduate degree or postgraduate certificate.

A Supply Teacher needs to have all the same qualifications as a Teacher working in a permanent role. They need to gain Qualified Teacher Status in addition to their first degree, unless they have a Bachelor of Education or a BSc/BA with QTS.

There are also plenty of opportunities for unqualified or trainee Teachers to become Supply Teachers in schools. If you’re already a Teacher, you will most likely already have the necessary credentials and not require QTS. With the BEd Hons, you obtain Qualified Teacher Status to work with children in the primary phase. 

Alternative routes to become a Supply Teacher without Qualified Teacher Status

Ways to become a Supply Teacher without Qualified Teacher Status:

• Become a Cover Supervisor
• Become a Teaching Assistant
• Use a teaching supply agency.
• Gain overseas teaching experience.

Become a Cover Supervisor

Some schools call upon Cover Supervisors to oversee classrooms when a Teacher is absent for a short period of time or without notice. There are no specific qualifications to becoming a Cover Supervisor and they do not necessarily require QTS. 

However Cover Supervisors do require a background in teaching and should have relevant experience in their subject.

There are certificate and diploma courses for Cover Supervisor roles that provide teaching experience. Working as a Cover Supervisor is a great alternative route into supply teaching if you don’t have QTS or the right qualifications.

Become a Teaching Assistant

Becoming a Teaching Assistant is another route into the teaching profession without the need for Qualified Teacher Status. Working as a Teaching Assistant allows individuals to gain valuable classroom experience and many don’t require QTS.

By working as a Teaching Assistant in a school, the role allows you to work closely with experienced Teachers, assisting with lesson planning and preparation, and providing one-on-one support to students. 

Becoming a Teaching Assistant can serve as a stepping stone into the education sector and provides an avenue for exploring teaching as a potential career path. The qualifications needed to become a Teaching Assistant differ from that of a supply teacher, but both can benefit from a QTS.

Use a teaching supply agency

An effective way to find supply teaching opportunities without the need for QTS is to register with a supply teaching agency. Securing a temporary Supply Teacher role without QTS is one of the many benefits of working through an education and teaching agency.

Some supply teaching agencies consider hiring individuals without QTS depending on the demand for supply Teachers and specific school requirements. Some agencies prefer candidates with QTS, but there are many that consider individuals that best suit the schools requirements and even those without QTS.

Registering with a supply teaching agency can give you access to various opportunities which can give you the comprehensive support you need throughout your career.

Gain overseas teaching experience

Some schools consider those with international teaching qualifications when hiring Supply Teachers, even if they don’t hold QTS. If you’re a qualified Teacher from another country, you can transfer your skills to the UK education system and work as a Teacher in England for up to 4 years without QTS.

If you are already a qualified Teacher, you don’t need to retrain to teach in England, however you will need to apply for English ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ or be able to demonstrate your international qualifications and relevant experience.

After that, individuals will need QTS to teach in many schools in England although it’s not a legal requirement in all types of schools.

UK and non-UK Teachers without QTS can gain International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) in order to improve their employability in England and internationally.

Teaching jobs

If you’re searching for your next teaching job, why not take a look at the latest teaching vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.

Discover what it's like inside the classroom from an early career teachers perspective and how to be a champion for children with SEND in an interview with a trainee primary school teacher.

Recruit teaching staff

As a specialist education recruitment agency, we support mainstream and SEND schools with their temporary, permanent and temp-perm staffing needs. 

We currently work with hundreds of schools and have exclusive access to some of the best Teachers and Teaching Assistants in the North West.

If you’re struggling to fill a teaching vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?

Primary schools - Jimmy Callagher 

Secondary schools - Liam Jones

SEND schools - Jamie Heath 

Who is Spencer Clarke Group?

Established in 2017, we’re a vibrant and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. 

We continually reimagine the recruitment process to challenge convention and defy expectations; from creating a better recruitment experience to remodelling employee engagement, we thrive off doing things differently and turning heads along the way. 

We operate in two sectors:

Private Sector

Public Sector 

In eleven specialisms:

Accountancy & Finance

Education & SEND

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