Eligibility criteria

Before entering on to the Assessment Only route course, you must:

Be currently employed in the UK as an unqualified teacher working within the age range and teaching the subject(s) applicable to the phase you wish to qualify for.
Have worked in your current school for at least six months.
Have at least two years' recent teaching experience in the phase/ subject you wish to qualify for.
Be able to demonstrate through evidence that you meet the Department for Education's Teachers’ Standards to a high standard.
Have the active support of your current employer for your application.
Be a graduate holding an undergraduate degree (2.2 or above) of a United Kingdom higher education institution or equivalent.
Have GCSE Maths, English Language or Literature (for primary and secondary) and Science (for primary) at Grade C/Grade 4 or above (or equivalent). If you do not have the required GCSEs, an equivalency test demonstrates that you have achieved the same standard as a traditional GCSE grade C or level 4. At Canterbury Christ Church University, we accept equivalency tests from 'A Star Equivalency'. If you have equivalency test results from another provider, contact us at either UGadmissions@canterbury.ac.uk or PGadmissions@canterbury.ac.uk to see if we can accept them. Please note, we are unable to accept Functional Skills in place of GCSEs for teaching courses.
Have successfully completed the Occupational Health Clearance and a satisfactory Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check made by your employer.
Be able to evidence your successful teaching experience in two schools (see below for more detail on the second school teaching experience that you will need).
Be able to evidence your successful teaching across both key stages within the range in which you want to be assessed (e.g. KS3 and KS4 for secondary; KS1 and KS2 for primary).

If English is not your first language, you require an IELTS overall score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5 for most standard undergraduate and postgraduate courses. For more information on English language requirements for this course, please visit our dedicated IELTS web page.

You will also be required to evidence your right to reside and work in the United Kingdom.

Required evidence for interview

If you are invited to interview you will be required to bring this evidence with you:

details of the second school
name of school
name of contact
dates of teaching/employment
summary of teaching experience there
most recent timetable from the second school
reference/testimonial from the second school.

If your Assessment Only application is successful at the initial screening stage, you will be invited to attend a formal interview.

The interview will take place face-to-face in your placement school and forms a compulsory part of the assessment process. It will include:

A lesson observation
A formal presentation
Presentation and discussion of the required supporting evidence (as outlined below)

The interview and lesson observation are used to assess whether you meet the Teachers’ Standards at the required level and to enable a final decision to be made regarding your suitability for the Assessment Only route.

Please note that both the interview and the lesson observation must be passed successfully in order to be admitted onto the course.

Evidence of least six lesson observations

For secondary – within the subject that the candidate wishes to be assessed in
For primary – across the range of the primary curriculum subjects
Examples of lesson plans and resources whilst teaching in the second school
Examples of assessment of pupils and evidence of the pupil progress for the class(es) taught
A reflection on the different pastoral systems, school policies, school settings, and use of school data between the second school and employing school
An ‘Impact Statement’ that describes the impact of the Second School experience on the candidate’s practice in their current employing school.

Secondary subjects available

Art and Design
English
Geography
History
Mathematics
Modern Foreign Languages
Music
Physical Education
Religious Education
Science.

You will be required to evidence your right to reside and work in the United Kingdom.

Applying as an international student

If English is not your first language you require an IELTS overall score of 6.0 with no element below 5.5 for most standard undergraduate and postgraduate courses. For more information on English language requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated IELTS web page.

You will be required to evidence your right to reside and work in the United Kingdom.

How to apply

Once you're confident that you meet all the entry requirements you'll need to complete all four steps below before the deadline noted in the first column of the table.

Download the Assessment Only application form, complete parts A to D in full. If you are able to successfully complete all requirements of this form move to Step 2. As part of step 2 you will need to upload your Assessment Only Application Form, including the supporting evidence listed in Section D of the Assessment Only Application Form.
Apply for a place on the Assessment Only route through the ‘apply now’ button, making sure to also upload the two documents requested below.
Download the Headteachers supporting statement and email it to your current headteacher. It is in your interests to ensure that you brief the Headteacher fully about the level of detail required and explain the commitments being made by the school. You will need to upload this supporting statement as part of your online application.
Download the second school reference, fill in your name at the top and send it to your second school referee. This will normally be the Headteacher of the school where you did your second school teaching experience. You will need to upload this second school reference as part of your online application.

Course dates

AO Pathway start date	Deadline for receipt of all application documentation
1 September 2026	2 June 2026
January 2027	30 September 2026
April 2027	31 January 2027
September 2028	31 May 2027

Frequently asked questions

Is Assessment Only a training route?

Assessment Only is only for those unqualified teachers who are already meeting the Teachers’ Standards. It is not a training route.

Why should I be interested in gaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)?

Gaining QTS will give you parity with other qualified teachers across the country. It will enable you to teach in any school in the country whether an independent school or a maintained state school. It will also allow you to teach at any level.

How much experience of teaching should I have?

Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is requiring at least two years of recent teaching experience as an unqualified teacher, at least 6 months of which must be in your current employing school. If you do not have this experience you should apply for a training route to QTS, such as PGCE, School Direct, or an apprenticeship. You must already be meeting the Teachers’ Standards at a good or high level. You must be able to demonstrate considerable experience as a teacher in either the primary phase or secondary phase and have fulfilled the whole range of a teacher’s duties.

What is the timescale for gaining QTS?

The amount of time that you will need to spend on the pathway will depend on your experience, what evidence you already have and your own commitment. Some people move to final assessment very quickly, others take longer depending on personal circumstances but most people can expect to gain QTS within 6 -12 weeks after registration. Twelve weeks is the maximum time allowed on the pathway.

Are there any other entry requirements?

You must have taught in two schools and your teaching in both schools must be across both key stages within the age range in which you wish to qualify: 3-11 (primary), or 11-19 (secondary). Refer to 'secon school guidance' section.

What if I can’t find my original GCSE certificates or do not have the relevant GCSEs?

If you have lost your certificates you can apply to the Examining Board for new copies. Make sure you do this straightaway as it can take some time and there will be a fee to pay.

What if my qualifications are from overseas?

You must have original copies of your certificates and a NARIC certificate to show that they are equivalent to the required qualifications in England.

What if I qualified as a teacher in Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America (USA)?

You may be recognised as a qualified teacher and can apply for QTS in England without undertaking an additional route to QTS. You will still be required to satisfy any UK Visas and Immigration requirements that may apply to you for the purposes of entering or remaining in the UK to work as a teacher. Visit the GOV.UK website for further details.

What if I have QTLS status?

If you have QTLS status you should currently be recognised as a qualified teacher in schools in England. You may not necessarily need QTS. Visit the GOV.UK website for further details, and see updates to the guidance on QTLS provided on the Society for Education and Training website.

Are there any assessed assignments to be written?

QTS is gained by providing evidence that you have met all of the Teachers’ Standards. Evidence is gained mainly from the day to day work you do as a teacher and from the written reflections showing how you have met, and are continuing to meet the Teachers’ Standards.

How much evidence do I need to present for Final Assessment?

You will be asked to compile three bundles of evidence (Pupil Progress Bundles) relating to three separate classes that you have taught to demonstrate that you have met the Teachers’ Standards. It is expected normally that this evidence will cover both schools in which you have taught and also both key stages in which you have worked. You will also be asked to demonstrate competence in the classroom at a very high level. You will also need to complete a Record of Pathway. This will be explained if you are successful at interview.

Can I use previous teaching materials as evidence?

You will already have evidence that you are currently meeting the Teachers’ Standards in your teaching and your day-to-day role as a teacher. Any evidence which you wish to present should be fairly recent. The University will advise you on this.

How often will I be observed by CCCU?

Your CCCU tutor will observe you teaching as part of their assessment procedures at the Initial Visit, the Intermediate Visit and at Final Assessment.

Will I have to do a second school experience?

It is a statutory requirement that you should have taught in at least two schools. This is to ensure that you have gained sufficient breadth and variety of experience. One of these schools should normally be a mainstream National Curriculum School. If you have not taught in two schools you must do this before submitting an Application Form. It must be a minimum of six weeks in a block. Refer to 'second school guidance' section.

I don’t meet the requirements. Can you advise me further?

Other options for you at Canterbury Christ Church are explained on our website. Other useful information can be found on the Department for Education’s Get into Teaching website.

I am working as a teaching assistant and cover supervisor. Is this route appropriate to me?

No, all applicants must be employed as unqualified teachers and must have full responsibility for planning, teaching and assessing pupils’ work. If you wish to qualify as a teacher, a taught programme such as PGCE or School-Based is more likely to be appropriate to you.

I work in a special school. Can I apply?

Yes, many such teachers have qualified through the Assessment Only route and we welcome applications from teachers in Special Schools but see the note below about the need to be teaching an age-appropriate curriculum.

I work in a Further Education or Sixth Form College. Is this route appropriate to me?

No, this qualification is for those working within the primary or secondary age phases.

Routes into teaching