Astra Assessment Only Route to QTS

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Since 2017, we have supported over 150 unqualified teachers in achieving Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) through the Astra Assessment Only route to QTS.

This route is available to graduates currently working as unqualified teachers in schools, with a minimum of two years of full-time, whole-class teaching experience.

Our AO candidate shared, "The process was straightforward. The assessor was knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Communication with the assessor was prompt, and the instructions were clear and precise."

Key Facts

Duration - 12 Weeks | Location - In school l Cost - £3,250 | Funding - School-funded | Level - Primary & Secondary |

Programme Description

If you are an unqualified teacher who meets the Department for Education’sTeachers' Standards for England, the Astra Assessment Only route could help you gain QTS in 12 weeks.

The Astra Assessment Only route to QTS will help you to:

Become a fully qualified teacher
Gain job security
Increase your salary by up to £7,000 per year by moving from an unqualified to a qualified teachers’ pay scale
Play a significant role in school leadership.

Entry Requirements

If you wished to be qualified this academic year (2024-2025), due to the high number of candidates, applications had to be submitted on or before 1 May 2025. Enquiries about applications for next academic year (2025-2026) are welcome. Please feel free to contact the Astra via ao@astra-alliiance.com.

Please alsorefer to the Assessment Only route to QTS criteria and supporting advice

Hold GCSEs at level 4/grade C or above in English & Maths (and Science if you want to teach primary) or equivalent qualifications. (If you gained your qualifications outside the UK, we can compare them to UK qualifications and advise you on GCSE Equivalency. We accept equivalence certificates from (A*Star or ET Equivalency Testing)
Hold a degree from a UK higher education institution or equivalent qualification.
Have undertaken at least two years of teaching experience that includes evidence of whole class teaching with sole responsibility for planning, marking, assessing and reporting on pupils' work
Provide evidence of having taught in at least two schools.
Evidence that you meet the Teachers' Standards across a minimum of two consecutive age ranges for your chosen teaching specialism.
Demonstrate the required fundamental skills in Maths and English as defined by the DfE.
Be employed in a school in a teaching role with sole responsibility for teaching, assessment and planning.
The Employing School must sign the Partnership Agreement, allocate a mentor, support the 12-week programme, and pay £3,250.

Programme Delivery

1. Complete Astra's Self-Evaluation Form and we'll contact you about the next stages.

2. Submit the following documents here ^{(Please ensure that before you upload each document it is clearly labelled with your name and type of document e.g. Nigel Smith - Passport/Nigel Smith - Degree Certificate)}

Application form
Partnership Agreement ^{(Please create a copy of the application form and partnership agreement in Google Docs or Word. Once completed, fill out the form and have it signed by the headteacher of your employing school)}
Two lesson observations
Testimonial and lesson observations from previous school experiences, detailing your roles, responsibilities, and the age ranges you have taught.
A copy of your degree certificate
A copy of English and Maths GCSE certificates (as well as Science GCSE if you are applying for the Primary Route)
A copy of your passport
A copy of your CV
ENIC (NARIC) Statement of comparability - if applicable
Change of name documentation- if applicable

3. After reviewing all your documents, we will schedule the Initial Visit and invoice the employing school for £650. This visit will be conducted in person. An Astra AO assessor will visit your school to observe you teaching, verify compliance (including original academic qualifications and ID), meet with the candidate's mentor, and review the current QTS evidence portfolio. The Initial Visit will also establish the timeline for the QTS assessment and award.

4. The Final Visit can follow quite swiftly from the Initial Visit, depending on any targets set. The Final Visit may be online or in person and includes reviewing the QTS evidence portfolio, interviewing the candidate's mentor, and observing the AO candidate's teaching if the assessor didn't observe at the Initial Visit or if an additional lesson observation is necessary. Ahead of the final visit, we will invoice the employing school for the remaining £2,600.

5. We encourage you to start the portfolio online (Google Drive or Microsoft OneNote) as soon as possible. Please refer to the Assessment Only Handbook and a Guide to developing a QTS Evidence Portfolio. AO candidates must show evidence of Fundamental English and Maths proficiency in the portfolio. The assessor will need to see that you have started the portfolio before the initial visit and submitted it for review a week before the final visit.

6. Upon the Assessor's recommendation, Astra will recommend you for QTS with the Department for Education.

7. Once the registration is confirmed, we will email your TRN Number, Astra QTS programme completion certificate, and information regarding next steps for statutory induction.

Programme Start Date

We have a rolling start date for the Assessment Only programme. However, your 12-week assessment period will begin after the initial visit. Enrollment is open all year, with a cut off date of 1 May for qualification in the same academic year.