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Assessment Only Route to QTS 

We have helped over 150 unqualified teachers gain qualified teacher status (QTS) through the Astra Assessment-Only Route to QTS. Our candidates consistently report that “the course is enjoyable and well-structured."

Key Details

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’s Teachers' 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 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

(Please refer 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 the Astra's Self-Evaluation Form, and we will contact you.
     

  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 (Template)
  • Testimonial and lesson observations from previous school experience, detailing your roles, responsibilities, and the age ranges you have taught.
  • Copy of the degree certificate
  • Copy of English and Maths GCSE certificates (as well as Science GCSE if you are applying for the Primary Route).
  • Copy of the passport 
  • Copy of your CV
  • ENIC (NARIC) Statement of comparability - if applicable
  • Change of name documentation- if applicable
     
  1. 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.
     
  2. We will schedule the Initial Visit and invoice the employing school for £650. The Initial Visit will take place in person. An Astra AO assessor will visit to observe teaching and check compliance (original academic qualifications and ID), meet the AO candidate's mentor at the school and review the current QTS evidence portfolio. The initial visit will also determine timescales for the QTS assessment and award. 
     
  3. 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.
     
  4. Upon the Assessor's recommendation, Astra will recommend you for QTS on the DfE site.
     
  5. Once the registration is confirmed, we will email your TRN Number, Astra QTS program completion certificate, and the Early Career Framework information. Please discuss ECF with your mentor and the school. 

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. 

Contact

Email: ao@astra-alliance.com

Tel: 01494 787573