Teachers' Standards: overview and career progression

Read our summary of the Teachers' Standards, and find out how they relate to career stage expectations and progression.

Last reviewed on 3 November 2023
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Contents
  1. Who the standards apply to
  2. What the standards cover
  3. The standards don't cover career stage expectations
  4. How to use the standards in appraisals

This article is based on the current Teachers' Standards for schools in England.

Who the standards apply to

The Teachers' Standards must apply to:

  • Most teachers in maintained schools, including headteachers (this is set out in legislation)
  • Teachers completing their early career teacher (ECT) induction
  • Trainees working towards qualified teacher status (QTS)

They don't have to apply to:

  • Teachers in academies (unless your funding agreement says otherwise)
  • Teachers with qualified teacher learning and skills (QTLS) status

However, the standards may be used for these teachers if you wish.

Teachers in Wales use different standards  The Welsh government has different standards - the professional standards for teaching and leadership - that should be used for teachers in Wales. The current standards were introduced in 2018 and apply to all serving teachers and leaders, and all new teachers (previously NQTs, now ECTs) who began their induction after September