Teachers' Standards: overview and career progression

Read our summary of the Teachers' Standards, and see our skills audit and example school policies linking the standards to career stage expectations and progression.

Last reviewed on 19 October 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 5343
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. These are for schools in England - teachers in Wales use a different set of standards (see the final section in 'Who the standards apply to' below for more detail).

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