Checks on teachers' qualifications

You must check qualifications for new teachers. Find out how to carry out these checks.

Last reviewed on 11 May 2026See updates
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Contents
  1. What you must check
  2. New law brings academy requirements in line with maintained schools
  3. How to check qualifications

What you must check

As part of the required pre-employment checks, you must verify teachers' professional qualifications, as 'appropriate'.

That's set out in paragraph 237 of the statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

It's up to you to decide what's appropriate, but the guidance mentions checking:

  • The award of qualified teacher status (QTS)
  • The completion of teacher induction or probation

Early career teachers must undergo a QTS check

You must check for qualified teacher status (QTS) before allowing anyone to take up a post for a statutory induction – early career teachers (ECTs) cannot undertake statutory induction, or a period of employment counting towards induction, unless they've been awarded QTS. 

This is set out on page 14 of the statutory guidance for ECT inductions.

New law brings academy requirements in line with maintained schools

New