Checks on teachers' qualifications

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

Last reviewed on 2 July 2024See updates
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Contents
  1. What you must check
  2. 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 238 of statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education.

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

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

Early career teachers (ECTs) 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. 

This is set out on page 19 of the statutory guidance for ECT inductions.

How to check qualifications

QTS

Use Teacher Services to verify the award of QTS.

You can also use this service to check:

Qualified teacher learning and skills