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Employing unqualified teachers: requirements

Understand the rules around employing unqualified teachers in maintained schools and academies, including who’s eligible and what work they can do.

Last reviewed on 6 October 2025
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Contents
  1. Your requirements
  2. Unqualified teachers can deliver 'specified work'
  3. Using TAs and HLTAs
  4. Using instructors

Your requirements

Maintained schools must employ qualified teachers for the roles of:

  • Special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) – this is outlined in section 49 of The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Regulations 2014. See our article on the qualification requirements for SENCOs
  • Designated teacher for looked after children (LAC) – see page 6 of the DfE guidance on LAC

Unqualified teachers can deliver 'specified work'

The following unqualified staff can carry out 'specified work':

  • Existing unqualified teachers in nursery classes and at nursery schools
  • Instructors with special qualifications or experience (explained below)
  • Overseas-trained teachers*
  • Trainees on an employment-based initial teacher training scheme, e.g. the salaried School Direct programme 
  • Persons who may carry out specified work under supervision, e.g. teaching assistants (TAs) or higher level TAs (HLTAs) (explained below) 

*In pupil referral units (PRUs), overseas-trained teachers can't carry out 'specified work'.

This is set out in the schedule of The Education (Specified Work) (England) Regulations 2012.

Planning and