QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) is awarded by the Department for Education and is the standard route into school teaching in England; it normally needs a degree. QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills) is conferred by the Society for Education and Training after a Level 5 teaching qualification and does not require a degree. Since 2012, QTLS holders have been legally recognised as qualified teachers in English maintained schools.
What is the difference between QTLS and QTS?
Both are professional statuses, not qualifications. You earn a qualification first (a PGCE, an undergraduate teaching degree, or an Ofqual-regulated Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training), then the status is conferred on top of it.
- QTS is granted by the Department for Education (DfE) once you complete accredited initial teacher training (ITT) and are assessed against the Teachers' Standards. It is designed for the schools sector: primary, secondary and special schools.
- QTLS is granted by the Society for Education and Training (SET), the membership body of the Education and Training Foundation, after a process called professional formation. It is designed for the further education (FE) and skills sector: colleges, sixth forms, apprenticeship providers, adult community learning and prisons.
The 2012 amendment to the School Teachers' Qualifications Regulations made QTLS holders who are SET members eligible to teach as qualified teachers in maintained schools in England, on the same pay and conditions as QTS teachers. That one change is why the comparison matters: QTLS is now a genuine second door into school teaching for people who did not go to university.
QTLS vs QTS comparison table
| Column 1 | QTLS | QTS |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills | Qualified Teacher Status |
| Awarded by | Society for Education and Training (SET / ETF) | Department for Education (via Teaching Regulation Agency) |
| Sector designed for | Further education and skills (16+, adult, apprenticeships) | Schools (primary, secondary, special) |
| Degree required? | No, a Level 5 DET / Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) is the entry qualification | Yes. Postgraduate routes need a degree first; undergraduate routes and teacher degree apprenticeships award one |
| Prerequisite qualification | Level 5 DET or Level 5 DiT (FE and Skills), plus Level 2 maths and English | Accredited ITT: PGCE, undergraduate BA/BSc with QTS, School Direct, Teach First, apprenticeship or assessment-only |
| How long it takes | Around 6 months professional formation after your Level 5 (which itself is 12 to 18 months) | 1 year (PGCE / School Direct) or 3 years (undergraduate) |
| Where you can teach as "qualified" | FE colleges and training providers; maintained schools in England (since 2012); academies and free schools at the school's discretion | Maintained schools, academies, free schools; FE colleges also accept QTS |
| Pay in schools | Main / upper pay range, same as QTS | Main / upper pay range |
| Ongoing requirement | Maintain SET membership to keep the school-teaching recognition | None once awarded (two-year statutory induction to complete) |
| Typical cost | Level 5 course fee (from £79.99 a month online) plus SET professional formation fee | Undergraduate tuition fees at the England fee cap unless salaried route; bursaries in shortage subjects |
Do you need a degree for QTLS?
No. This is the single biggest practical difference. Every QTS route in England ends with a degree: postgraduate routes need one before you start, while undergraduate QTS degrees and the teacher degree apprenticeship include one. QTLS instead requires a Level 5 teaching qualification: either the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET) or its 2024 successor, the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills). Level 5 sits below a bachelor's degree (Level 6) on the Regulated Qualifications Framework, so you can reach QTLS with GCSE-equivalent maths and English plus vocational experience in the subject you want to teach.
That is why QTLS is the usual route for tradespeople, health professionals, hairdressers, engineers, accountants and other specialists who want to teach their occupation in a college. Lift College's Ofqual-regulated TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) is a recognised Level 5 for exactly this purpose: see the Level 5 Teaching in Further Education course, and our guide to DET vs the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching if you are unsure which version an employer is asking for.
How do you get QTLS status?
- Complete a Level 5 teaching qualification, DET or Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills), including the required teaching practice hours. The TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) requires a 250-hour teaching placement, with at least 150 hours of teaching practice and at least 100 hours in your own subject, plus ten observed sessions.
- Hold Level 2 maths and English (GCSE grade 4/C, Functional Skills Level 2 or equivalent).
- Join SET as a member. Membership is a condition of applying and of keeping the status.
- Register for professional formation. SET runs windows each year; you work through an online workbook evidencing how you meet the Professional Standards for Teachers and Trainers in FE, with a supporter (usually a line manager or mentor) confirming your practice.
- Submit and be assessed, most candidates complete in around six months.
- Be conferred QTLS and, if you want to teach in schools, keep your SET membership live so the regulations continue to recognise you.
How do you get QTS?
The DfE routes all lead to the same status:
- Undergraduate degree with QTS (BA/BSc Education, 3 years).
- PGCE / PGDE with QTS, one year postgraduate, university-led or school-led (School Direct).
- Teach First, salaried two-year programme.
- Postgraduate teaching apprenticeship, salaried, employed by a school.
- Assessment-only QTS, for experienced unqualified teachers with a degree who can evidence the Teachers' Standards without further training, typically 12 weeks.
After QTS you complete a two-year statutory induction (Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF)) in a school. See gov.uk: Get Into Teaching for current bursaries.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Better fit |
|---|---|
| No degree, strong vocational or professional background | QTLS via Level 5 DET / DiT |
| Already teaching in a college or training provider | QTLS (it is the sector's own status) |
| Want to teach a national-curriculum subject to under-16s | QTS |
| Graduate who wants the fastest route into a school | QTS (PGCE / School Direct) |
| Want flexibility to move between FE and schools | QTLS gives both from one Level 5; QTS also allows both in practice |
| Currently a teaching assistant or HLTA aiming to teach | Degree holders: QTS. Non-graduates: Level 5 then QTLS |
For teaching assistants, the normal ladder is Level 3, HLTA Level 4, Level 5 Diploma in Teaching, QTLS. The UK qualification levels guide shows where each rung sits.
Is QTLS recognised outside England?
The 2012 recognition applies to maintained schools in England. In Wales, QTLS holders can register with the Education Workforce Council in the FE category; school teaching in Wales requires QTS registration. Scotland (GTCS registration) and Northern Ireland (GTCNI) have their own frameworks and do not automatically recognise QTLS for school posts. FE colleges across the UK generally accept a Level 5 teaching qualification whether or not QTLS has been conferred.