International Qualified Teacher Status (iQTS) (with PGCE)
School-based course for trainee teachers outside of the UK to achieve iQTS, with a number of subject specialists available.
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About the Course
The University of Buckingham is one of a small number of universities granted permission by the UK Government to offer the International Qualified Teacher Status qualification. QTS is a requirement for teachers in many schools in England and QTS is often considered an excellent teaching qualification internationally. Teachers from any country may apply.
All Initial Teacher Training courses at The University of Buckingham are employment-based, so this course is only available to those who are employed as a teacher in their school. This course is open to anyone teaching primary ages (5-11) and secondary ages (11-19) and we welcome applications from countries all around the world.
The iQTS programme offers teachers based in schools outside the UK who have not undergone a period of formal training the opportunity to participate in a structured programme of professional development leading to a teaching qualification. IQTS is awarded by the University of Buckingham. QTS is then automatically awarded by the UK Government Applicants can also choose to undertake an additional PGCE alongside iQTS for a small fee which will result in the award of 60 Masters Credits upon successful completion of the course at Level 7.
The 37-week course starts in September 2025 (with online induction taking place in late August) and will be taught in English. Delivery of training is online via live lectures which we feel is an important part of our provision as it allows our trainees to feel part of the university and can meet fellow trainees around the world during the training days.
Why choose the University of Buckingham?
- We have 15 years of experience delivering teacher training to schools abroad. In a typical year we have trainee teachers from 40 different countries.
- Our lecturers have wide experience in schools overseas, having taught in Sierra Leone, Nigeria, China, the UAE as well as the UK.
- Our course is less expensive than most of our competitors.
- You will be assigned a University of Buckingham tutor who will meet online with trainee and mentor throughout the course. You will receive one visit from a University of Buckingham tutor in the first term of the course.
- If your English is good enough, you may be able to add a PGCE (Post-Graduate Certificate of Education) to your course.
- Teachers from any country may apply.
The course
Starting every September, the iQTS programme is a 37-week school-based course during which trainee teachers work under the guidance of a mentor (appointed by the school in which they work) who observes them teach and meets weekly to review progress and set targets. In addition, there is a weekly programme of readings and reflective tasks that the trainee engages in. Finally, trainees are allocated a University of Buckingham tutor who will visit them in their schools in term 1 (depending on UK government travel advice) and then meet with them approximately once a month online to track progress and support where necessary.
You will also participate in regular live lectures and seminars and you will be expected to attend these as a condition of the course. Dates of the Training Days will be released shortly.
Primary teachers will be expected to teach all subjects across the primary curriculum, depending on the local curriculum.
For secondary trainees our subject specialists this year include: Art, Music, Design Technology, Food Technology, Business Studies and Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Computer Science, English, Drama, Classics, Modern Languages, Geography, History, Religious Studies, Psychology, Physical Education and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).
There will also be some content specifically about working in international schools.
Training dates and times (all UK times)
We deliver live lectures which take place on most Thursdays either between 8.30 – 11.30am or 1.30-4.30pm UK time.
Entry Requirements
Your background
- You must have a university bachelor’s degree from a UK university or equivalents; UK ENIC provides advice on comparability or contact iqts-edu@buckingham.ac.uk. We will need to see your original degree certificate.
- You must have the equivalent of a UK GCSE grade 4 in mathematics. If you are teaching pupils aged 5-11 you also need a GCSE grade 4 in science or one of the science subjects. If you do not have an equivalent qualification you will be asked to sit a proficiency test. To check your qualifications meet the standard of a UK GCSE, refer to UK ENIC, where you can apply for a statement of comparability.
- You must have good written and spoken English. This means you completed some of your education in English OR you achieve an IELTS score 6.5 OR you pass our own English language test. Read further information about language requirements.
- You must pass child protection/safeguarding/ criminal record checks. If you have lived in the UK you will need to apply for an International Child Protection Certificate www.acro.police.uk.
- You must have the health and physical capacity to teach
- If you are teaching now, you should be able to provide evidence of your professional standing as a teacher
- You must pass an online interview with staff from the University of Buckingham
- You must have access to a reliable computer
- You must be teaching within one of the following age phases (you do not have to teach children of all ages within any phase):
- Ages 3-11 = primary
- Ages 11-19 = secondary route
- We will require two written references.
Your school
- You must be employed in a school as a teacher. You must be in school for a minimum of 120 days in the year.
- That school must be happy to support you doing the iQTS course and must be happy to recommend you.
- Your school must be able to provide an experienced member of staff in the school to act as your mentor, observing your lessons, providing feedback and discussing the weekly tasks set by the University of Buckingham. This will take 2-3 hours a week.
- Your school should be able to provide written confirmation that they have carried out safeguarding/ child protection checks and that you have been deemed suitable to work with children.
- If you do not have any evidence of prior experience in another school setting, your school must be willing to support you in gaining a minimum of 10 days experience in another school setting by the end of the course.
- You will be expected to attend online lectures on Thursdays in 20 weeks of the year.
Interview
Applicants who fulfil the criteria for entry onto the University of Buckingham’s iQTS course will be invited for interview. During the interview, applicants will be asked questions about the Teachers’ Standards, subject knowledge and their suitability to teach. Successful candidates will be sent a conditional offer which will include a successful School Placement Approval Meeting between university and their school and any outstanding documents.
Teaching & Assessment
Trainees are assessed in a number of ways:
- you will have a mentor in your school who will arrange for your lessons to be observed and assessed so that you can improve week by week.
- you will record evidence of your teaching on an online form.
- trainees are assigned a University of Buckingham tutor who will be in touch regularly. You will have termly calls to assess your progress and guide your development.
- You will be expected to show evidence that you have mastered all of the Teachers’ Standards
If you wish to add an optional PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate of Education) you need to know:
- this is only suitable for students with good written English who have the ability to write at a high academic level
- the course consists of preparing for and writing 2-3 essays
- successful completion of the PGCE allows you to go on to take a Master’s degree
Fees
The fees for this course are:
| Start | Type | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
Sep 2025 Full-time (1 Year) iQTS only (September 2025) | UK | N/A |
| INT | £8,000 | |
Sep 2025 Full-time (1 Year) iQTS with PGCE (September 2025) | UK | N/A |
| INT | £9,000 |
The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI). If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.
Course fees do not include additional costs such as books, equipment, writing up fees and other ancillary charges. Where applicable, these additional costs will be made clear.
Applicants must pay a £300 non-refundable Registration Fee.
Most people who pay the registration fee and are interviewed are accepted onto the course. You need to pay the registration fee to begin the application process. We will refund the fee if you are not accepted.
iQTS: £8000
PGCE add-on: £TBA
Fees are invoiced at the beginning of the course but instalments can be arranged directly with the Finance department upon receipt of the invoice.
All staff at COBIS member schools get a 5% discount on course fees. To ensure the discount is applied please select ‘COBIS’ from the partnership box on your application form.
For further information please contact: IQTS-EDU@buckingham.ac.uk
How To Apply
To apply directly, please use the ‘Apply now’ button on this course page.
If you have any questions you can contact The Faculty of Education by email: education@buckingham.ac.uk or by calling +44 (0)1280 820 222.