Viewing course details for 2025-26 year of entry

How to apply

Attendance: Full-time
Start: Flexible
Fees: £2,500 (UK)
Duration: Usually 12 weeks
Course Leader: Victoria Brook
Placement year: No
School / Department: School of Health and Education

Currently Reading: Course Overview

Overview

The Assessment Only (AO) route is a fast track route to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It is suitable for experienced graduate practitioners from the UK or overseas who have taught in at least two schools in the UK but do not have QTS. Candidates will need to demonstrate that they are able to meet all the standards for QTS without the need for further training.

Why gain Qualified Teacher Status through- Assessment Only (Primary and Secondary) at Middlesex University?

The route provides an efficient way to gain professional status for experienced practitioners.

Candidates can be assessed for primary teaching and secondary teaching in the following subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Drama, English, History, Geography, Mathematics and Physics. Other subjects might be possible by request.

Once accepted and if successful, you can expect to be recommended for 12 weeks following registration for the assessment stage of the process.

For more information about the Assessment Only route to QTS, please visit the Department of Education website

About your course

What happens on the Qualified Teacher Status - Assessment Only (Primary and Secondary) programme?

This is not a training programme and you will not attend for teaching sessions. You will need to demonstrate that you are suitable and ready for assessment of the Teachers’ Standards.

Do you want to also study for an academic award?

Candidates who are seeking an academic award to supplement QTS can be considered for enrolment on the PG Cert Teaching programme. Completion of the Assessment Only route meets the requirements for one of the modules and bespoke arrangements can be made, can be considered and agreed for the remaining PG Cert modules. Candidates who are interested in exploring this option should express an interest when applying. Additional fees are incurred if candidates wish to pursue this additional option. Following receipt of a complete and suitable application the process is as follows:

Stage One: Selection

You will attend a virtual interview with a teaching training tutor and your qualifications, experience and employment status will be checked and confirmed. The entry requirements will also be checked and you will be advised about preparing for Part Two of the selection process.

Part Two of the Selection process will consist of a formative assessment, suitability check and development planning. This is carried out by a University tutor and school representative(s) in the school setting who will confirm your evidence claim, understanding and experience, and establish your suitability for this route. It will include lesson observations and you will be expected to communicate in Standard English.

Where sufficient evidence is identified, you will be approved for assessment and the tutor will support you in preparing a development plan. This will identify any weaknesses and gaps in evidence and set targets for you, which may include elements of training/professional development, and a time frame in which to qualify.

If you are approved for assessment, you will be registered with the DfE for the Assessment Only route.

Stage Two: Assessment

This will include a summative interview and observation, carried out by the ITT tutor, shortly before final assessment and moderation, in order to confirm that targets have been met and the scope of evidence collected is sufficient. The tutor will provide written feedback on performance and make an assessment judgement about QTS.

Initial assessments can be arranged after six weeks of the assessed period and before final assessment/moderation in week 12. This allows you time to present supplementary evidence at the final assessment stage if required.

The recommendation for QTS will be approved by a different and experienced Initial Teacher Training (ITT) tutor who aims to ensure that you are fully conversant with the Teachers' Standards and requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

When you have been judged to pass and meet the QTS Standards, we will notify the DfE, and QTS will be awarded.

All candidates who are assessed for QTS become Early Career Teachers (ECTs).

Information about statutory arrangements for the induction of ECTs can be found online.

Register your interest

To register your interest, please email AO@mdx.ac.uk and provide the following information:

Your Name
The name of the school who will support your assessment
State whether you are interested in primary or which secondary subject

Register your interest

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For employers/ supporting schools

Role of the candidate's school

It is important that the supporting school, is committed to the candidate undertaking this route and the candidate must seek the permission of the head teacher to support the application.

Having the school's commitment to provide a school-based mentor who has undergone ITT mentor training will also be a condition of acceptance on to the route. The role of the mentor is to support and plan the assessment focus and provide written feedback following regular observations (six to eight lesson observations, which demonstrate that the candidate is at least meeting the Teachers' Standards) and to advise and support the candidate when he/she is gathering evidence. The school-based mentor will also be expected to meet the candidate weekly to support the candidate in addressing any professional development targets established at the selection stage, including portfolio development.

School representatives (e.g. mentor and/or candidate's line manager) will participate in all stages of the process and be available for joint lesson observation, feedback and interview when the University ITT tutor visits.

All schools will be asked to sign the partnership agreement, which is drawn from elements of our existing ITT partnership agreements.

Entry requirements

Qualifications

You must have GCSE grade C / grade 4 or above, or be able to demonstrate equivalence, in English language, mathematics and, if applying for QTS within the primary phase, Science
You must hold a degree of a UK higher education institution or equivalent qualification (for secondary candidates, normally 50% of your degree would be directly relevant to your chosen subject for assessment)
Original certificates must be available, in order to progress your application.
We also accept equivalency tests by Equivalency Testing, A Star Teachers or other appropriately accredited providers if the testing arrangements have been approved by the ITT team at Middlesex. We cannot accept functional skills or key skills.

Further requirements

You must have the support of the school that you will be teaching in for the assessment stage
You must be teaching in the supporting school and be judged to be currently meeting, or very close to meeting the QTS Teachers' Standards
You must have significant teaching experience (typically 2-3 years) with clear evidence of continuing professional development), across two consecutive age ranges* selected from the following:
- Ages 3-5 (Foundation Stage)
- Ages 5-7 (School years 1 and 2)
- Ages 7-9 (School years 3-4)
- Ages 9-11 (School years 5-6)
- Ages 11-14 (school years 7-9)
- Ages 14-16 (School years 10-11)
- Ages 16-19 (School years 12-13)

*For Primary 5-11 assessment you would be expected to demonstrate achievement across Key Stages 1 and 2 but not necessarily specifically in both of the 7-9 and 9-11 age ranges.

Secondary candidates must demonstrate sound subject knowledge for teaching in one National Curriculum subject, or one subject that is examined externally across at least two consecutive key stages.
Primary candidates must demonstrate sound subject knowledge for teaching across the entire primary curriculum in at least two consecutive age ranges.
You must have evidence of competent teaching in at least two different schools. [Candidates who have taught only in their employing schools will need a placement of at least four weeks duration before they can be accepted to the assessment stage, in order to demonstrate that they have met Teachers Standards in a second setting.
Supporting schools will be asked to confirm that candidates have secure fundamental English and mathematics. Competency with English and mathematics will be explored at interview and assured throughout the Assessment Only process.

Eligibility

Only experienced practitioners with the support of a school are eligible to apply. Candidates must have taught in at least two schools prior to acceptance on the route. Practical teaching experience for the purposes of assessment only is not restricted to taking place wholly or mainly in England.

Interviews, entrance tests, portfolios and auditions

The interview and assessment stage use a combination of virtual and in-person meetings which take place at the candidate’s supporting school.

Safer Recruitment

We are committed to keeping children and young people safe from harm. Our recruitment processes adhere to the principles of safer recruitment; we implement robust and safe recruitment practices which support the identification and rejection of any applicants who are unsuitable to work with children and young people. We will respond to any concerns about the suitability of applicants during the recruitment process.

What teaching experience can be taken into account?

All relevant teaching experience may be taken into account; voluntary/unpaid work as well as employed teaching experience. Relevant teaching experience typically includes teaching classes which are not customarily fewer than fifteen learners, teaching learners across the full ability range and from diverse backgrounds and teaching practical classes using suitable equipment as appropriate to a phase or subject specialism. The location of prior experience is less relevant than ensuring that the applicant has enough experience to be able to demonstrate meeting all the standards for QTS fully, particularly those relating to national curriculum, examination arrangements, statutory duties in the age range that they are being assessed in without the need for further training, within a term, and that they meet all other relevant entry/assessment requirements.

How recent must your evidence be?

We would normally expect a significant proportion of evidence to be recent (within the last 12 months). However, evidence from teaching in a second setting could be older. There are no hard and fast rules about the age of evidence. We will make a professional judgement in individual cases.

Evidence will typically include:

planning records
pupil achievement records
examples of your pupils' work
evidence of how you deal with pupils of different abilities
written feedback when other teachers have observed you (e.g. for inspection and performance management)

What is the role of your school?

It is important that your school is committed to your undertaking this route and the candidate must seek the permission of the head teacher to support the application.

Having the school's commitment to provide a school-based mentor who has undergone Initial Teacher Training (ITT) mentor training will also be a condition of acceptance on to the route. The role of the mentor is to provide written feedback following regular observations (six to eight lesson observations, which demonstrate that the candidate is at least meeting the teaching standards) and to advise and support the candidate when he/she is gathering evidence. The school-based mentor will also be expected to meet the candidate weekly to support the candidate in addressing any professional development targets established at the selection stage, including portfolio development.

All schools will be asked to sign the partnership agreement, which is drawn from elements of our existing ITT partnership agreements.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Fees and funding

UK students¹

The fees below refer to the 2024/25 academic year unless otherwise stated.

Full-time students: £2,500

As there is a partnership agreement with the school, this amount is usually paid by the supporting school will be invoiced for the full amount of fees. This amount is typically paid by the supporting school, which may reclaim funds by negotiation with the candidate.

The fee is comprised of two parts:

There is a non-refundable fee of £1000 for the full selection stage. This includes £250 for the eligibility interview and £750 for the suitability and approval visit. Schools will be invoiced with the appropriate amount after the eligibility interview
The remaining £1500 is for the assessment stage and schools will be invoiced for the full amount after approval for assessment

The fees are subject to annual review and the university reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation.

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Next steps

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.

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Overview

Why gain Qualified Teacher Status through- Assessment Only (Primary and Secondary) at Middlesex University?

About your course

What happens on the Qualified Teacher Status - Assessment Only (Primary and Secondary) programme?

Do you want to also study for an academic award?

Stage One: Selection

Stage Two: Assessment

Register your interest

Register your interest

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