Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Conversion Course – Secondary
The QTS Conversion Course is available to teachers who are currently employed in maintained or independent schools in England.
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The QTS Conversion Course is available to teachers who are currently employed in maintained or independent schools in England, who have already completed The University of Buckingham’s Independent PGCE within the past two years. This course is the accreditation that enables teachers to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England.
The Secondary QTS Conversion Course is a 37-week school-based course that is completed across the school year. During which time you will work under the guidance of a school mentor and receive fortnightly tutorials to review your progress and to set targets. Trainees on the QTS conversion complete 15 Professional Learning Activities over the duration of the programme, meet with their mentor 15 times and have 15 lesson observations. You will also be assigned a University tutor who will visit twice during the course of the year to assess your progress against the Teaching Standards and Core Content Framework and guide your development.
You are expected to undertake a teaching placement in a second school which must be a contrasting school environment. The duration of this teaching placement is determined upon application but is likely to be for three weeks.
“Leaders have developed an ambitious, coherent and challenging ITE curriculum. Based around five curriculum themes, the well-structured course is informed by the core content framework and underpinned by a wealth of pertinent academic research. Together, heads of cohort, subject leads and mentors ensure that trainees foster a deep subject knowledge and rich range of pedagogical skills. Trainees typically become very well-informed and highly reflective practitioners.” Ofsted, 2021
How many subjects can I train to teach?
You will always nominate one main subject but you can certainly train to teach two subjects. For example, your main subject may be PE but you can also learn about teaching mathematics.
Entry Requirements
For entry onto QTS conversion course, you will be expected to have the following:
- UK degree*
- GCSE in English, Maths at grade C/4 or above*
- You must be employed as a teacher in a secondary independent or state school and be teaching your subject for a minimum of twelve hours across two consecutive Key Stages.
*For equivalent qualifications, contact education@buckingham.ac.uk to confirm that your qualification(s) meet the University entry requirements.
In addition, you must:
- Demonstrate competence in literacy and numeracy.
- Attend an interview.
- Provide a reference from your headteacher supporting your application to undertake a PGCE.
- Obtain the commitment from your school to release you for the second school placement and to provide a suitable mentor.
- Provide a satisfactory criminal record check and show the physical and mental fitness to teach.
Fees
The fees for this course are:
| Start | Type | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
Sep 2025 Full-time (37 Weeks) Secondary QTS Conversion (Sep 2024) | UK | £3,150 |
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 also pay a £300 non-refundable Registration Fee.
Fees are invoiced in three instalments commencing once accepted onto the programme at the beginning of the course.
How To Apply
Please use the ‘Apply’ button at the bottom of this page.
For further information contact the Faculty of Education on +44 (0)1280 820222 or email: education@buckingham.ac.uk.
Before we can accept you, you will need to supply:
- copy of your degree certificate
- copy of your English and Maths GCSE (or equivalent) certificates
- copy of passport photo page (and visa/work permit where necessary)
- head and shoulder style photo for your University identity card
It can take at least 6 weeks to process applications. Please do not leave applying until the last minute. If you or your school are inaccessible in the summer holidays, your application will not be complete before the course begins.