Teaching passport

The benefits of an international post-graduate teaching qualification

Greg Larmouth and Dr Elizabeth Hidson look at how teachers working outside the UK can become qualified to recognised British and international standards.

The question of why

Simon Sinek talks extensively of finding your why – why do you get up in the morning and do the job that you do? I’m sure we’ve all had days where we wake up in the morning and ask that question. But in the case of the teachers on one of our post-graduate teaching courses, the why goes further still. Why would anyone commit themselves to a 36-week, full-time programme of study alongside a full-time job teaching in school? Well, with over 500 every year doing one our full-time programmes, and the same completing our 12-week Assessment-Only Route to QTS, there must be something driving this desire amongst our international community of teachers.

Here are three major reasons why teachers might consider a demanding course like ours:

1. Financial benefits

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Yes, there are obviously monetary benefits, with many schools in many countries basing their progression and pay through the level of qualification held by the teacher. When posing the question to our tutees (all university staff have a Personal Academic Tutor [PAT] group who we support through their time on the PGCE or iQTS programme), one trainee advised us that a primary reason for doing the programme was that it was the only way they could move up into middle-management roles at their school.

Another trainee we met during one of our in-person visits to the Middle East told us they had signed up to do a PGCE to boost their chances of getting a job at one of the bigger international schools, with the school they were based at fully supportive of that.

2. International mobility

Another big benefit of completing a teaching qualification as an experienced teacher is the doors it opens for international mobility. Many of our trainees are already living and working away from home, so the idea of travel can be an appealing prospect.

With a greater range of qualifications, our graduate teachers can apply for registration in countries such as Hong Kong SAR, Vietnam and Australia, which would otherwise be closed to them, or have career limitations. One of the benefits for many international teachers is the freedom it allows to see the world and explore many wonderful countries, often with their families.

3. Recognition to teach in the UK

Conversely, many of our qualifications will also open up the possibility of returning or relocating to the UK as a recognised and fully qualified teacher. A large number of our trainees choose to study on our DfE-approved iQTS programme, currently in only its 2^nd year of existence, but even prior to this the university offered (and continues to offer) experienced teachers a pathway to gaining Qualified Teacher Status in the UK via our Assessment-Only Route.

This short course has allowed overseas teachers to return to the UK and join the teaching workforce here, bringing with them a wealth of experience and knowledge of teaching in a wide range and diverse mix of schools and cultures. Schools can negotiate the Early Career Teacher induction period for these teachers, making it a speedier process because of the experience they bring along with their QTS status.

How we work with schools

So how does it work? You must be already working in a school and your school will need to be supportive of you taking one of our courses. You’ll need to be following a recognised curriculum, but this need not be a British curriculum. IB, Cambridge, Sabis, Hong Kong, American etc. (and often hybrids) can all be offered along with the placement school proposed at the time of application. The school must also allow one of their qualified teachers to mentor, support and observe through the assessed teaching experience (practicum) windows. Observations by the university may be carried out in-person, via recorded video or by live-streaming.

Assessment

From the candidate’s perspective, all academic work is accessed online with live and recorded lectures and weekly seminars with a personal academic tutor. Assignments and teaching evidence is all hosted online. There’s no need for residentials or flights to the UK and the ideal situation is that the candidate can integrate their PGCE study into their working life over the course of the year. Is it going to be busy? Yes. Is it manageable? Yes, but you must be organised and realise that life during the PGCE is going to require additional commitment. Is there support? Absolutely – our motto is ‘distance not distant’, and our personal academic tutors do an amazing job supporting both academically and pastorally throughout the year.