Suffolk and Norfolk Initial Teacher Training

High quality teacher training in local schools


Overseas Trained Teacher Programme

Overseas Trained Teacher Programme

What is the overseas trained teacher programme?

Anyone wishing to work as a qualified teacher in England must have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You have only four years from the first day of teaching in the United Kingdom, irrespective of any gaps in your employment, in order to gain QTS. The Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP) offers you a way to achieve QTS while working as a teacher.

Once you have found a teaching position in a school you can follow an individual training and assessment programme leading to QTS

Can I go on the programme?

To go on the programme, you must be:

  • Qualified as a teacher overseas
  • Working as a teacher in a school and be
  • Accepted by an accredited provider

What qualifications do I need?

If you qualified outside of the EEA you will need:

  • An overseas teaching qualification
  • A qualification equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree (for secondary phase, your degree content must be at least 50% in the subject you wish to teach
  • A qualification equivalent to general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) grade C or above in English and Maths
    A qualification equivalent to GCSE grade C or above in Science if you are applying for primary teaching

If you qualified as a teacher in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, one of the other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you may be eligible for QTS without further assessment. In this case, you will need to contact the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) to get your qualifications assessed. The UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) can give advice on the equivalence of overseas qualifications (contact http://www.naric.org.uk or phone 08713307033).

If you require registration documents to teach in the country you trained in, you will need to ensure that these documents are up to date. In certain cases, the lack of registration documents means that the teacher cannot legally teach in England. NARIC will also be able to advise on this.

To Apply for the Overseas Trained Teacher Programme please ask your employing school to contact the GTP Office on 01603 307703 or email debbie.barr@norfolk.gov.uk or beverley.gregory@norfolk.gov.uk