Thank you PsyGuy and others, you have been most helpful!

I understand the schools' perspectives in this, though it's a shame that professionalism and being qualified (as in being adequately equipped) is perceived in this rather narrow way.

Many thanks for your elaborate and helpful replies. They're confirming what I feared already, needing qualificatations.

If you would be in my position would you go for the Teach Now > QTS route, and would that be sufficient? I just have a hard time believing that a school would suddenly become more interested when I've obtained QTS through this, in my opinion, fairly obscure route. Wouldn't a top tier school be underwhelmed by such teaching qualifications?
I would also prefer that if I were to invest in obtaining qualifications I would want it to be of such quality that there are no more future limitations to finding new jobs. A PGCE will most probably give me this, will Teach Now or Teach Ready?

I've looked into the assessment only option, though unfortunately it requires me to have taught in at least two different schools, which means I have to apply elsewhere anyway. The salaried school direct pathway is an option, as it would ensure an income, though it would involve a move.

How useful are B.Ed and particularly M.ed courses, in terms of being recognised as a qualified teacher? I know some of them are geared towards QTS, I particularly mean the ones that aren't. Any helpful? I guess they might give you (even more) expertise, though no QTS and therefore not very useful?

Hi all,

I would like to seek your advice on the following. I have been teaching secondary mathematics in an international school (Northern Europe) for the last couple of years. I started as a substitute teacher, was asked to take over permanently and have even been promoted to a leadership role since last year (it's a small school, so not too difficult).

I've never trained as a teacher, however. I have completed a masters degree in an environmental sciences related subject from a good university in the UK, and I have read up a lot on teaching in the meanwhile, and have worked hard to be really good at my job (my superior, students and parents are very happy). I have been innovative and managed to incorporate quite a bit of digital skills and programming in my teaching and have been helping colleagues with implementing digital tools and learning digital skills themselves.

If I would ever want to move abroad, what would be my chances to land a job at a good school, without having teaching qualifications? A good school doesn't have to be top tier (whichever schools these may be), just any school with professional colleagues and leadership and an ambition to keep improving quality.

I've read forum posts on Teach Now and applying for QTS, but am unsure whether this would be considered very worthwhile by schools I would be applying to, considering how easy it would be to obtain it.

I'm not too keen to go back to university for a PGCE year which to me feels like an iteration of what I have learned myself in the last couple of years, and the only difference would be a piece of paper to be more easily recognised as someone having the quality to teach (it frustrates me that there aren't many options available to be assessed and qualified based on my current work). I'm open to learn more and surely there would be worthwhile things in that PGCE year for me, however having to move and being without a job and earnings for a year makes it far less appealing.

Main question is, how important would teaching qualifications be for me, and which ones? PGCE, Teach Now > QTS? I can imagine that eventually what matters is experience and expertise, is there any number of years of teaching experience after which I would no longer be disadvantaged by a lack of teaching qualifications - 5 years, 10 years, 20 years?

Apologies for the long post. I appreciate any thoughts you're willing to share on this.