Advanced Teacher Status applications open for new cohort

Applications are now open for the next Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) cohort. ATS is a recognised professional status for advanced teachers, gained after successfully completing a 12-month period of professional development through the Society for Education and Training. The status is then maintained through membership of the SET and three yearly re-accreditation. 

Applications for this ATS cohort are open from 1 April to 31 August (note: this deadline was later extended to 11 September 2023 at 12pm), with the programme starting in early October 2023 for successful applicants. Underpinned by the 2022 Advanced Teacher Professional Standards, the 12-month, self-guided professional development programme enables advanced teachers to develop their pedagogical expertise further and demonstrate their mastery of teaching to post-14 learners and colleagues. The programme also requires participants to coach a qualified colleague and undertake a quality improvement project that has organisation wide benefit.   

Whilst ATS is a nationally recognised professional status in its own right, awardees also gain Chartered Teacher Status, conferred through the Chartered College of Teaching.  

Since its launch in 2019, the 200+ ATS holders have highlighted the wide-ranging benefits of completing the programme: 94% of awardees have said it had a positive impact on their practice, learners and colleagues.  

Natalie Morris, quality manager at the Bedford College Group, moved into management after completing ATS. She said: “It’s nice to know there’s something out there for Advanced Practitioners who are a bit more experienced and who want to take the next step. Personally, ATS has given me more confidence in lots of ways – with my mentoring, getting other people on board, I’m much more interested in co-creation now than I was before. In terms of being a practitioner, it has given me an avenue to lead my stuff but has also given me confidence in my own skills as well.”  

The price of undertaking the ATS programme for this year is £815, with the option to spread the cost across direct debit instalments. 

Andrew Dowell, Head of Professional Status and Standards at SET, said: “ATS is a fantastic way to demonstrate your skills as an advanced practitioner and to benchmark how well you are performing at this level. The flexibility and self-directed nature of the programme makes ATS stand out in contrast to more traditional routes to Fellowship to show that you are an advanced teacher, ATS is the high-quality, high value-for-money option to take your career to the next level.” 

Find out more about ATS and how to apply here.