ATS is a Professional Status recognised in the Education sector, which is gained after successfully completing a 12-month period of Professional Development and maintained through membership to the Society for Education and Training.
Achieving ATS allows you to demonstrate to colleagues and future employers your mastery in teaching and learning and helps you advance your career into more senior roles. You’ll also gain Chartered Teacher Status.
Once you have achieved ATS you are eligible to upgrade your membership to a Fellow and use ATS as a designation in your signature and on your CV, which is a great way to impress future employers.
The application window for ATS is currently closed.
Unlike a qualification, ATS is a self-guided 12-month development programme, You'll typically be required to work three to four hours a week on your portfolio. As you near the end of the programme you can expect to put in more hours.
You’ll be assessed on your individual development as well as your ability to work collaboratively - either with fellow ATS participants or with more senior colleagues at your organisation.
ATS holders will be expected to re-accredit their status every three years to demonstrate that they continue to meet the Professional Standards (Advanced Teacher).
Take a look at the ATS programme in more detail.
Read through our interactive ATS brochure for more information.
Hear from previous participants about their experiences of the Advanced Teacher Status programme.
ATS ExperiencesTo apply to undertake ATS, you’ll need to be a current member of SET and meet the following criteria:
Undertaking ATS will only cost you £815.
You can pay this in six direct debit instalments, with an initial payment of £215 once you’ve been accepted onto the programme.
The application window is currently closed.
If you are a member of SET and meet the eligibility criteria you can apply to undertake our Professional Development programme, leading to ATS, when the window next opens.
We have one application window per year: 1 April - 31 August.
Successful applicants will be issued their portfolio in early October.
You can still express your interest in undertaking ATS at any time.
Proof of support from your organisation should include:
Proof of up-to-date subject/vocational knowledge (demonstrating a commitment to maintaining and updating this knowledge) could include:
* If your initial training qualification was gained overseas, you will need to obtain a statement of comparability from UK ENIC (formerly NARIC) confirming that your qualification entitles you to teach in the country where it was gained.
**If your maths and English qualifications were gained overseas, you will need to obtain a statement of comparability from UK ENIC that confirms that your qualifications are equivalent to Level 2 (GCSE grades A*–C or 4-9).
***If you teach maths or English (numeracy, literacy, ESOL) GCSE or Functional Skills in either the FE and training sector or in schools, you will also need to hold maths and English qualifications at a minimum of Level 3.
Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) is the tried and tested way to professionalising your workforce. Find out more about the benefits of ATS to employers.
Benefits of ATS for employersExpress your interest for the next ATS cohort and receive the brochure with information about the application process.
Hear from previous participants about their experiences of the Advanced Teacher Status programme.
You can find answers to many questions and get further advice in our Advanced Teacher Status help section.