Advanced Teacher Status (ATS)

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.

Female Teacher Smiling During A Training Course

Is ATS right for me?

Are you already working at the level of an advanced teacher?
Would you like the opportunity to further develop your pedagogical expertise?
Are you interested in undertaking your own small-scale project and critically analysing existing education research?
Do you want to develop your coaching/mentoring skills to support other practitioners?
Would you like to, or do you already contribute to your organisation’s development and improvement?

What’s involved?

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.

Student Giving An Explanation In A Class

ATS experiences Whilst undertaking ATS you’ll be able to:

Reflect on your practice to further improve your teaching and learning.
Develop skills in mentoring colleagues to bring about changes in your own and others’ practice.
Maintain and update your subject knowledge and educational research.
Apply understanding of effective practice in teaching and learning.
Critically evaluate your practice and assess its impact.
Contribute to organisational development and improvement.
Develop curriculum or teaching and learning leadership skills.

Hear from previous participants about their experiences of the Advanced Teacher Status programme.

ATS Experiences

Three Set Conference Attendees In Discussion

Am I eligible?

To apply to undertake ATS, you’ll need to be a current member of SET and meet the following criteria:

be working as an advanced teacher
hold a Level 5 or above initial teacher education qualification, on our approved list, for a minimum of four years (five years if you do not hold QTLS or QTS status)*
hold a eligible Level 2 English and Level 2 maths qualification, (Level 3 if you teach discrete English and/or maths)
hold a level 3 subject specialism qualification in the main subject that you’ll be teaching during the ATS programme
be teaching in a Further Education and Skills setting for an average of eight hours a week whilst undertaking ATS.

Applying to undertake ATS

How much does ATS cost?

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.

How do I apply?

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.

When can I apply?

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.

What supporting evidence do I need for my ATS application?

Proof of support from your organisation should include:

Endorsement from a senior manager.
A documented professional discussion with a line manager.
English and maths qualifications at Level 2 or above (if you do not hold QTLS/QTS)**

Proof of up-to-date subject/vocational knowledge (demonstrating a commitment to maintaining and updating this knowledge) could include:

A subject specialist qualification***
A CV demonstrating evidence of work experience
Records of recent relevant CPD undertaken and the impact

* 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.

View list of eligible ITE qualifications

View list of approved maths and English qualifications