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SEN teachers must hold QTS for roles in maintained schools. Specialist roles such as Teacher of the Deaf or Teacher of the Visually Impaired carry mandatory additional qualifications. This guide explains all relevant qualifications and their implications for agency placements.
SEN teachers working in maintained schools and academies must hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). A PGCE is the most common route to QTS for graduates, though there are several other routes. QTS is the baseline qualification: it does not confer specialist SEN expertise but is the prerequisite for any teaching role in a maintained school. Beyond QTS, several SEN specialist roles carry mandatory additional qualifications specific to the type of need involved.
SENDhelp places specialist SEN teachers, teaching assistants and support staff across North London, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
QTS is the qualification required to teach in a maintained school or academy in England. It can be obtained through a PGCE, School Direct, Teach First, the Assessment Only route and other approved programmes. All initial teacher training routes cover working with SEN pupils, but not at the specialist level required for roles in specialist SEN settings.
A PGCE is a postgraduate-level initial teacher training qualification leading to QTS. It is the most common graduate route to qualified teacher status. PGCE programmes include placements and study covering SEN, inclusion and differentiation but are not specialist SEN training programmes. A teacher with a PGCE has the foundation to work in SEN settings but needs additional training for specialist work.
Teachers of Deaf children in maintained schools must hold a mandatory Level 7 qualification in teaching pupils with hearing impairment. The qualification is offered by a small number of universities. Teachers who qualified before the requirement was introduced may hold legacy qualifications treated as equivalent. An agency must verify a candidate holds the mandatory qualification before placing them as a Teacher of the Deaf.
Teachers of pupils with visual impairment and teachers of pupils with multi-sensory impairment in maintained schools must also hold mandatory Level 7 specialist qualifications in their respective specialisms. The same verification requirement applies. The pool of teachers holding these qualifications is small, contributing to the longer lead times for these specialist roles.
The National Professional Qualification for SENCOs became mandatory for new SENCOs in maintained schools and academies from September 2024. It replaced the previous NASENCO. SENCOs who completed NASENCO before September 2024 do not need to retake it. New SENCOs must hold or be working towards NPQSENCO within three years of taking up the role.
Beyond mandatory qualifications, a wide range of desirable specialist qualifications are recognised in the SEN sector: Autism Education Trust awards, ELKLAN speech and language qualifications, Makaton tutor qualifications, Level 3 qualifications for pupils with PMLD and postgraduate certificates in autism, dyslexia or SEMH. These are not mandatory but are valued by specialist SEN schools and may affect placement rates.
For related guidance see our articles on SEN teacher job specification guide and Teacher of the Deaf and VI specialist roles.
For most SEN teaching roles QTS is the only mandatory qualification. For roles teaching pupils with hearing impairment, visual impairment or multi-sensory impairment in maintained schools, a Level 7 mandatory specialist qualification is also required by law. For SENCO roles, NPQSENCO is mandatory for new appointees since September 2024. Additional specialist qualifications in autism, dyslexia or SEMH are desirable rather than mandatory for most other roles.
A reputable specialist SEN agency verifies qualification certificates directly before placing a candidate in a role requiring specific qualifications. For mandatory qualifications, the agency should check the original certificate and note the awarding institution, qualification level and date of award. The school should request confirmation that this verification has been carried out before any placement in a mandatory qualification role begins.
Under the SEND Regulations, new SENCOs in maintained schools and academies must hold or be working towards NPQSENCO. A teacher without NPQSENCO can be appointed provided they begin working towards it within their first three years. Schools should seek HR or legal advice on their specific circumstances where the qualification position is unclear.
Visit our SEN teaching resources hub for guides on staffing, compliance, qualifications and specialist provision.
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