Courses to Develop Yourself as a Teacher

All these alphabet soup acronyms and odd combination of letters can certainly be overwhelming, but we’re here to break down your PGCE’s from your CELTAS and TEFLs!

Thankfully there are a plethora of teacher certifications out there for you to develop yourself as a teacher, so the journey to becoming a more qualified teacher has never been faster or more convenient. Check out the list below for some excellent qualifications you can consider but keep scrolling for some additional resources to help you find the perfect professional development course.

TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Let’s start off with your first point of call if you’re looking to teach abroad, a TEFL qualification. Completing at least a 120-hour course on the basics of grammar, phonics, speaking, reading, and listening are vital for obtaining a working visa in most countries around the world. The best part about completing the TEFL? No previous teaching experience is required!

CELTA – Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (or Speakers of Other Languages)

Quite the mouthful, but thankfully shortened to “CELTA”, this teacher training course has accreditation from the University of Cambridge and the British Council. It can sometimes be seen as a the most prestigious of the TEFL programs for this reason. Be warned though, the CELTA can be intense with many written assignments and lots of teaching practice.

PGCE – Post Graduate Certificate in Education

With the ability to specialise in Early Years, Primary, or Secondary, the full-time PGCE can certainly enhance your understanding of what it means to be an effective teacher. These courses will typically come combined with QTS and allow you to become a fully qualified teacher in the UK. Expect a blend of pedagogic theory and hands-on teaching to truly develop your teaching style.

iPGCE – International Post Graduate Certificate in Education

If you’d prefer to continue working at your current school but are still interested in improving the quality of your classroom practice and developing subject knowledge and pedagogy, then an iPGCE might be for you! Tailored to those in international school systems, this is a master’s level qualification that can be completed online.

QTS – Qualified Teaching Status

If you’re a member of school staff and currently have unqualified status, this one’s for you! As long as you meet current teacher standards and can show that you’ve taught in an educational environment for at least 2 years at 2 different schools, then check out a ‘QTS assessment only’ course that is available for you to complete in just 3 months whilst working full time at your current school. It’s the perfect way to become fully qualified in the UK AND abroad!

SEN – Special Educational Needs Courses

Nowadays, most pupils with special educational needs learn in mainstream schools. Therefore, no matter what type of school you work in, it’s beneficial to do a course in SEND to learn the skills needed to help every pupil succeed. The gov.uk website has plenty of information on courses specialising in SEND.

SKE – Subject Knowledge Enhancement

Time to take your subject knowledge to the next level! Look no further than “Seneca Learning”. An excellent platform with hundreds of courses on any subject you can think of. It even has exam board-specific content. It’s always important to stay on top of developments in your subject area, and now it’s easy!

British Council

Check out the British Council’s website for a whole range of different courses tailored to every interest. Whether you’re looking for a course on how to effectively teach pronunciation and speaking or would rather focus on safeguarding, there’s a course for you!

Open University

The Open University has a huge range of CPD courses aimed at supporting teacher education, professional development, and classroom practice. Degrees, diplomas, and certificates, the choice is yours!