The Education (School Teachers' Qualifications) (Wales) Regulations 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations revoke and re-enact provisions of the Education (Teachers' Qualifications and Health Standards) (Wales) Regulations 1999 (the 1999 Regulations). Regulation 4 and Schedule 1 revoke the earlier regulations and make transitional provisions.

Regulation 5 and Schedule 2 specify the requirements to be met by persons before they can become qualified teachers.

Persons who are recognised as qualified teachers include —

• those who were qualified teachers under the 1999 Regulations;

• those who are qualified teachers under corresponding regulations made in relation to England;

• school teachers from the European Economic Area or Switzerland;

• those who have completed a course of initial training for teachers in Wales;

• those who have completed a course of initial training for teachers in Scotland or Northern Ireland;

• those who are recognised as teachers in Northern Ireland;

• those who are registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland;

• those who successfully complete a period of training as graduate teachers, registered teachers or on the employment based teacher training scheme, or who are assessed under the employment based teacher training scheme as meeting the specified standards without undertaking further training;

• those recommended for qualified teacher status by the States of Guernsey Education Council;

• specified teachers in independent schools;

• specified further education teachers employed at further education institutions or as instructors at schools;

• those who, but for an oversight by the National Assembly for Wales (“the National Assembly”), the General Teaching Council for Wales (“the Council”) or their predecessors to give written notification under the 1999 Regulations or earlier regulations, would have been qualified teachers under those Regulations.

Regulation 6 provides that the National Assembly or the Council are to notify persons that they are qualified teachers.

Regulation 7 enables the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to accredit institutions that satisfy criteria specified by the National Assembly. Such institutions can provide courses of initial school teacher training.

Regulation 8 allows the National Assembly to establish an employment based teacher training scheme which enables persons to train to become teachers whilst employed. This scheme could include the scope of the graduate and registered teacher programmes established under the 1999 Regulations. Specific provision is made which means the scheme may allow overseas trained teachers to be assessed against the qualified teacher status standards without further training. Provision is made for guidance on the scheme to be issued by the National Assembly, to which people must have regard.