If you’re considering a career in teaching in Wales you will need to obtain qualified teacher status (QTS) by studying on a programme of initial teacher education (ITE) accredited by us through our ITE Accreditation Board.

ITE programmes provide the professional education and development of student teachers, preparing them for work in schools in Wales and providing the foundation for career long professional learning. These programmes are based on learning that is both rigorously practical and intellectually challenging at the same time and seek to ensure that teachers are committed to excellence, professionalism, and high quality teaching.

Find out who is involved in partnerships running accredited ITE programmes in Wales.

Programmes available from 2019/20

A list of the accredited ITE programmes offered by Partnerships in Wales from September 2019 is outlined below. 

Primary – Undergraduate

Name of Partnership	Programme title	Accreditation expiry date
CaBan - Chester(Caer) / Bangor North Wales Partnership	BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS (3-11 years)	August 2021
Cardiff Partnership	BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS	August 2024
Yr Athrofa: Professional Learning Partnership	BA (Hons) Primary Education with QTS	August 2024

Primary - Postgraduate

Name of Partnership	Programme title	Accreditation expiry date
Aberystwyth ITE Partnership	PGCE	August 2024
CaBan - Chester (Caer) / Bangor North Wales Partnership	PGCE Primary with QTS (3-11 years)	August 2021
Cardiff Partnership	PGCE: Primary	August 2024
Yr Athrofa: Professional Learning Partnership	PGCE with QTS	August 2024

Secondary - Postgraduate

Name of Partnership	Programme title	Accreditation expiry date
Aberystwyth ITE Partnership	PGCE	August 2024
CaBan - Chester(Caer) / Bangor North Wales Partnership	PGCE Secondary with QTS	August 2021
Cardiff Partnership	PGCE: Secondary	August 2024
Yr Athrofa: Professional Learning Partnership	PGCE with QTS	August 2024

Programmes available from 2020/21

In addition to the programmes listed above, the following ITE programmes will be offered from September 2020. 

Primary - Undergraduate

Name of Partnership	Programme title	Accreditation expiry date
University of South Wales ITE Partnership	BA (Hons) Primary ITE with QTS*	August 2025

 
Secondary- Undergraduate

Name of Partnership	Programme title	Accreditation expiry date
Swansea University Schools Partnership	PGCE Secondary*	August 2025

 
Alternative Routes 

Name of Partnership	Programme title	Accreditation expiry date
Open University Partnership	PGCE (Part-time) Primary and Secondary*	March 2025
Open University Partnership	PGCE (Salaried route) Primary and Secondary*	March 2025

* The accreditation of these programmes is currently subject to conditions.

Monitoring of ITE programmes

All ITE programmes offered by partnerships in Wales are assessed, evaluated, and monitored against the Welsh Government’s criteria for the accreditation of initial teacher education programmes in Wales.

Estyn has recently inspected all ITE provision in Wales under previous accreditation arrangements. Reports on those inspections can be found on the Estyn website. ITE programmes that start in September 2019 will be monitored by the ITE Accreditation Board and inspected by Estyn.