Special educational needs teacher : Entry requirements

To become a special educational needs (SEN) teacher, qualified teacher status (QTS) is required in England and Wales or the teaching qualification (TQ) in Scotland. QTS status is generally achieved by completing one of the following qualifications:

• Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE);
• school-centred initial teacher training (SCITT);
• Bachelor of Education (BEd);
• BA or BSc with QTS.

In Scotland, the TQ is usually achieved by completion of the Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE).

SEN teachers should also be registered with the General Teaching Council (GTC). There is a GTC for each area of the UK. For more information, go to the General Teaching Council for England (GTC) , the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) , the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW)  or The General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) .

There is a special educational needs element to all initial teacher training (ITT) courses. Qualified teachers can also undertake additional training to teach pupils with special educational needs.

Entry is not possible with an HND only. In England and Wales, candidates who have successfully completed two years of higher education - someone with an HND would qualify - may opt to take a shortened two-year degree with QTS. You can apply for this route via Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) .

Specific qualifications are required to teach pupils with hearing, visual or multi-sensory impairments. To find out which universities offer qualifications in these specialised areas, as well as further details on entry requirements and routes to becoming a qualified teacher, please refer to the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) .

For any person working with children/young adults in the United Kingdom, an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check is required. Without a CRB, an individual is not allowed to work with children unsupervised. An application for a CRB will need to be completed before beginning a course that leads to QTS. In the first instance, this will be through the training body. This check will be repeated by any subsequent employer once training is complete. See the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)  for more information.

Candidates need to show evidence of the following:

• commitment to working with pupils with special educational needs;
• excellent interpersonal skills;
• initiative and problem-solving skills;
• ability to manage confrontation and challenging behaviour;
• teamwork skills;
• an observant and responsive approach;
• flexibility - it is important to be able to respond to the needs of the children and adapt or change plans accordingly;
• a positive, energetic and enthusiastic outlook;
• patience, understanding and empathy with pupils;
• a sense of humour.

Mature entry into SEN teaching is common as teachers generally have several years' experience before entering the profession. However, some schools do recruit newly qualified teachers. There is currently a shortage of special educational needs teachers.

For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.