The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 came into force in April 2026 and amends section 133 of the Education Act 2002 to extend the QTS requirement to academies.
So, from 1st September 2026 new teachers in scope must either:
• Hold QTS, or
• Be actively working towards QTS
Sixth Form Colleges that are not academies are likely exempt, but Sixth Form Colleges that are not academies are not exempt. Seems like an anomaly, but the legislation is clear.
Plus, if the DfE intended an exemption for Sixth Form academies, it would appear explicitly in:
• commencement regulations,
• workforce guidance,
• or academy trust implementation guidance.
None of the post Act implementation summaries say “QTLS routes remain acceptable in academies”. Instead, every summary repeats “have or be working towards QTS” and that repetition is unlikely to be accidental.
If an academy Sixth Form wishes to recruit an experienced teacher a possible solution could be an assessment only QTS.
