Formal training is not only route to teaching

The initiative, proposed by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), will allow classroom workers to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by showing evidence of their skills.

Among those likely to be eligible are instructors who offer specialist school teaching in subjects such as music or PE and lecturers from further education colleges who are teaching the Government's new flagship diploma courses.

Private school teachers, who may not have had formal teacher training, will also be able to apply.

There are currently around 27,800 instructors without QTS, the Times Educational Supplement reported.

A TDA spokeswoman said: "The Assessment Only route to QTS will allow very experienced graduate teachers, such as those working in schools as instructors, those in FE colleges teaching Diplomas, or teachers without QTS teaching in the independent sector, to gain QTS by assessment, without training. This will increase the number of high quality teachers in state schools.

"The TDA has consulted widely and received responses from a range of individuals and organisations. This has helped us in our efforts to ensure effective quality assurance and assessment rigor and take proper account of relevant qualifications and experience."