What is an advanced skills teacher (AST)?

An AST is a teacher who has passed a national assessment and been appointed to an AST post. ASTs focus on supporting the professional development of other teachers and raising standards of teaching and learning. ASTs spend 80 per cent of their time teaching their own classes and 20 per cent on outreach work – working with and for teachers from other schools.

If you are interested in becoming an AST speak to as many existing ASTs as you can. Ask them about their role and about the assessment process. Find out how outreach work is managed in your Local Authority (LA). Consider with your line manager how your skills match the applicable standards and what areas you may need to work on to provide the evidence for assessment. Talk to your headteacher and LA AST coordinator about the likelihood of any AST posts becoming available.

How do I become an advanced skills teacher (AST)?

The AST grade is open to all teachers who can meet the AST standards, including teachers who work part-time. Teachers who apply for an AST post must provide evidence that they meet the AST standards, and undergo a one-day assessment by an external assessor. For further information on the standards visit the TDA website.

The assessment follows the completion of an application form, in which the candidate shows how they meet each of the AST standards. The application form also requires the candidate's headteacher to provide supporting evidence under each of the standards. Further evidence should be included in a folder which should be presented to the assessor on the day of the assessment.

For further help and advice you can find DCSF guidance on the teachernet website.