Newly Qualified Teacher is a label attached to teachers in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 who have been qualified for less than 12 months.

Origins

The term began to be used in the mid-1990s following the removal of the requirement for teachers to serve a probationary period in 1991 under the Education (Teachers) (Amendment) Regulations 1992. Until that time, teachers who had recently qualified were more commonly known as probationary teachers, or probationers.

This gradual change was cemented by the introduction of an induction period for teaching in 1999, under the Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) Regulations 1999. These regulations made it a requirement that all teachers complete an induction

Induction (teachers)

Induction is used to refer to a period during which a Newly Qualified Teacher in England or Wales is both supported and assessed to ensure that regulatory standards are met.-Background:...

period equivalent to one year upon qualification as a teacher.

Use

Although the only definition in legislation refers to a period of 12 months, the term is commonly used to refer to a teacher who has not yet completed a period of induction. While for teachers who are employed full-time, this period is one year, part-time employees may take several years to complete induction.