The College of Teachers is a chartered body with the power to award officially recognised UK qualifications from introductory certificates through to professorships. It has a very long and illustrious 158 year history as a pioneer in education in the UK and overseas despite its diminutive size (such as developing the original UK school exams and investing the first professor of education).

The College was incorporated by Royal Charter as the College of Preceptors in 1849, and changed its name to the College of Teachers in 1998. The College has the same status to award qualifications through its charter as any university in the UK and as such it does not require validation from any body other than the Privy Council Office.

The College awarding powers from the Royal Charter allows the College to make awards that carry official UK academic dress and post-nominal designations for those achieving Associateship or Fellowship levels.

The College awards professional qualifications which run alongside HE qualifications and can be benchmarked to them. The College qualifications are professional awards which are equivalent to UK academic qualifications (the Fellowship qualification is recognised as being at Master's degree level, for example).

The British Council regards the College Of Teachers; University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate; Trinity College, London and all UK universities as acceptable validating bodies.

The College qualifications are accepted all over the world and are accepted by the British Council as valid qualifications for teachers in their accredited schools at certificate and diploma levels.