Teaching

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Sector Overview

This page has been written by Helen Scott, the relevant Careers Adviser for this occupational area. To see how you can meet Helen, or any of our advisers, go to our website to view how and when you can meet them. 


Is it right for me? - further information on this career area, including skills/attributes required and tactics for success (pdf)



The primary and secondary education systems in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are similar in their administration. Scotland runs a separate system, with its own laws and practices. Over the last few years, competition for places on teacher training courses and for first jobs has become increasingly fierce.


For further information on teaching, including applying via the GTTR, view this video.

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Range of jobs

There are a wide range of opportunities in teaching throughout the UK. Although training routes differ, most graduates who choose teaching go on to become either secondary or primary teachers in state schools. A small number move into the independent sector. There are opportunities to progress into positions of responsibility in schools which attract responsibility points and increased salary.

There are some roles beyond the classroom to progress towards: eg in teacher training, research, advisory and inspection roles and local or civil service administration.

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Entry points

Scotland

To teach in a Scottish school you must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). You are eligible to apply for this status once you have completed a one-year full-time post-graduate diploma in education (PGDE) at a Scottish University. There are 7 Higher Education Institutions to choose from offering PGDE courses, for more information on teaching in Scotland, see the Teaching in Scotland website. If you qualify as a teacher in Scotland and want to teach in England or Wales, you will need QTS status. You can apply for this through the General Teaching Council for England. Equally, if you want to teach in Scotland, but have qualified elsewhere you will need to register with the GTCS. In Scotland, after completing the PGDE, graduates receive a guaranteed probation year in a school. However, following this there is intense competition for relatively few positions.

England & Wales

In England and Wales in order to teach in a state school you must have qualified teacher status (QTS). Such status is achieved, by most graduates, through taking a one-year full-time post-graduate certificate of education or PGCE. Some two-year part-time courses are also available. There are other routes to acquiring QTS including SCITT (school centred initial teacher training) and other flexible routes for mature or more experienced applicants, but these are relatively few in number.

Teach First, a scheme for those interested in teaching for a period of two years before going on to another challenging career or staying in teaching was launched in 2003. The scheme involves teaching in challenging schools in England. Currently schools are located in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Sheffield and Leeds. Teach First has produced a handout on Teaching in Scotland as a Teach First ambassador - FAQ (pdf).

You are not obliged to have QTS in order to teach in independent schools. However in practice, even within the independent sector, most headteachers prefer applicants who have a formal teaching qualification. The Independent Schools Directory online lists Sixth Form Colleges in England, for those interested in teaching at this level.

Northern Ireland

It is compulsory to have a recognised teacher training qualification in order to gain a permanent teaching post in primary or secondary schools in Northern Ireland. Competition for teaching posts is extremely high and, as a result, many newly qualified teachers (NQTs) spend their first year in temporary teaching posts.

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Qualifications

Scotland

Qualifications for entry to courses are given in the Memorandum on Entry Requirements to Courses of Initial Teacher Education in Scotland. Check the particular entry criteria directly with the teacher education institution to which you apply.

England & Wales

In England and Wales, the Department for Education regulations prescribe that applicants must have a degree and passes at grade C or above in GCSE Maths and English. Applicants for primary courses must also have a science GCSE at grade C or above. Check the particular entry criteria for each of the institutions to which you apply. It remains possible to take a PGCE in a range of non-National Curriculum subjects, e.g. Classics, Drama or Media Studies, but teaching opportunities in maintained schools are more limited. For further information consult the GTTR website. You should contact the PGCE departments of individual institutions directly for detailed prospectuses.

If you need help choosing an initial teacher training (ITT) provider in England, visit the Teaching Agency Performance Profiles website to search for and compare universities, colleges and schools. Teaching Agency Performance Profiles. As well as the quality of the individual course, you may want to bear in mind the following criteria when choosing the courses you apply to: geographic proximity to where you would like to teach afterwards; nature of schools intake e.g. rural/urban in the light of future preferences; proximity of partner schools to the training provider and your likely accommodation.

When making your application, make sure that your tutor provides a reference speedily and that you have completed all sections. Your application will not be processed otherwise.

Northern Ireland

The Department of Education Northern Ireland website has details of the minimum educational qualifications for admission to initial teacher education courses in Northern Ireland institutions.

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Application procedure for PGCE/PGDE courses

Scotland, England & Wales

Applications for a PGCE or PGDE go through a central agency, the Graduate Teacher Training Registry, GTTR(the exception being the University of the West of Scotland, to whom you must apply to directly). You apply online. The application cycle opens in September and may be submitted immediately thereafter for courses for the following year.

There is no closing date for secondary applications. GTTR sends applications to PGCE/PGDE course selectors as they are received. However, be aware that popular courses can fill before Christmas. In contrast, applications for primary courses must be made between 1st September and 1st December. Early application is advised as primary and secondary teaching are currently very popular career options for graduates. Thereafter applications are only sent to course providers with vacant places. Beyond 30th June a clearing system operates for both primary and secondary courses.

Professional skills tests for applicants to PGCE courses in England

All trainee teachers in England are required to pass skills tests in numeracy and literacy before they can be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status (QTS). Applicants to ITT courses which start after 1 July 2013 will be required to pass the skills tests before starting their course.

The numeracy and literacy skills tests:

  • cover the core skills that teachers need to fulfil their professional role in schools, rather than the subject knowledge required for teaching. This is to ensure all teachers are competent in numeracy and literacy, regardless of their specialism;
  • do not replace the GCSE grade C equivalence entry requirement;
  • are set in the context of the professional role of a teacher; all questions use real data and information which teachers are likely to encounter; and
  • are computerised and can be taken at any of approximately 150 test centres throughout the UK.

For information on the skills tests visit the Department for Education website.

Practice materials

Both the numeracy and literacy skills tests can be practised online:


Personal Statements

Part of the GTTR application process includes the completion of a 'Personal Statement', which tells your chosen training providers why you want to become a teacher and why they should want you as a student. Click on the following links for further advice and examples of Personal Statements:

Interviews

An interview is an essential part of the application process for all initial teacher training (ITT). The process varies with each institution but normally includes an individual interview and other selection activities, which may include written tests, presentations, and group discussions. The selection process should last at least half a day and will be intensive.

The following links contain a wealth of information on interviews, including what to expect and how to prepare:

Northern Ireland

Applications forms and details of the entry requirements for admission to PGCE courses may be obtained from the Registrar/Admissions Officer of the College or University concerned. Applicants for the four-year BEd courses at Stranmillis University College must apply through UCAS, and applicants for the equivalent course at St Mary's University College must apply directly to that College. See the Department of Education for Northern Ireland website for further information.

Visit the Prospects website for further details on Applying for a PGCE.

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Funding

Scotland

Financial support for teacher training is dealt with by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. Awards are based on their personal and residential conditions. Further details on financial help is available on the Teach in Scotland website.

England & Wales

Training Bursaries

Bursaries are available for trainees on eligible postgraduate courses in England who are not employed as a teacher. Bursary amounts will vary depending on teaching subject and degree class.

From 2013/14 trainees will need at least a 2:2 to be eligible for a training bursary, although there will be flexibility in some cases. Full details of Training Bursaries and Financial incentives for those who train in 2013/14 are available on the Teaching Agency website

School Direct bursary top-up

In 2012/13 a new scheme called School Direct will enable more trainees to choose training that is linked to a particular school.

Trainees on School Direct places may be eligible for an additional payment worth 25 per cent of their standard bursary. To qualify for this payment, trainees will need to be based in a school where more than 35 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The School Direct bursary top-up is only available in combination with a standard bursary, and will be paid on top of the standard bursary amount the trainee is eligible for. Schools are not required to offer free school meals to participate in School Direct. Further information.

Northern Ireland

From September 2006, institutions in Northern Ireland can charge variable tuition fees to all new full-time ITE students, including graduates commencing PGCE courses. All eligible students can choose to defer payment of their fees by taking out a fee loan which they will repay when they leave higher education and have an income over a set level. Details may be obtained from the Education and Library Board which serves the area in which you normally reside or, in the case of candidates from a country with the European Union, the Student Loans Company in Darlington (Telephone: 0141 243 3570, Telephone International: +44 (0)141 243 3570 or E-mail: EU_Team@slc.co.uk).

Addresses of the Education and Library Boards can be found on the DENI website.


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How to get experience

  • If you're thinking of a teaching career, it is essential to get work experience with the age of pupils you want to work with. This is also an opportunity to sample life as a teacher before committing yourself to a training course. Many PGCE/PGDE course tutors now insist that you have spent some time observing your prospective subject(s) being taught in a maintained school before they will interview you for a course place. As teaching becomes more popular, work experience is becoming crucial.
  • The University of St Andrews runs a variety of voluntary schemes with school pupils which provide good experience. Email: schools.access@st-andrews.ac.uk and express which age ranges you're interested in working with.
  • Lift Off Volunteering opportunities with secondary schools across Fife and Tayside. Lift Off delivers a range of school workshops in its partner schools which are designed to increase pupils' awareness of opportunities available to them in Higher Education - whether at college or university. Student Volunteers play a vital role in the delivery of workshops.
  • The Careers Centre job search database occasionally has paid vacancies in independent schools. Check regularly to see what's new.
  • Use your vacations wisely. Try applying for either paid or voluntary work which will enable you to experience working with children. This may involve making speculative applications and networking on your part. Think about the schools in your area, at St Andrews or at home. Schools, whether in St Andrews or where you live, will be used to requests for observation experience. Ring them up to find out who to write to with a request. Schemes such as Camp America or Bunac can provide useful experience.
  • Although classroom experience is important it will also look good on your application to teaching institutions if you can demonstrate that you have been actively involved in play schemes, youth clubs, sports activities or brownies, for example. Volunteering Fife has vacancies in the St Andrews area.
  • The British Red Cross occasionally has voluntary vacancies for School Speakers in Fife. Full training will be provided and this might take place at weekends or in the evenings. On completion of the training there is an expectation that you will deliver a minimum of 6 one hour sessions per year within schools. Update training, support and development, and feedback sessions will be available on an ongoing basis. Applicants should be confident, enthusiastic, keen to work with young people to explore "humanitarian" values, and will need to feel comfortable travelling independently to schools where sessions are taking place and available to do so during regular school hours. Register your interest by sending an e-mail to:scassidy@redcross.org.uk. Further details on the British Red Cross website.

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How to find a job

The Times Educational Supplement available at the Careers Centre, published each Friday, carries advertisements for all kinds of school and college vacancies both in this country and, to a much lesser extent, abroad. We will advertise occasionally on the Careers Centre Jobsonline, particularly for temporary appointments.

For more information and advice on securing your first and subsequent teaching posts, visit Prospects:Getting a Teaching Job.

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International students

International students wishing to train to teach in the UK are able to do so but are unlikely to be eligible for financial support. EEA nationals who are fully qualified to teach in an EEA country have the right to work as a qualified teacher in any other member state. Before a teaching post can be taken up in the UK an overseas qualified teacher must apply to the relevant body (such as the Graduate Teaching Councils for England and for Scotland). A qualified teacher wishing to teach outside of the EEA should contact the educational authority of the country you wish to work in to see if your qualifications are satisfactory.

There are frequent changes to the rules affecting international students and recent graduates wishing to work in the UK. It is recommended that, for the most up-to-date information, you check the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website which offers independent information and advice about immigration, finance and working in the UK and also the UK Border Agency website.

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Key Links and Resources

Careers Centre resources

For reference

  • The Times Education Supplement (TES)

Take-away

  • Target:Teaching

Online

  • Careers Alumni Network- a database of St Andrews graduates who have volunteered to offer careers information to existing students.
  • The Careers Centre subscribes to 'Going Global', a specialist website with information and job vacancies worldwide. To access Going Global login to the Careers Centre website and click on Going Global Database.

General teaching careers information

Prospects:

TARGET:

AGCAS:

Professional Bodies, Trade Organisations & Journals/Magazines

USA

For information about certification, please visit Teacher Certification Programmes in the US. If you'd like to learn about internships in education and fellowships available to teachers, please visit Internships in the US - Education and Teaching.

Recruitment Agencies

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