What is the work like?
Nursery teachers work with children aged three to five in
nursery schools or classes, planning and organising a wide range of
indoor and outdoor activities.
As a nursery teacher you would:
- help children's social, personal, physical and emotional
development
- develop their language, literacy and numeracy skills
- help them achieve the early learning goals of the
National
Curriculum
- encourage co-operation and good behaviour.
As well as working with the children, you would:
- set out activities before classes and tidy up afterwards
- prepare activities and resources
- talk to parents or carers about their children’s
development
- monitor children’s development and identify any
problems
- keep records and complete assessments for each child
- attend meetings and training courses.
You would also work with, and supervise teaching assistants,
nursery nurses and volunteer helpers.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
To be a nursery teacher in a state school, you must gain
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by completing Initial Teacher
Training (ITT). There are four types of ITT:
- undergraduate
- postgraduate
- School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
- work-based.
As a basis for all of these you will need:
- GCSEs (A-C) English, maths and a science subject or
equivalent qualifications – you should check with course
providers which qualifications they will accept, or if there are
any equivalency tests you can take
- to pass
tests in
numeracy, literacy and ICT (information and communications
technology)
-
CRB (Criminal
Records Bureau) clearance.
It would be an advantage if you have experience of working with
children (either paid or voluntary) in the relevant age group. For
example, you could volunteer at a local school.
You can choose from the four types of ITT, depending on whether
you already have higher education qualifications.
Undergraduate route
If you do not already have a degree you can gain QTS
alongside your degree by doing one of the following types of
course:
- BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) with QTS
- Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree course (at a few
universities).
Some of these courses will give you the opportunity to
concentrate on the three to five age group (Early Years). The
courses last for three or four years full-time.
You would usually need:
- at least two A levels (one of which should be in a
National
Curriculum subject), and
- at least five GCSEs (A-C).
Universities may accept other qualifications, such as an Access
to Higher Education course. Check with course providers for their
exact requirements. To search for colleges and universities
offering the degrees see the
UCAS
website.
Postgraduate routes
If you have a degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to
the primary National Curriculum, you can get QTS by doing a
Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course. Courses can be
one year full-time, two years part-time or flexible by distance
learning. You can search for PGCE courses and apply on-line on
Graduate Teacher
Training Registry (GTTR).
School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
SCITT is classroom-based training which takes one year and
leads to QTS. You would need to have a degree for this course.
Employment-based routes
You can gain QTS whilst working in a school on a trainee
salary on one of the following programmes:
- Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) – you must already
have a degree
- Registered Teacher Programme (RTP) – you must have
completed two years of higher education (for example, a BTEC HND,
foundation degree or two years of a degree)
- Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP) – you must
have an overseas (outside the EU) teaching qualification that is
equivalent to a UK degree.
The number of places on employment-based programmes is limited
and competition is strong.
Visit the
Training and
Development Agency for Schools website for full details of all
entry routes and funding for training.
Northern Ireland
For details of routes into teaching in Northern
Ireland see the
Department
of Education Northern Ireland website.
What further training and development can I do?
When you have completed your ITT course, you would need to
complete a probationary period of three terms in employment before
you are considered fully qualified. During this time you would be
supported by a mentor.
Throughout your teaching career you would need to keep up to
date with new methods and ideas in education by completing
in-service training. You could do this by attending training days
in school or at local authority training centres.
Visit the
TDA website to
find out about the Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL), a
Government-funded, classroom-based qualification to help teachers
extend their teaching skills and abilities.
Early Years Professional (EYP) Status
As an EYP you would work to raise the quality of early years
practice in your school, and support and mentor other
practitioners. The government aims to have EYPs in all early years
settings, including nursery and primary schools, by 2010. To find
out how you can work towards EYP status, visit the
Children's Workforce
Development Council website.
Transferring to another age group
You do not need further training before you
transfer to a different age group. However, schools recommend that
you get some experience of the age group you are intending to
teach. This could be done on a voluntary basis. Some LEAs and
teacher training institutions offer short conversion or refresher
courses. See the
Training and
Development Agency for Schools (TDA) for details.
Returning to teaching
If you are a qualified teacher wanting to return to
teaching after a career break you can find information, including
details of returners' courses and other available support, on
the
TDA
website.
Where can I go for more information?
Rosehill
New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL52 3LZ
Tel: 0871 4680 469
http://www.gttr.ac.uk
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk
Rathael House
Balloo Road
Bangor
BT19 7PR
Tel: 028 9127 9279
http://www.deni.gov.uk
151 Buckingham Palace Road
London
SW1W 9SZ
Teaching Information Line: 0845 6000 991
http://www.tda.gov.uk
If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning
adviser, call
0800 100 900 or
use our online
enquiry form
Alternatively, you can visit our website at:
www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice
What salary and other benefits can I expect?
The main salary range is from £21,102 to £30,842 a
year (£26,000 to £35,568 in inner London).
Teachers who reach the top of the main scale may apply to be
assessed to progress to the upper pay scale. This ranges from
£33,412 to £35,929 (£40,288 to £43,69 in inner
London).
Salary scales are reviewed each year. See details of the
full
pay scales on the Training and Development Agency for Schools
website.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
What are the hours and working conditions?
As a teacher in a state school in England and Wales, you would
work 39 weeks a year in school. Teaching hours vary between
schools, but are usually 9am to 3.30pm or 4pm. Nursery-age children
are likely to attend school just for the morning or afternoon
session, so you may teach two groups.
You would also spend time outside these hours planning,
preparing and evaluating activities, and attending parents'
evenings and in-service training.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- the ability to build good relationships with children,
parents/carers and colleagues
- commitment to equal opportunities
- organisational and time-management skills
- the ability to manage classes and deal with challenging
behaviour
- excellent communication skills
- patience and a good sense of humour.
What opportunities are there?
