What is the work like?
Secondary school teachers work in state and independent schools,
teaching children aged from 11 to 16, or up to 19 in schools with
sixth forms.
As a secondary teacher you would:
- specialise in teaching one or two subjects
- teach classes of different ages and abilities throughout the
school
- prepare students for exams like GCSEs and A levels.
You would have other responsibilities as well as teaching,
including:
- preparing lessons and teaching materials
- marking and assessing work
- setting up displays in the classroom
- liaising with other professionals such as educational
psychologists
- discussing pupils' progress with parents and carers
– both informally and at parents' evenings
- attending meetings and in-service training
- organising outings, social activities and sporting
events.
Some parts of England and Wales have middle schools that take
children from ages eight or nine to twelve or thirteen. As a
teacher in a middle school you would teach the primary or secondary
curriculum appropriate to the age of children in the class.
What qualifications and experience will employers look for?
You must gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) by completing
Initial Teacher Training (ITT). You can do this through four
different routes (see below). The route you choose will depend on
whether you already have higher education qualifications, but for
all of them the basic requirements are:
- GCSEs (A-C) English and maths or equivalent qualifications
– you should check with course
providers which qualifications they will accept, or if there
are any equivalency tests you can take
- passes in
tests of
numeracy, literacy and ICT (information and communications
technology)
-
CRB (Criminal
Records Bureau) clearance.
If you intend to teach in middle schools you will also need
GCSEs (A-C) or an equivalent qualification in science. Experience
of working with children (either paid or voluntary) in the relevant
age group will be an advantage. This could be through volunteering
at a local school, youth club or holiday scheme.
There are four types of ITT:
- undergraduate
- postgraduate
- School-Centered Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
- work-based.
Undergraduate routes
If you do not have a degree you can gain QTS by
completing one of the following two options:
- a degree in the subject you want to teach (or a
closely-related subject) followed by a Postgraduate Certificate
of Education (PGCE)
- a BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) with QTS (or a BEd degree at a few
universities).
The first route is the most common.
To get onto a degree course, you will usually need at least two
A levels 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 degree courses see the
Universities and
Colleges Admissions Service website.
Postgraduate routes
If you already have a degree or equivalent you can
gain QTS by doing a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE)
course. This takes one year full-time, two years part-time or
longer if done flexibly by distance learning. You can search for
PGCE courses and apply on-line on the
Graduate Teacher
Training Registry (GTTR) website.
School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
SCITT is another option if you already have a
degree. It is classroom-based training which takes one year and
usually leads to a PGCE.
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 (which could include an
HND or foundation degree)
- Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (for those qualified
outside the EU) – you must have a teaching qualification
that is equivalent to a UK degree.
The number of places on employment-based programmes is limited
and competition is strong.
Teach First
Teach First is an independently run graduate training
programme which is available in Greater London, the North West, the
Midlands and Yorkshire. On the programme you would achieve QTS
whilst working in a challenging school and completing leadership
training. You would need at least an upper second class degree.
For more details about the scheme, the selection criteria and
how to apply see
Teach
First.
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 will need to
successfully complete three terms in a teaching job before you are
considered fully qualified. During this time you will be supported
by a mentor.
Throughout your teaching career you will need to keep up to date
with new methods and ideas in education by doing in-service
training. This could be on 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.
See the
National
College Leadership of Schools and Children's Services
website for details of programmes for:
- teachers who are taking on leadership and management
responsibilities, including heads of subject or area and subject
co-ordinators
- deputies, assistant heads and others looking to move up to
their first headship
- newly appointed, first-time headteachers.
If you want to teach another age group, it is not essential to
do further training. 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 may offer short conversion or refresher courses. You
can get details of some of these from the Training and Development
Agency for Schools (TDA) website.
The TDA website also has information for qualified teachers
wanting to return to teaching after a career break, including
details of returners' courses and other available support.
Where can I go for more information?
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk
Rosehill
New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL52 3LZ
Tel: 0871 4680 469
http://www.gttr.ac.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 £43,692 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?
You would teach for 39 weeks a year. Hours vary between schools,
but are usually from 9am to 3.30pm or 4pm. You will also spend a
lot of time outside school hours preparing lessons, marking and
assessing pupils’ work, taking part in parents' evenings,
and attending meetings and in-service training courses.
You could do supply teaching, working in different schools for
short periods to cover absences of permanent teachers.
What skills and knowledge will I need?
- enthusiasm for the subjects you teach
- the ability to develop good working relationships with a wide
range of people
- the ability to work in a team as well as use your own
initiative
- good 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?
Most jobs are in state secondary schools. You could also work in
independent schools, sixth-form colleges, pupil referral units,
hospitals, young offenders’ institutions or secure units.
See the TDA website for information on the
Transition
to Teaching scheme, which is aimed at experienced graduates in
science, technology, engineering, maths or a related subject who
want to change their career to teaching one of these subjects.
Visit the
TDA
and
Teachernet
websites for details of incentives to encourage more teachers to
work in secondary schools in challenging circumstances.
As an experienced teacher you may become an Advanced Skills
Teacher (AST), supporting other teachers as well as teaching your
own classes. See the
Teachernet
website for details.
In most schools, you could to progress to curriculum leader,
head of department, deputy headteacher and headteacher. You could
choose to specialise in teaching pupils with special educational
needs or move into private tuition.
As a newly qualified, current, former or retired teacher you can
register as a tutor on the One to One Tuition Programme. This is a
new Government-funded initiative to help children who need to gain
more confidence and understanding in English and maths. You would
receive training and be paid an hourly rate. Visit the
TDA
website for details.
You may find the following links useful for job vacancies and
general reading (links open new window):
Education Guardian
Local council
websites
eteach.com
Times Educational
Supplement
Teachernet
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external
sites.
