If you are interested in becoming or work as a teacher in the Uk, you may be wondering how to acquire the necessary experience and credentials. Obtaining a PGCE is the most obvious method, however there are other methods to enter the teaching field.
It is commonly stated that teaching is both an art and a science. In reality, it is feasible to build proficiency in specific elements of the work through practice, and doing so will assist you in becoming a successful teacher as well as Work as a Teacher in the UK.
However, each teacher is also an individual who brings something personal and unique to their instruction. Additionally, specific abilities and approaches must be acquired, comprehended, and utilized with intelligence – never automatically.
An effective teacher who wants to Work as a Teacher in the UK learns to gradually integrate the theoretical components of teaching with their growing practical experience, consistently commenting on actual teaching outcomes in order to grow as a professional.
This article covers everything required to become and Work as a Teacher in the UK. From the time required to the qualifications required, and more.
Who a Teacher is
A teacher is one of the most prevalent occupations in education. People who appreciate investing in the lives of young people and passing on their knowledge to the next generation may find teaching to be a fulfilling and invigorating profession. Once you have decided that a teaching career is what you want, you will need to take a number of actions. This page will cover what a teacher does, how to become a teacher, and frequently asked topics regarding teaching.
Becoming a qualified teacher Who Wants Work as a Teacher in the UK
In order to Work as a Teacher in the UK and Wales, one must get QTS. This is obtained through a one-year ITT program, which may be offered through a school or university. Assuming you achieve the standards, you will be given QTS and become a newly qualified teacher (NQT) ready to begin your induction year upon completion of the course.
Teachers in Scotland who want to Work as a Teacher in the UK must hold a bachelor’s degree and a certificate in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). After completing your ITE, you will be required to complete a probationary teaching year. To learn more, please visit teaching in Scotland.
To become a teacher in Northern Ireland, you must earn a Bachelor of Education (BEd) or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education that lasts one year (PGCE). If you wish to teach in Northern Ireland but were educated outside the nation, you must have your credentials validated by the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI). Gain knowledge regarding teaching in Northern Ireland.
In England, applications for the majority of teacher who wants to Work as a Teacher in the UK, training programs are submitted through the DfE’s “Appy for teacher training” service in the autumn preceding training. To learn more, please visit paths into teaching. Your application for teacher training in Scotland and Wales will be submitted through UCAS.
Applications are submitted directly to individual institutions in Northern Ireland. Depending on degree grade, bursaries and other forms of financial aid are offered for a variety of topics. Check out NI Direct Initial Teacher Training to see what’s offered in Northern Ireland.
Average salary for teachers Who wants to Work as a Teacher in the UK
The average teacher salary who Work as a Teacher in the UK varies by region. In England and Wales, a NQT’s income begins at the lowest point of the main pay scale for a classroom teacher, which, depending on location, is approximately £28,848 per year.
In Scotland, the equivalent of a NQT is a probationer with a probationary contract. The average daily wage of a probationer is approximately £206. The minimum wage on the main pay scale in Northern Ireland is approximately £153 per day.
The government of the United Kingdom divides teacher pay scales into main and upper pay groups. After beginning at the probationary/NQT level, teachers might graduate to a higher pay grade based on their outstanding performance. Lead Practitioner Accreditation is open to instructors who demonstrate their competitiveness or skill. Lead practitioners are compensated more than regular classroom teachers.
Part-time employment as a teacher
You may work part-time, but your wage must reach a minimum requirement to qualify for a skilled worker visa.
There are two necessities:
- Your part-time income must be at least £20,480 per year.
- The full-time equivalent of your wage must meet the minimal threshold established for your location and employment category (QTS or non QTS)
Schools have some discretion in determining compensation. If the offered compensation does not satisfy the requirements for competent workers, you may be able to negotiate a higher income.
How long does it take to become a teacher in the UK?
In order to Work as a Teacher in the UK and Wales, you must earn Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which typically takes between one and two years. The time required to earn this certification can vary depending on the course type and format utilized to obtain QTS.
The typical path to a teaching career following graduation is:
- Relevant job experience
- Courses in Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE)
- Bachelors degree (three years)
- PGCE (one to two years)
Determine who you wish to instruct.
The initial step is to determine the level of education at which you wish to teach, which may depend in part on the subjects you studied for your A-levels and undergraduate degree.
Some individuals may like teaching general subjects to younger pupils, whereas others may prefer teaching specialized subjects to older students.
You can teach any age after obtaining Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), but you must demonstrate your ability to work with certain age groups and have required experience.
Primary education
For primary education, you are trained to instruct the full range of subjects on the national curriculum. In general, primary schools employ a bigger and more diverse range of instructional methods.
The age range for primary school children in the United Kingdom is four to eleven years old, resulting in a seven-year primary school education.
The primary curriculum is divided into three sections:
- Early years foundation stage (EYFS): kindergarten and preschool (0-5 years old)
- First Key Stage: years 1-2 (5-7 years old)
- Level 2: years 3 to (7-11 years old)
The national curriculum subjects taught in KS1 and KS2 in primary schools in the United Kingdom are extremely diverse, and include:
- Art and design
- Computing
- Engineering and technology
- English
- Geography
- History
- Languages (at KS2)
- Maths
- Music
- Physical training
- Science
- Welsh (in Wales)
English, mathematics, and science GCSEs must be passed with a minimum grade of 4/C to qualify for elementary teaching.
Secondary education
You would teach one or more national curriculum subjects or vocational subjects at the GCSE and/or A-level exam qualification level at the secondary level. Due to the necessity that students in secondary school earn exam qualifications throughout their study, the primary focus of secondary education is on achieving this requirement.
Secondary school pupils range in age from 11 to 18, however some may choose to leave school at 16 in order to pursue an apprenticeship or other training program.
Similarly, secondary education is divided into three sections:
- Years 7-9 comprise Stage 3 (11-14 years old)
- Key Stage 4: Years 10 and 11 (14 to 16 years old) – culminating in GCSE examinations
- Sixth Form: Years 12-13 (16-18) – culminating in A-levels and/or BTECs.
Key stage 3
The mandatory Key Stage 3 national curriculum subjects are:
- History
- Mathematics Modern languages
- Music
- Physical training
- The scientific disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
- Engineering and technology
- English
- Geography
- Art and design
- Citizenship
- Computing
Key stage 4
At this point, students are pursuing national qualifications, typically GCSEs, and the mandatory national curriculum courses are referred to as “core” and “foundation” subjects.
Basic topics include:
- English
- Maths
- Science
Fundamental subjects include:
- Citizenship
- Computing
- Physical training
Additionally, secondary schools must provide at least one course in each of the following areas:
- Arts
- Engineering and technology
- Humanities
- Modern foreign languages
Similarly, Key Stage 4 must include instruction on relationships, sexuality, and health, as well as religious education.
Varieties of schools in the UK
In general, there are two sorts of schools in the United Kingdom: state-maintained and independent. Independent schools charge tuition, whereas state-funded schools are free for students to attend. Different sorts of schools have varying eligibility requirements, thus the type of school in which you wish to teach will determine what teaching credentials you must get.
Independent schools (sometimes known as private schools and, more confusingly, public schools) do not require a PGCE, but it is typically recommended. It is left to each independent school to determine its own teacher requirements.
Instead of receiving government funding, independent schools are fee-based institutions. In these private schools, students are not required to follow the national curriculum. All private schools must be registered with the government and inspected frequently.
To teach in a state-maintained school in the United Kingdom, a PGCE qualification is typically required. In the United Kingdom, there are various sorts of state schools, including comprehensive schools, religion schools, grammar schools, academies, and free schools. These types of schools are all free of charge.
A comprehensive school is a secondary school that is government-funded and administered by the local government. There are no academic prerequisites for attendance. Standardized schools adhere to the national curriculum.
Grammar schools are local government-funded secondary schools that choose students on the basis of their academic competence. To get admission to a grammar school, sixth-grade students must take the “11-plus” examination. State grammar schools exist solely in certain regions of England and Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom; there are no grammar schools in Scotland or Wales.
Faith schools emphasize a specific faith, and applicants are typically required to adhere to that religion in order to attend. Faith schools may be elementary or secondary schools, and they do adhere to the national curriculum; however, they may have some autonomy regarding religious instruction.
Academies are administered by academy trusts and funded directly by the government. They have more autonomy than comprehensive and religious schools, but they must adhere to the same admissions, special educational needs, and exclusions policies as other state schools. GCSEs and A-levels are taken, however academies are not required to follow the national curriculum.
Free schools, as their name suggests, are non-profit, tuition-free institutions. They are government-funded, but because they are not administered by the local government, they have more flexibility over how they operate. Free schools are “all-ability” institutions, hence they cannot academically select their pupils in the manner of grammar schools.
Both academies and free schools are not required to follow the national curriculum and may instead focus on a subject area such as art or commerce and enterprise. These schools administer GCSE and A-level exams to its students.
Once you have determined the sort of school in which you would like to teach, it is beneficial to obtain job experience in that type of school prior to beginning your teacher training.
Qualifications for teaching in the U.k.
Those who wish to Work as a Teacher in the UK must possess the following credentials:
- To pass criminal and professional safeguarding checks( this will be organised by your employer)
- Teaching skills and experience you can demonstrate to an employer
- The correct visa or status
- GCSE qualifications in both mathematics and English with a minimum grade of C/4. Those who wish to instruct students from 7 to 14 must also possess a GCSE in Science with a grade of C/4 or above.
- To qualify as a teacher in the United Kingdom, you need a bachelor’s degree or a recognized equivalent certification. This typically corresponds to a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Your degree must also be relevant to the subject you wish to teach at the secondary level. This is required since a teacher training program will emphasize teaching methods rather than subject content.
Note: Irish citizens do not need a visa to work or live in UK
Regarding subject-specific knowledge, teacher-training providers will evaluate your degree of understanding. Before you begin training, your provider will discuss any preliminary topic knowledge enhancement courses with you if your subject knowledge is insufficient to satisfy the requirements of professional teaching.
Skills and competencies for teaching
To become an excellent educator, you must:
- Proven ability to interact with students and their parents/guardians. This may be the result of working in a school or in other settings, such as guiding or coaching a sports team. This will increase your understanding of how to inspire and motivate your students and foster positive working relationships with their parents/guardians.
- A great sense of humor.
- Particular enthusiasm for the subjects you teach at the secondary or FE level. Demonstrate that you researched this topic on your own time and are interested in the associated educational concerns of today.
- A comprehensive understanding of the subject/age range and relevant curricula. This enables teachers to know how to establish solid learning foundations and set developmental goals for their students.
- The capacity to impart knowledge to students in an entertaining and comprehensible manner. Through their work with young people, inspirational teachers have exceptional communication skills and can teach the curriculum in a number of ways to pupils with varied learning styles.
- Confidence in your abilities to instruct and your capability to be a good role model while being exhausted and under duress.
- Teachers must frequently balance multiple demands, including student needs, class preparation, assessments, and disciplinary issues.
- Dedication, determination, and fortitude Exceptional educators reflect on their experiences and modify their approach, continually gaining knowledge and enhancing their skills.
- The capacity to manage disagreement and maintain patience and composure in tense conditions.
- Integrity, which allows your students, coworkers, and parents/guardians to trust you as a teacher.
Click on this link to find teaching vacancies in the UK