How to become a teacher

There's a lot to consider when applying for your first teaching position. Discover what types of schools there are, where to find teaching jobs and how to write the perfect CV

As a teacher you'll use your knowledge and skills to inspire and educate the next generation and the variety of your job means that you'll gain plenty of transferable skills in return.

Job satisfaction is guaranteed as you get to watch young people learn and develop. What's more, you'll have ample opportunities to progress your career. Teachers also enjoy great job security and other benefits such as a competitive salary, generous holiday allowance and an excellent pension.

Which age groups can I teach?

The UK education system is broadly divided into primary and secondary schools, with a few authorities running a three-tier system. The key stages include:

Early years foundation stage (EYFS): 0-5 year olds - nursery and reception
Key Stage 1: 5-7 year olds - school years 1-2
Key Stage 2: 7-11 year olds - school years 3-6
Key Stage 3: 11-14 year olds - school years 7-9
Key Stage 4: 14-16 year olds - school years 10-11

Try to gain experience with different age ranges to help you decide which group is right for you.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) means that you're qualified to teach any age range at a maintained school in England and Wales. However, if you want to move between age groups, you'd need supporting evidence to demonstrate that you have the experience to do so effectively. For example, secondary teachers need to show they can teach the broader primary curriculum.

What subjects can I teach?

Primary schools cover KS1 and KS2 and teaching content is broad, covering the whole range of national curriculum subjects:

English
maths
science
art and design
computing
design and technology
geography
history
languages (at KS2)
music
physical education (PE), including swimming
Welsh (in Wales).

Primary schools are also required to teach religious education (RE).

Secondary schools cover KS3 and KS4, and sometimes post-16. Core subjects include maths, English, a science, citizenship, computing and physical education. Schools must also offer at least one subject from each of these areas:

arts
design and technology
humanities
modern foreign languages.

Pupils work towards national qualifications, usually GCSEs, during KS4. Additional subjects offered include, drama, dance, and media studies. Schools are also required to offer RE, careers guidance and sex and relationship education (SRE).

If your training provider feels you need to improve your knowledge then they may recommend that you take a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course.

Shortage subjects receive the most funding for teacher training. The bursaries for 2025/26 are:

£28,000 - chemistry, computing, maths and physics
£25,000 - biology, design and technology, geography and languages
£10,000 - art and design, English, music and religious education.

Find out more about funding your teacher training.

What types of schools are there?

The UK has broadly two sectors of school education - state maintained and independent. The type of school can affect how it's run, admissions criteria, who staff are employed by and what's in their contracts. The different types include:

Academies and free schools don't have to follow the national curriculum. They may focus on a specialism such as business and enterprise, technology, science or art and will participate in the same KS3 and GCSE exams as other schools.
Maintained must follow the national curriculum and, as long as these requirements are met, can focus on specific subjects such as RE in faith schools.
Grammar schools are funded by the local authority but select pupils based on their ability. To gain a place at a grammar school, pupils must sit an examination known as the '11-plus'. There are no state grammar schools in Scotland or Wales but they still exist in parts of England and Northern Ireland.
Independent sector, including Montessori and Steiner Waldorf Schools, are exempt from following the national curriculum, focusing instead on the child's individual creative, moral and personal development. They expect teaching applicants to have their own specialist teacher training qualifications.

To choose the right school for you:

Start looking early and don't just apply to any school.
Think about what's important to you, considering the ethos, site, size and catchment of the school you'd like to work at.
Visit any schools you'll be interviewing at, as this will help you to get a feel for the school and find out if it fits your preferences beforehand.

Take time to read recent Ofsted reports - identify points for improvement, and consider if you have the skills to help in these areas

To see which type of school would suit you, try to gain school work experience.

What are the entry requirements for teacher training?

To train as a teacher in England, you need:

A degree (or equivalent) of a 2:2 or above. If you want to teach at secondary or post-compulsory level, your degree should be in, or relevant to, the subject you want to teach. If it's not, contact a training provider as you may be able to take a SKE course.
At least a GCSE grade C/4 or equivalent in English and maths. If you want to teach primary or early years you will also need a GCSE grade C/4 or equivalent in a science subject. Some training providers may accept equivalency tests, but you'll need to check with the individual provider.
To have declared any previous convictions and undergone the criminal records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

In Wales, you'll need:

At least a GCSE grade B/5 (or above) or equivalent in English and maths. Early years and primary teachers also need grade C/4 (or above) in a science subject.
An undergraduate degree awarded by a UK higher education institution or equivalent.
A degree with at least 50% relevance to the subject you want to teach to become a secondary school teacher.
Unlike their English counterparts, Welsh teachers are not required to pass professional skills tests. However, some training providers may require you to sit numeracy and literacy tests.
To have declared any previous convictions and undergone the criminal records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

You'll need the following to train in Scotland:

English at SCQF Level 6 and maths Level 5.
Two other National Qualifications at SCQF Level 6 and one other subject at SCQF Level 5 for an undergraduate degree.
An undergraduate degree awarded by a UK higher education provider for PGDE programmes.
To be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme.
Classroom experience.

To train as a teacher in Northern Ireland, you'll need:

Two passes at GCSE Advanced level, with grade C or above in three other subjects at GCSE level, to be accepted on to a BEd course.
An approved undergraduate degree for PGCE courses.
To undergo a police criminal records check.

What skills and qualities do you need to be a teacher?

The ability to relate to pupils and their parents/carers. This could be from working in a school or with Guides and Scouts or coaching a sports team. This will develop your awareness of how to inspire and motivate your pupils and promote good working relationships with their parents/carers.
Enthusiasm for the subjects you teach. Show that you read up on the subject(s) in your own time and are interested in current educational issues.
Knowledge of the age range and curriculum. This enables teachers to build good foundations for learning and set developmental expectations for their pupils.
The ability to deliver information in an engaging and understandable way. Inspirational teachers develop excellent communication skills through their work with young people and can teach the curriculum in a variety of ways to students who have diverse learning styles.
Great organisational skills. This is vital for balancing many demands including pupils' needs, lesson preparation, assessments and discipline matters.
Dedication, commitment and resilience. Excellent teachers reflect on their experiences and adapt their approach, constantly learning and improving.
The ability to deal with conflict. As well as dealing with it, you need to remain patient and calm in sometimes stressful situations.
Integrity. To ensure that pupils, colleagues and parents/carers trust you as a teacher.

Where can I find a teaching job?

Search for teaching and education jobs.
Teaching Vacancies - A free job-listing service from the Department for Education. You can search for a job at a school or Trust in England and set up job alerts.
Direct applications to schools - Start with where you're working or training. Check your university's jobs portal, talk to staff at the school you're at or your mentor to see if they have any openings. Check individual schools' websites between January and June for vacancies, and use your networks - keep in touch with the schools you volunteered with or worked at previously. Approach schools you're particularly interested in by sending a CV, and arranging a visit to the school to discuss your interest. Find out how to write a speculative job application.
Careers and employability services - These usually run teaching fairs for students, which are attended by local authorities, teaching unions, schools and recruitment agencies. They will probably have an online job portal or board and can give you useful advice on local, national and international opportunities.
Local authorities - Authorities advertise jobs online, with some offering a weekly or monthly email bulletin service including the latest teaching vacancies. They'll also have details of open days and may operate an NQT pool database, where schools can pick from an approved list of suitable candidates. Pool vacancies are typically used for primary opportunities.
Newspapers and online - Guardian Jobs, TES and others run job alert services where you can upload a CV or create a profile.
Vacancies in independent schools - Often advertised with the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS).
Teacher recruitment agencies - Always check if they or the school they place you in will support you through your ECT year. Some teaching agencies have links with other countries. Talk to national and local agencies and approach local schools to ask which agencies they use. Consider CER, Eteach and Engage Education.
Teaching jobs abroad - While this may sound attractive, always check if you're able to complete your ECT year overseas. Most overseas recruiters prefer applicants to have completed a qualification at Masters level, such as a PGCE and have at least one year's teaching experience.
Jobs for early years teachers - look for vacancies on sites such as Eteach and DayNurseries.co.uk.
Further education jobs - look for vacancies on FEjobs and AoC Jobs.

How do I apply for teaching jobs?

Most schools recruit through their own advertisements and selection procedures. The peak time for this is February to June, although jobs may appear throughout the year. The 31 May is the final date for teachers to resign when leaving their jobs in the summer. The application process can be completed very quickly so get your application in as soon as possible. You may find success in approaching a school speculatively with a copy of your CV, particularly if you have contacts with them.

Some local authorities, agencies and multi-academy trusts (MATs) run teacher registration schemes, pools and databases, which enable you to complete a single application form and register an interest or apply to work with them, possibly for a particular school.

Registrations may open any time, commonly after Christmas for a September start date.

Be very specific when completing the application form - tell them what you've done, focusing on your successes, giving examples from your time in the classroom. Write a strong 300 to 400-word personal statement; show you understand something about the school you're applying to, talk about your course and what you're bringing to that school. Get some feedback on your form before you send it off.

What do I include in a personal statement?

Covering two sides of A4, it should demonstrate how and why you teach and who you are as a person. Always read the specification and target your personal statement to what they're looking for. You need to:

tailor your application to the school, for example their ethos, Ofsted report and latest exam results
visit the school, as many recruiters view this as a part of the application process and it can help you to see if you would want to work there
get it proofread to ensure there are no spelling mistakes
ensure your employment history has no gaps and if it has, make sure they're explained
tell them what skills and extra-curricular opportunities you can bring
convey a passion for teaching
evidence your success, where you bring added value and have met targets.

What do I include on a teaching CV?

You might need a teaching CV:

if you're making a speculative application to a specific school
to get work through a teaching agency
if you're looking to move area or country and are unable to visit in person.

Local authorities and schools usually follow 'safer recruitment procedures' and so ask all applicants to complete a standard application form. That way, no-one can hide information, which may be possible in a cleverly written CV.

School recruiters expect candidates to have visited before putting in an application. They will be observing you as you go round the school, especially noting how you relate to pupils and staff. This will also help you decide if it's the right school for you. Refer to the visit and why you want to work with them in your application, ideally in the cover letter.

In common with other CVs, a teaching CV should be clear, easy to read and well structured. To make your teaching CV stand out, begin with a targeted personal profile of three to four sentences. Some schools or agencies use a targeted personal profile of 300 words, without the whole CV. This helps the reader to decide if they are going to take your application further. Where possible, include a reference quote. School recruiters are busy people so get your work experience on the front page so they can see what you are bringing to their organisation.

Throughout your teaching CV, highlight the qualifications and experience you've gained, including:

details of your teacher training, plus what you were graded on in your recent teacher training placements
relevant modules from your degree/postgraduate course
details of school experience, prioritising where it's in the age range you want to teach
any other teaching experience e.g. sports coaching, summer camps or youth groups
relevant voluntary experience
interests relevant to teaching e.g. musical abilities or sporting activities
skills that will be useful in the role e.g. leadership, IT and languages
details of two current referees, ideally one from your teacher training and one from teaching practice.

Learn more about CVs and cover letters.

Find out more

If you're interested in university-led training then search for a PGCE.
Want to do school-based training? Search for a School Direct programme.
Discover how much teachers get paid.