Primary school teacher
Primary school teachers develop schemes of work and lesson plans in line with curriculum objectives. They facilitate learning by establishing a relationship with pupils and by their organisation of learning resources and the classroom learning environment.
Primary school teachers develop and foster the appropriate skills and social abilities to enable the optimum development of children, according to age, ability and aptitude. They assess and record progress and prepare pupils for examinations. They link pupils' knowledge to earlier learning and develop ways to encourage it further, and challenge and inspire pupils to help them deepen their knowledge and understanding.
Primary schools in England and Wales are usually divided into:
Lower primary usually refers to the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 and upper primary is Key Stage 2. In England there is sometimes a middle tier, so that children go to a primary school up until the age of 8 or 9, transfer to a middle school until the age of 12 or 13 and then move to a secondary school. In Scotland, primary school classes are organised by age from Primary 1 (ages 4-5) to Primary 7 (ages 11-12).
Tasks are broadly the same for all primary school teachers and include:
Salary figures are intended as a guide only.
Unless your first degree is a Bachelor of Education (BEd) or a BA/BSc with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), it is essential to gain QTS (or, in Scotland, a teaching qualification (TQ)) in order to teach in the maintained/local authority sector. Independent schools are permitted to employ teachers without QTS/TQ, but in practice this is uncommon.
QTS/TQ may be gained through one of the following routes:
Most course providers require a good honours degree for PGCE/PGDE entry. Primary teacher training is open to graduates in all subjects, but a degree in a curriculum subject area, e.g. English, science, or mathematics, increases your chances. Some disciplines, e.g. sociology, media studies and psychology, are scrutinised for relevance to the curriculum and your pre-university education may be taken into account.
Most applications for PGCE/PGDE courses are made through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) in the autumn before you wish to commence training. In Northern Ireland, you should apply directly to the course providers. Competition for places is high and early application is advised.
The Assessment Only (AO) route leading to QTS is possible for candidates who have a degree alongside a substantial amount of teaching experience in the UK, but do not have QTS. This involves submitting a portfolio of evidence of your work and a day-long assessment where you are observed whilst teaching at your school.
Since April 2012, further education lecturers who have been awarded Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status by the Institute for Learning (IfL) and are IfL members are able to work in state-maintained schools as qualified teachers in England.
The Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP) is available for teachers who have qualified in other countries and wish to teach in the UK. Contact the UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom) to find out whether your qualifications are equivalent to a UK degree. Teachers who qualified in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA are recognised as having QTS and are automatically able to teach in England without any further training.
For more information about obtaining QTS, see the Teaching Agency - Teacher Training Options .
Classroom experience is essential for entry to all training routes. Arrange to visit schools to observe and talk to teachers. Become familiar with the primary curriculum. Ask if you can help a teacher with non-teaching duties on a regular basis. Try to do this over an extended period, rather than just before you apply for a PGCE/PGDE. A post as a teaching assistant could give you valuable experience.
Visit open days and try to attend taster courses organised through schools and universities. Contact your university careers service or school of education to find out about any local opportunities to gain experience in schools. Get experience of working with children in other ways too, e.g. mentoring, summer play schemes, summer camps, Brownies, Sunday schools, supplementary and mother-tongue schools, etc.
The Primary Experience Programme (PEP) is a scheme launching in autumn 2012 offering male graduates the opportunity to gain ten days' experience in a primary school. For more information, refer to the Teaching Agency .
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
Extra skills, such as music, art, IT, drama, sport, community and modern languages, can be advantageous.
To teach in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you must be registered with the relevant teaching council: the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) , the General Teaching Council for Wales (GTCW) or the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) .
Full details of routes into initial teacher training (ITT), PGCE courses, taster courses, fees and the financial incentives can be found at where to start, routes into teaching, applying for a PGCE and on the Teaching Agency website. For training in Wales, see Teacher Training & Education in Wales ; in Scotland, see Teach in Scotland ; and in Northern Ireland, see the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) .
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) throughout the UK must serve an induction or probationary period, normally of one year. They are monitored and supported, have a reduced timetable and a designated induction tutor and work on areas identified for development during their initial teacher training (ITT).
In-service training is available and teachers are encouraged to pursue continuing professional development (CPD) relevant to their own responsibilities and the development needs of the school. Training takes place in-house on teacher training days or at regional training centres run by local authorities.
Topics often covered in training include:
Some teachers study on a part-time basis for higher qualifications related to their specialist subject or they take a Masters degree in education or business administration (MBA), depending on their career aims. Professional qualifications for school managers are also available.
Career progression may be through a specialist curriculum or pastoral role, or by moving into management. Geographical mobility can improve prospects. Teachers may become coordinators of their specialist subject or a cross-curricular area, such as special needs.
Classroom expertise is recognised by the status of advanced skills teacher (AST) and the Excellent Teacher Scheme (ETS) in England and Wales. ASTs share their knowledge and expertise with colleagues in other schools in the local authority.
Excellent teachers (ETs) are experienced teachers who are appointed to raise the quality of teaching within a school by helping other teachers to improve their skills and knowledge and supporting other staff. They also have a responsibility for improving pupil attainment across the school.
The National College for School Leadership offers accelerated leadership development programmes, designed to enhance the careers of especially talented teachers, offering early responsibility and higher salaries for qualified teachers. It is possible to reach deputy head/head level within ten years and even more quickly for those in designated accelerated positions.
Some teachers move out of schools and into further or higher education or other related jobs, such as:
Many of the skills gained as a teacher are also valued by employers outside education. Some teachers retrain for other careers, such as social work, guidance work or management roles within the public or private sector, where they continue to use the skills acquired in teaching. There are some opportunities for self-employment. These include private tutoring, writing educational materials and running a small private school.
Primary school teachers usually work in maintained/local authority (LA) schools. Qualified teacher status (QTS) (or, in Scotland, a teaching qualification (TQ)) is not strictly required to teach in independent schools although it is well regarded and gives you the flexibility to teach elsewhere. It is possible to complete the induction period satisfactorily in an independent school although they are not obliged to put teachers through an induction so this must be agreed in advance.
If you train for the lower end of the primary age range, you may also consider nursery schools, while if you train for the upper end, you may consider middle schools in the small number of areas where these exist. If you trained in Scotland, you will be able to teach in any stage of primary school education.
Some primary teachers take on supply work through an agency or arrange supply work for themselves directly with schools. Although less stable than a permanent contract, the flexibility of supply work may suit some people.
While it is theoretically possible to complete your induction year as a supply teacher, supply work may be hard for a newly qualified teacher (NQT) and it may be difficult to get suitable placements or adequate support to complete the induction period. An appointment lasting for a term or more will count towards the induction period. NQTs considering completing their induction through a supply post would be advised to ensure the head teacher will agree that they can begin induction in that post.
Once trained and experienced, some teachers look for positions overseas. Many countries expect a teacher to have qualifications gained in that country, but sometimes there are reciprocal agreements. A lot of teachers go on exchange programmes to other parts of the world, such as the USA and Australia, and some undertake voluntary work in developing countries through organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) .
Many local authorities (LAs) operate a 'pool' system for recruitment, in which applications from NQTs are dealt with centrally rather than schools advertising vacancies individually. Others operate a database whereby potential candidates' details are forwarded to schools wishing to recruit NQTs. To find out the recruitment procedures for each LA, see teaching jobs in local authorities.
Many LAs send recruitment leaflets to universities and most have dedicated teacher recruitment websites and run open days. Although vacancies can occur at any time of the year, many schools advertise vacancies specifically targeting NQTs in May. In Scotland, most NQTs join the one-year Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) to start their teaching careers. The majority of teachers then apply to advertised vacancies or work in supply posts.
There are a growing number of specialist recruitment agencies and websites for teaching positions, including supply work and some full-time posts, such as Supply Desk , Eteach and Randstad Education . Agencies advertise in the TES and in the local press. For more details of specialist recruitment agencies, see the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) .
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