It is time to talk about the teaching profession, a few days are left, and students will be back to school. Are you excited to become a teacher? Do you want to teach secondary classes this year? In today’s article, we will hand you the best advice and guideline to enter the UK's secondary teaching field. Let’s get started!

Teaching Qualifications in the UK

Teaching is a very noble job. As this career is essential in conveying knowledge and building a better society, becoming a teacher may seem challenging for many applicants. In the UK, teaching secondary grades is based on having the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). To get this designation, you have three possible options:

Option1: you should complete your college studies that certify a specific area of knowledge such as English, History, Fine Arts, Sport Science Degree, etc.…Then, get the necessary teaching internship or training before your application.

Option2: you should complete your GCSE with excellent grades in maths, English, and science. Then, you need to enroll in a postgraduate teacher’s training course. By following this option, you can get you a primary teaching degree that works for secondary tutoring.

Option3: you should already be a primary teacher. You can teach secondary classes with your primary degree and obtain the QTS title, additional experience, and expertise in a specific subject.

A secondary teacher is a well-qualified applicant who can teach a specific subject to many different classes. The average age of secondary students varies from 11 to 18 years. In some middle schools, secondary classes can be different and involve several grades.  

What does It take to Become a Teacher in the UK?

There are many benefits related to teaching careers. This job requires constant preparations for courses and activities. It also involves paid holidays and extracurricular activities. For fresh applicants, teaching secondary classes is exciting as it gives access to the teenage world and brings inspiration and positive impact on students. To make all these aims come true, you need to have the eligible criteria for teaching jobs.

You need to achieve an undergraduate teaching course and complete your teaching training. This training differs between England and Scotland. If you want to get a teaching job in Scotland, take a good hold of the Scottish educational system and pursue training for teaching in Scotland.

It would be best if you built a good resume/CV, attached to a cover letter.

It is better to volunteer for any teaching opportunity to boost your chances of teaching.

Application for teaching opportunities can be online or at the teaching institution.

Always be alert for a job interview.

Steps for Secondary Teaching in the UK:

We all know that a secondary teacher is more specified in teaching a specific subject to many classes. This subject is usually derived from the A level grade or from a college major.

For applicants who don’t have a specific university degree and want to get a secondary teaching position, they can obtain this chance by taking a subject knowledge enhancement course (SKE). After that, they can apply for internships to get practical experience in teaching that specific subject.

You can apply for a scholarship by choosing among the three types of the teacher’s training funding. This commercial facility is not open to all applicants. There are conditions associated with getting this funding.

How to Apply for Teaching Training:

Getting an occasion for teaching training comes after several attempts and research. To make this step easy for you, we recommend visiting an online search engine for teaching training. Try, for example, the Department of Education’s Search tool.

This website is beneficial as it includes results based on location, subject, and fees.

There is also an official teaching training website for undergraduates called UCAS Teacher Training. Try to apply through this online portal.

If you didn’t obtain a regular teaching job, apply for a substitute teaching position. A previous substitute teacher has more chances than a fresh applicant to get hired in a permanent job.

Earn and Learn:

Many job seekers want a paid internship. This is possible through School Direct Salaried. This training institute's program is to provide payment for apprentice teachers and assimilate them into the teaching career by guiding them towards teaching vacancies. School Direct salaried training differs from one school to another. It can be a symbolic salary that covers necessary expenses, but it is not equivalent to a teacher’s salary.

A Demo Lesson:

Some educational institutions require a demo lesson from applicants to evaluate their teaching techniques. Always research this point. A demo lesson involves a demonstration of teaching a lesson, which can be chosen by you or by a committee of supervisors. After this lesson, you will have a session of discussion and a small conversation covering:

-Your teaching method choice.

-Your lesson choice (if you have chosen what you are going to teach in the demo lesson)

A demo lesson might substitute a job interview as it culminates in a small discussion to evaluate the candidate's teaching skills.