A Career in Teaching

A Career in Teaching means that you will ‘use your head’ and get something enjoyable out of every day.  You’ll have the enjoyment of connecting with young people – teaching is a people job and building a rapport with students is rewarding and exciting. You will meet intellectual challenges, think on your feet and pitch your communication to a wide range of different needs.  You’ll also have the opportunity to use your creativity.  The national curriculum tells you what to teach but you decide how to teach it.  You can make the lesson memorable using your unique ideas. 

If you’re interested in the profession itself, you should know that training to teach has financial benefits - if you choose to study on a postgraduate route (PGCE) you are likely to be eligible for a £6,000 training bursary to help with essential costs.  The postgraduate course is just one route; there are also undergraduate and employment-based routes through which you can gain ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ and then entry to the profession.  Further financial incentives are available for those who train to teach the priority subjects such as maths, science and modern languages. 

Once qualified, your starting salary will be at least £18,558 (£22,059 in inner London) and you will receive a competitive pension package.  The pay scale for good, experienced classroom teachers who have 'crossed the threshold' rises to £29,385 outside London and £34,851 in inner London. Additional allowances may be paid to teachers considered to be excellent, and to those who take on management and other responsibilities. There are plenty of opportunities to progress.

Finally, and most importantly, you can be sure that if you choose teaching as a career you will undergo thorough and proper training. Ofsted has described recent newly qualified teachers as the best ever – a tribute to their training.  Whichever route into teaching you choose, you will be supported to learn classroom, planning and management skills and shown how to lead your students towards high achievement.  These skills will be further honed throughout your career, where you will be supported by staff in your school and encouraged in your own professional development. 

40,000 people this year have chosen to enter teacher training.  Not long ago we all knew someone who wanted to leave the profession.   Now we all know someone who wants to be a teacher.

To find out more about teaching visit the Teacher Training Agency’s website: www.useyourheadteach.gov.uk, or call the Teaching Information Line: 0845 6000 991 (992 for Welsh speakers).

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