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getting in to teaching - 4myschoolsHave you ever thought about getting in to teaching?

Have you ever thought; I’d love to help children and young people learn and be inspired, but I don’t know where to start?

Have you already had a successful career in a different field and now want to bring those skills to teaching?

There are many options to get into teaching and working in schools without holding Qualified Teacher Status. The blog below explains a little more about the different routes to getting in to Teaching:

Unqualified Teachers: What does this mean?

The term ‘unqualified teacher’ simply refers to a teacher who does not hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in the UK. This does not mean that a person cannot teach without QTS!

Private and Independent Schools, and more recently Academies, have the opportunity to employ unqualified teachers with qualifications or experience that they deem relevant.

Teachers who move from the private or independent sector to the state sector, without QTS, are deemed as unqualified, even though they may have been teaching for years.

Overseas teachers who are already qualified outside of the UK are also technically unqualified in England, even though they may be eligible for automatic QTS status without further training.

What is an Instructor?

Instructors are ‘unqualified teachers’; who do not hold Qualified Teacher Status, but who are legally approved to teach by the delivery of instructions to groups of students.

Instructors can be employed to teach any subject, including vocational training, providing that they hold the skills deemed necessary, through experience or qualification, by the school and local authority.

Many academies, free schools and private schools have seen that children benefit greatly from learning languages from Instructors who hold the language as a mother-tongue, drama from theatrical performers and woodwork from carpenters.

Liz, one of the 4myschools Instructors has said; “I have a degree in MFL and I have worked in schools for a number of years. I started off as a cover supervisor specialising in languages. After registering with 4myschools I quickly progressed to the role of instructor which has helped me gain useful skills in the classroom. I am now looking forward to starting my teacher training in the new year.”

If you think you may qualify as an Unqualified Teacher or an Instructor, please give 4myschools a call to discuss suitable vacancies we have in your area.

I worked as a Teacher years ago, can I still teach?

Yes! The Department For Education are really keen for teachers to return back to the profession, either if you are returning to teaching or you’re qualified to teach but have never taught in a school. There is support available including one-to-one support from an adviser and free subject specialism training.

To find out more, please see The Department For Education Website: Get Into Teaching: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/return-to-teaching

What about if I have never worked in a school before?

If you have never worked in a school before, a route in may be to start as a Cover Supervisor or a Teaching Assistant.

What is a Cover Supervisor?

A Cover Supervisor is an adult in a classroom of a Secondary School. They are in front of the children and are responsible for behaviour management of whichever lesson they are covering.

However, a Cover Supervisor will only deliver the lesson that has been set for the class, and will not be involved with planning, preparation or assessment of learning.

What do I need to be a Cover Supervisor?

  • Have some experience working with children
  • Have some experience supporting children on a one to one basis
  • Be confident with your behaviour management techniques
  • Be flexible; every day will be different!

What experience would make me a great Cover Supervisor?

Having had experience with secondary aged students is really the only essential experience needed. This could be in the form of helping with clubs, for example Guides or Scouts, helping at youth groups, or helping at sports groups.

Behaviour management is the key to being a great Cover Supervisor, so ideally you need some experience whereby you have the confidence to stand in front of a group of teenagers and ensure they are getting on with the tasks they have been set!

4myschools can arrange some voluntary work and training experience for you before you start working in your own in a classroom so you are entirely confident before being responsible for a cohort of students.

What is a Teaching Assistant?

A Teaching Assistant (sometimes known as a Classroom Assistant) is a person who supports learners in the classroom, generally in a Primary School.

Often, they will take small groups to support learning in Reading, Writing and Maths and feedback to the Teacher as to how the children have progressed.

Teaching Assistants will also help with setting up the classroom, putting out worksheets and resources and helping clear up.

What do I need to be a Teaching Assistant? 

  • Have some experience working with children; preferably aged 3-11 years old
  • Have some experience supporting children on a one to one basis
  • Be confident with your behaviour management techniques
  • Be flexible; every day will be different!

What experience would make me a great Teaching Assistant?

Having had experience with Primary aged students is really the only essential experience needed. As with Cover Supervisors, this could be through helping with clubs, such as Brownies or Cubs, helping at youth groups or helping at sports clubs.

Generally, being a good Teaching Assistant is down to attitude. Do you have a can-do attitude? Are you keen to work with children? This is what schools are looking for!

I am an experienced Teaching Assistant – what’s the next step for me?

Have you considered training to become a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA)? Higher Level Teaching Assistants are in schools to support the teacher further than a general Teaching Assistant, and to be more involved in students teaching and learning.

As a Higher Level Teaching Assistant, you will:

  • Be able to promote positive behaviour
  • Hold the skills to create positive relationships between young people and staff
  • Be able to support child development in schools
  • Be able to evaluate learning activities
  • Be able to assist the Teacher in ICT, music and other activities.

I’ve seen adverts for SEN/D Support – what is this?

Students with SEN/D, or Special Educational Needs / Disabilities, may need support in schools to assist with their learning. Schools will often look to specialist SEN/D Support to assist these students.

This may be on an individual, one-to-one basis, or in small groups. Often this will be focusing on an individual learning plan (often known as an Education Healthcare Plan (EHP) or Individual Education Plan (IEP)), or working closely with the teacher and other adults to help the student meet their own personal learning goals.

It may also involve physical care, such as assisting with feeding, help with toileting and help with mobility.

Working with children and young adults with SEN/D can be very challenging and very rewarding. There are no entry requirements to supporting children with SEN/D within schools. However, a positive attitude is essential!

I want to get in to teaching – How can 4myschools help me?

4myschools work with Primary and Secondary State Schools, Private Schools, Independent Schools and Academies who are all looking for people like you to take the first steps into a rich and rewarding career in education.

We work with a number of schools who are able to offer voluntary work and training for unqualified teachers and support staff looking to gain more experience. We also work with schools who have training programmes in place for Cover Supervisors and Teaching Assistants to gain more experience in the classroom.

To find out what opportunities are available local to you, please call 4myschools on 01245 353 808 to speak to one of our friendly consultants!