Secondary school teachers work in state and independent schools, teaching children aged from 11 to 16, or up to 19 in schools with sixth forms.

Some areas of England and Wales have middle schools that take children from ages eight or nine to twelve or thirteen. Teachers in middle schools teach the primary or secondary curriculum appropriate to the age of children in the class.

Secondary teachers:

• usually specialise in one or two subjects
• teach classes of different ages and abilities throughout the school
• prepare students for exams, including GCSEs, AS and A levels, as well as qualifications such vocational A levels (AVCEs).

Other duties outside of school hours include:

• preparing lessons and teaching materials
• marking and assessing work 
• setting up displays in the classroom
• liaising with other professionals
• speaking to parents and carers (both informally and at parents' evenings)
• attending meetings and in-service training
• organising outings, social activities and sporting events.
  
  

Hours and Environment

Teachers in state schools in England and Wales teach for 39 weeks a year. School hours vary between schools but are usually 9am to 3.30pm or 4pm. It is necessary to work outside school hours, for example to:

• prepare lessons
• mark work and exams
• take part in parents' evenings
• do in-service training
• attend meetings.
  

Skills and Interests

To be a secondary teacher you should:

• be interested in the education and welfare of pupils
• have enthusiasm for the subjects you teach
• be able to build up good relationships with a range of people - pupils, parents and carers, other teachers, classroom assistants, governors and psychologists
• be committed to working with pupils, parents and carers of different backgrounds and different levels of ability
• enjoy working in a team but be able to use your own initiative
• be well organised
• be able to manage classes well and deal with challenging behaviour
• have excellent communication skills in English (and Welsh where appropriate)
• be patient and have a good sense of humour.

Entry

To teach in a state school or a private special school you must have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). QTS is not a requirement for teaching in independent schools, but it will give you more scope for developing your career.

To achieve QTS you need to do Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The rest of this section applies to all types of ITT. The different types are described in the Training section.

For entry to all types of ITT you must:

• have GCSEs (A-C) English and maths. If you intend to teach Key Stages 2/3 in middle schools you must also have science. Alternative qualifications may be accepted - you should check with course providers for their requirements 
• pass QTS skills tests in numeracy, literacy and information and communications technology (ICT). The tests are computerised and can be taken at any of over 40 test centres throughout England. (They are not required in Wales). Details of centres, and guidance on taking the tests, can be found on the Training and Development Agency for Schools (formerly Teacher Training Agency) website. Please see Further Information for a link to the site.

You will also need a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check. 

It will be an advantage if you have experience of working with children (either paid or voluntary) in the relevant age group. If you don't have any experience you could:

• approach local schools to see if you could help on a voluntary basis, or at least visit to talk to teachers and observe
• look at the 'Becoming a teacher' section of the Training and Development Agency for Schools website for other suggestions.

If you have worked in a school as an unqualified teacher, or have worked as a teacher in an independent school you may be considered for an assessment-only qualified teacher status route. The Training and Development Agency for Schools website has details of organisations offering the assessments. 

You can find full information on all aspects of entering teaching (including funding your training) and developing your career on the Training and Development Agency for Schools website, or the Department of Education Northern Ireland website for teaching in Northern Ireland. Please see the Further Information section contact details.

Training

The type of ITT you do will depend on the qualifications you already have. 

If you do not have a degree you can do either:

• a degree in the subject you wish to teach (or a closely-related subject), followed a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course in order to gain QTS. See below for more information on this. This is the most common route for secondary teachers.
• a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree course or a BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) with QTS. The majority of these are for primary teaching, but a few universities offer secondary programmes.

For entry to a degree you will usually need:

• at least two A levels 
• at least five GCSEs (A-C).

If you do not have these universities may accept other qualifications such as an Access to Higher Education course. You should check with course providers for their exact requirements.

You will also need to meet the requirements described in the Entry section to be accepted on a PGCE course or a BEd or a BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) with QTS.

To search for college and university degree courses see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

If you already have a degree or equivalent you can get QTS by doing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

PGCE courses can be:

• one year full-time
• two years part-time.
• flexible programmes -  which can be tailor-made according to individual circumstances. They take into account previous teaching experience, and can be offered by distance learning. Please see the Training and Development Agency for Schools website for details.

You will be expected to that you have enough knowledge of the subject/s you are going to teach. Booster and enhancement courses are available in some subjects. Please see the Training and Development Agency for Schools website for details.

You can search for PGCE courses and apply on-line on the Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR) website. Please see Further Information.

School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) is classroom-based training which takes one year and usually leads to a PGCE. As this is considered a training course a salary is not paid. Details of providers can be found on the Training and Development Agency for Schools website. 

Please see the Training and Development Agency for Schools website for details of financial incentives for teacher training.

Teach First is an independently run graduate training programme only available in Greater London, Greater Manchester and the Midlands. Graduates with at least an upper second class degree, relating to a National Curriculum subject, can achieve QTS while working in a challenging school and completing leadership training.

The scheme last for two years, and participants are paid an unqualified teacher salary for the first year and qualified teacher salary for the second. For more details about the scheme, the selection criteria and how to apply see the Teach First website in Further Information.

Employment-based routes 
These include:

• the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP). You must already have a degree. Training usually takes a year.
• the Registered Teacher Programme (RTP). You must have completed two years of higher education (for example, a HND or two years of a degree). Training usually takes two years. During this time you complete a degree as well as working towards QTS
• the Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP). For overseas (outside the EEA) trained teachers who have a teaching qualification that is equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s degree. 

The number of places on employment-based programmes is limited and competition is fierce. You need to fulfil the basic ITT requirements outlined in Entry.

Designated Recommending Bodies (DRBs) are responsible for recruiting GTP, RTP and OTTP candidates and assessing and approving applications. Most DRBs are partnerships of bodies such as schools, LEAs and accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers. You can find full information, including contact details for local DRBs on the Training and Development Agency for Schools website.

After qualifying
The Fast Track teaching programme (which was formerly available to teachers on initial training and qualified teachers) has now been changed to a leadership development programme for qualified teachers, and will no longer recruit teacher trainees. See the Fast Track website listed in Further Information. The Fast Track scheme does not apply in Wales.

There is no legal requirement to gain further training in order to teach a different age group but schools recommend that you get some experience of the age group you are intending to teach. This can be done on a voluntary or paid basis. Some LEAs and teacher training institutions may offer short conversion or refresher courses. Details of some of these can be obtained from Training and Development Agency for Schools.

The Training and Development Agency for Schools site has information for qualified teachers looking to returning to teaching after a career break. This includes information on returners' courses and other available support.

Opportunities

Most teachers work in state schools. They could also work in:

• independent schools
• sixth-form colleges
• City Technology Colleges or City Academies
• pupil referral units
• hospitals
• young offenders’ institutions or secure units
• schools run by the armed forces.

Part-time or supply teaching is possible.

Experienced teachers may be able to apply for Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) posts. ASTs spend 80% of their time in teaching their own classes and 20% working with other teachers, supporting their professional development and raising standards of teaching and learning. Full details can be found on the Teachernet website (see Further Information).

Teachers may be able to progress to head of department, head of year, deputy headteacher and headteacher. They may be able to develop their leadership skills through the Fast Track programme, as mentioned in the Training section.

Some experienced teachers specialise in teaching pupils with special educational needs or move into private tuition.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

The unqualified teachers' pay scale ranges from £14,391 to £22,761(£18,099 to £26,466 in Inner London).
If you are accepted for training on the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) or the Registered Teacher Programme (RTP) the school will have discretion to pay you as a qualified teacher.

The main salary scale ranges from £19,641 to £28,707 (£23,577 to £32,820 in inner London).

Teachers who reach the top of the main scale may apply to be assessed to progress to the upper pay scale. This ranges from £31,098 to £33,444 (£36,885 to £40,002 in inner London).

Teachers of special needs students may receive extra allowances.

Further information

National College of School Leadership
Tel: 0845 058 1066 Rosehill
New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL52 3LZ
Tel: 0870 112 2205 Rathael House
Balloo Road
Bangor
BT19 7PR
Tel: 028 9127 9279 151 Buckingham Palace Road
London
SW1W 9SZ
Teaching Information Line: 0845 6000 991