What do Overseas Teachers want to know about teaching in the UK?

Canadian teachers researching teaching opportunities in the UK frequently seek us out after trying to gain more information about several topics.

We always recommend you register and book a call with us to get a personalised insight into how you can have a UK teaching experience and what the steps are to make it happen.

In the interim, here are the main questions we are initially asked!

1. Do I Need Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to work in the UK?

Overseas-trained teachers can teach in the UK without QTS for up to four years. We can help you discover whether you are eligible and how to gain QTS in the UK if you don’t have it when you arrive.  Some schools, particularly academies and independent schools, do not require QTS at all?. We have all the application information, so reach out for help on this.

2. What Visa Options Are Available to work in England?

Australian, New Zealand and Canadian teachers looking to teach in the UK typically apply for one of the following visas:

Youth Mobility Scheme Visa (Tier 5): Allows Australians between 18-35 to live and work in the UK for up to two years. You only have 1 chance to have this visa and you cannot have a child or be married to someone who is ineligible. It is by far the best visa to get and the cheapest!

Skilled Worker Visa: If a school is willing to sponsor you, this is a long-term option. It is hard to gain sponsorship and you won’t have much choice about where you are working if you are offered work.

Ancestry Visa: If you have UK-born grandparents, you can live and work in the UK for up to five years?. This is a great visa, and you can gain it more than once but it is very $$$!!

There are other pathways including holding a British Passport or having a British partner or parent. If you have just qualified in the last 5 years from one of the top 50 universities in the world, you can also try for a High Potential Visa. Student visas are also available if you want to study and teach up to 20 hours a week.

3. How Different Is Teaching in the UK Compared to Canada?

While the UK and Australian education systems share similarities, key differences include:

• The UK school year runs from September to July with three terms and half-term breaks. They never work for more than 6 weeks without at least a week off!
• Most UK teachers complete a degree in a subject (e.g., English, History) and then train as teachers with a 12 months PGCE qualification, whereas many overseas teachers do a 4 years specific Bachelor of Education.
• Discipline policies are usually stricter in the UK the trend is moving back towards an explicit teaching model.

4. What Types of Teaching Jobs Are Available?

Overseas teachers can choose between:

• Supply Teaching: Short-term or daily work, giving flexibility and experience but not as good pay as a contract in most cases.
• Long-Term Contracts: Covering maternity or fixed-term vacancies to start with. This is popular as it allows overseas teachers to be paid correctly, work out a relocation plan based on a fixed-term contract.
• Permanent Roles: Typically secured before arriving in the UK?, where you are employed directly in an ongoing capacity at a school.

5. How Can a Teaching Agency Help?

Teachers chose to use a UK agency to help them get organised to work in the UK as the British school system is deregulated and all schools need to find their own staff, so schools work with agencies and pay them to find the right staff. UK schools will not know how to easily employ and clear an overseas teacher to work, so they want the help of agencies for this process.

As a leading and well-established UK teaching agency, run by teachers for teachers.  Teach in have locations across London and throughout England and in Wales in places like Manchester, Brighton, Leeds, Cardiff, Birmingham and all the home counties surrounding London and we can offer you lots of choice in terms of school types and work options.

We advocate for you to be paid correctly based on the British teacher pay scale and offer loads of support!

Teach in offers a free service for teachers and we help with:

• Matching teachers with the right schools before arrival.
• Providing induction programs, ongoing professional development, and networking events.
• Helping with local and UK police (DBS) checks, visa guidance, other compliance requirements and relocation support.
• Assigning you a UK-based consultant for ongoing assistance?

Would you like help finding a teaching position in the UK? I can provide further guidance!

Register here.