What to include in your UK Teaching CV

Converting your CV for British Schools

To make your CV stand out to UK headteachers and hiring panels, you need to translate your international experience into the language of British education. We are here to help! We provide a CV template that will offer the framework you need to build a CV that is easy to read and understand for British schools.

We will provide a template, review your CV and help you tweak it so you can successfully secure a great teaching job in London or in other locations across England. We work with state, faith and independent schools.

When you register with Teach in, we offer free interview preparation support, and you will be assigned a local consultant who will support you through your CV creation and job interview process. You will be supported with all aspects of getting ready to live and work in the UK.

Our service is free for teachers, as it is British schools that pay us to recruit and support overseas teachers to work in their schools! We are expert Educational Consultants and also qualified teachers with both UK and local teaching experience.

Let’s get back to creating a UK school-friendly CV!

What to include in your UK Teaching CV

Key UK Terminology to Use

• Key Stages & Curriculum Alignment: Reframe grade levels using UK Key Stages (e.g., “Key Stage 2 Teacher” or “KS3/4 History Lead”).

Early Years and Primary Stages

• Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): Ages 3–5 (Nursery and Reception); focuses on foundational communication, social play, and early literacy.
• Key Stage 1 (KS1): Years 1–2, ages 5–7; introduces formal core subjects and concludes with the Year 1 phonics check.
• Key Stage 2 (KS2): Years 3–6, ages 7–11; builds deeper subject proficiency and ends with standard national SAT assessments in Year 6.
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Secondary and Post-16 Stages

• Key Stage 3 (KS3): Years 7–9, ages 11–14; acts as a broad secondary transition phase across multiple foundational topics.
• Key Stage 4 (KS4): Years 10–11, ages 14–16; centres on intensive study leading to final General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams.
• Key Stage 5 (KS5): Years 12–13, ages 16–18 (Sixth Form or College); optional post-compulsory education focused on A-levels or vocational qualifications

• Assessment & Progress: Use terms like Formative/Summative Assessment, Data-Driven Instruction, Target Tracking, and Pupil Attainment.
• Pedagogy: Incorporate Differentiation (tailoring instruction for varied ability levels), Adaptive Teaching, and Scaffolding.
• Inclusion: Highlight experience with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and EAL (English as an Additional Language).
• EdTech Systems: Explicitly name platforms like Arbor, SIMS, Google Classroom, or Class Charts.

What You Must Explain (Concepts UK Hirers Won’t Automatically Understand)

• Grade Levels vs. Key Stages: State exact student age groups alongside your grades (e.g., Grade 4 / Year 5 [Ages 9–10]).
• Qualifications & QTS: Clarify your teaching license. State whether you hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or if you are eligible via the UK Department for Education (DfE) overseas route.
• School Demographics & Context: Give brief context for overseas schools (e.g., Private bilingual school, 80% EAL learners, 3-form entry).
• Exams & Curricula: Explicitly map foreign curricula to UK equivalents (e.g., US AP / High School Diploma aligned to A-Levels / GCSEs).

UK-Specific Frameworks & Glossary

How to Structure a Standout UK Teacher CV

1. Format: Stick strictly to 2 pages of A4 in standard font.
2. Personal Statement (Top of Page 1): Write 3–5 sentences stating your subject specialism, target Key Stage, teacher status (QTS/Overseas Trained), and key achievements.
3. Reverse-Chronological Experience: Format bullet points around measurable outcomes (e.g., “Achieved 88% pass rate in external exams using targeted intervention schemes”).
4. DBS & Safeguarding: Explicitly note that you hold (or can obtain) an Enhanced DBS check and local police clearances

Teach in are here to help you with your CV preparation! Get in touch!