WHY TEACH?

Teaching made the top three of graduate career choices for the first time in 2005, and this trend only looks set to continue. Hazel Roberts reports on why is such a popular career choice.

Teaching’s appeal can certainly be accredited to its financial and job security, its rewards, and the mobility it provides (across the UK and even the rest of the world). New attractions are emerging, however, such as the availability of generous bursaries as part of the government’s investment in teachers for the future. A recent survey has even claimed that graduates who move into teaching are the least bored in their jobs.

Available courses
There are several routes possible to become a practicing teacher.

Undergraduate
Bachelor of Education (BEd)
Bachelor of Science (BSc)
Arts (BA) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Postgraduate
Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE)
Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE)
School-centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT)
Teach First Programme

PGCE/PGDE
The PGCE or PGDE (Scotland) is taught at a university or other higher education institution, with much of the course time spent on placements in local schools. A trainee teacher will have to meet the standards for QTS and any course specific requirements. In England only, a trainee teacher also has to pass the QTS Skills Tests in literacy, numeracy and ICT.

SCITT
These courses are designed and delivered by groups of neighbouring schools and colleges and allow graduates to complete almost all of their training actually within schools. Taught by experienced, practicing teachers all SCITT courses lead to QTS, and some will also award you the PGCE.

Teach First
Teach First is a programme enabling top graduates to spend two years working in challenging secondary schools in London and Manchester, qualifying as a teacher whilst also completing leadership training and work experience with leading employers – including Deloitte, the Home Office and the BBC.

Entry requirements
To apply for any of these forms of postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) you will require a UK degree (or equivalent qualification). For both undergraduate and postgraduate training you will need GCSEs at Grade C or above (or recognised equivalents) in English and mathematics, and also a science subject if you were born on/after September 1979 and want to teach Key Stage 2/3 (age 7-14). For the Teach First option there are further requirements due to the nature of the programme, and you should check the website for details.

To train to teach at secondary school level your degree will typically need to be in a discipline related to the subject (or subjects) you wish to teach. For primary teaching you are usually expected to demonstrate a good general knowledge across many subjects. If this thought worries you, there is a range of pre-training courses available to help top up your knowledge.

In addition to academic qualifications, previous school-based experience is highly recommended. This will both help you decide whether teaching is the career for you, and will also demonstrate to training personnel that you are genuinely interested in and dedicated to working with children. After all we all want our children to have the best education available!

When training in one of four UK nations you will receive QTS (England and Wales) or ‘eligibility to teach’ (Scotland and Northern Ireland) there. However, applying to work in another nation can be easy and nearly always successful if you have the sufficient qualifications.

Financial help
The government is becoming increasingly aware that it cannot afford to lose out on quality teaching staff, who are put off by the high expenditures incurred if one is to do a teaching degree. Therefore, across the UK trainee teachers are provided with a variety of loans and grants.

In England you can receive a non-taxable bursary of £9,000 as a trainee on secondary priority subject courses, or £6,000 as a trainee on all primary, middle years and other secondary courses.

From September 2006 teacher training providers are able to charge students up to £3,000 per year in tuition fees. Trainee teachers will, however, be eligible for help with their fees - in addition to the training bursary a grant of up to £2,700 will be available from your Local Education Authority (LEA), of which £1,200 is non-means tested. Your training provider may also be willing to contribute to cover costs. Any fees you do have to pay do not need to be paid up front either. They will be added on to your student loan and are gradually repaid when you are earning over £15,000.

It should be noted that financial support does differ across the UK - for example, in Scotland home students do not have to pay tuition fees. Detailed information is available for all four nations on the Graduate Teacher Training Registry website.

FINANCIAL BENEFITS - STARTING YOUR CAREER

“Golden hellos” in England
If you complete a postgraduate ITT and take up a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) position in a state school or non-state special school in England you may be eligible for a one-off, taxable payment of between £2,500 and £5,000 at the start of your second year of teaching (after successfully completing your induction period). These “golden hellos” are available for those who are trained to teach English (including drama), ICT, design and technology, modern foreign langauges, RE, music, mathematics or science. Mathematics and science attract £5,000 and the other priority subjects £2,500.

Teaching grants in Wales
In Wales you may be eligible for a taxable teaching grant if you successfully complete your induction year after doing a postgraduate ITT course in one of the priority subjects (yet to be announced). In the 2005/06 incentives mathematics and science attracted £5,000. English (including drama), ICT, modern foreign languages, design and technology and Welsh attracted £4,000.

Go anywhere incentive in Scotland
If you decide to waive your preferences and work anywhere in Scotland during your induction year you will be elgiible for a taxable £6,000 over and above your salary.

Salary
Starting teacher salaries are good and on par with many other graduate level jobs, if not above. And progression up the ‘main’ pay scale and on to upper scales can be rapid if you do well.

Across the UK the pay scale structures are the same, including main pay scales (upon which a NQT will be placed upon the first point in their initial year), upper pay scales (for teachers with more experience, more responsibility or special skills), and a Head Teacher pay scale. Salary levels on these pay scales do differ across the UK however. The main pay scales for England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are as follows.

England and Wales, from September 2007:
Inner London: £24,168 - £33,393
Outer London: £23,118 - £32,751
London fringe: £21,102 - £30,393
Rest of England and Wales: £20,133 - £29,427

Scotland, from April 2007:
£19,878 - £31,707

You will get additional money for teaching in a remote part of Scotland. The distant island allowance is currently £1,536 and the remote schools allowance £957 or £1,791.

Northern Ireland, from September 2005:
£19,161 - £28,005