Not sure how you’re going to fund a move into teaching? A range of incentives and financial support schemes are available both during and after your training. Visit www.teach.gov.uk/funding for full details and eligibility criteria. We also interview Graham Holley, the Chief executive of the Training and Development Agency for Schools.
What funding can I get?Eligible postgraduate trainee teachers are entitled to a tax-free bursary of £4,000 to £9,000. The value of the bursary depends on the subject and phase you train to teach and when you start your course.
Will I get a golden hello?
When you have successfully completed your initial teacher training (ITT) course and accepted a newly qualified teacher (NQT) position, you may be eligible for a one-off taxable golden hello payment of between £2,500 and £5,000. The value of the golden hello is dependent on the subject you train in and go on to teach.
What will my starting salary be?
Newly qualified teachers start on a minimum annual salary of £20,133 (£24,168 in inner London). This figure is set to rise from September 2008.
What are the opportunities for pay rises and promotions?
‘Teachers can progress very systematically now,’ says TDA chief executive Graham Holley. ‘And the pay is really quite competitive.’ The average pay across the country for the classroom teacher is £36,000; head teachers at big secondary schools can earn more than £100,000 a year. But you don’t have to leave what you do, which is teach a class, to earn more. Now you can become an Advanced Skills Teacher and, because you’re excellent at what you do, part of that is helping other teachers become as good as you are.
Are there opportunities for further training?
‘Teachers now have an entitlement to training on the job,’ Holley says. ‘So that, for any concerns, from managing a class to developing any given subject knowledge, they’re entitled to the development that helps them to grow and improve as teachers.’
For more information on teaching or teacher training, call the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991.
Graham Holley, Chief executive of the Training and Development Agency for Schools, talks about how teaching has transformed to meet modern education needsHas the perception of teaching as a career changed?
As a career, teaching isn’t an occupation any longer. It’s a challenging, stimulating and rewarding profession. Ofsted say that teachers coming into the profession now are the best ever because they’ve been so well trained. Partly because of that, research shows we’ve gained the esteem of the public and that teachers think more highly of themselves in comparison with other professions. The days of the teacher who stood at the front of the class and just administered learning is over.
What are the differences between teaching in the past and teaching today?
In the past, teachers tended to teach what they themselves were interested in. Nowadays, the national curriculum and the style of training means teachers know how to teach young people not only what they need to know but what they want to know and in a way that they can use that information not only to gain future employment but in life, generally. The focus is very much on the child.
How have approaches to teaching changed?
In the past, some teachers considered some of their students un-teachable. I don’t accept that. I believe it’s simply a question of finding the right way. Teachers are now given many different approaches so that no child is left behind.
What kind of support can teachers expect?Teachers today work as part of a team. The numbers of support staff have doubled over the last ten years. They’re in every school now and they’re part of a multi-professional team with the child as the central focus.
Are better salaries attracting more people into teaching?
Lots of people from jobs such as accountancy or finance are becoming teachers because they feel they want to try something more personally rewarding and challenging. In fact, our NQT of the Year, who won at the Teaching Awards in London a couple of months ago, gave up a salary of around £150,000 a year to become a teacher. We know from research that, while it helps that the salary is now competitive – in that it doesn’t really prove to be a barrier any longer – the main attraction, however, is the opportunity to shape young minds. One of our advertisements talks about ‘working with the finest raw materials in the world’. People can indulge their passion for their subject, certainly at secondary level. If they really love science for example, they can find really creative ways to convey their passion to other people.
Find out more about teaching by visiting www.teach.gov.uk
You may also find this article on Teacher Training useful.
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