Secondary school teacher
Secondary school teachers teach children from 11 to 16, or up to 19 in schools with sixth forms.
Also known as: High school teacher, sixth form teacher
- Starter salary£33,000 a year
- Experienced£51,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 45 a week
What you'll do
As a secondary school teacher, you could:
- prepare teaching materials, set up the classroom and organise displays
- plan and teach lessons and work with small groups of students
- mark work and talk to parents and carers about their children's progress
- manage the work of teaching assistants
- follow safeguarding procedures
- work with careers advisers , counsellors , education psychologists and social workers
- organise trips, after school clubs or exam revision classes
- work and attend meetings and training outside of usual working hours
Working environment
You could work at a school, in a sixth form college, at a pupil referral unit or at a special needs school.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
- the ability to create the best conditions for learning or teaching new things
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- leadership skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- excellent verbal communication skills
- maths knowledge
- administration skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a secondary school teacher
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
University
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
Apprenticeship
You may be able to apply to do an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Teacher Level 6 Apprenticeship.
The undergraduate option takes up to 4 years to complete. The postgraduate route takes around 1 year, with both leading to qualified teacher status (QTS).
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths
- a degree for a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship
Work
You could start as a teaching assistant or learning mentor and do a part-time degree or an undergraduate teaching apprenticeship to gain qualified teacher status (QTS).
Volunteering
You might find it helpful to get some experience of working with young people.
You could volunteer at a school , do youth work or work on a holiday scheme.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
With experience you could:
- become a special educational needs teacher , further education teacher or move into pastoral care
- become a specialist leader of education and support teachers in other schools
- be a curriculum leader, head of year, deputy head or headteacher
- work for an exam board, a local education authority, or in a gallery or museum as an education officer
- work freelance as a private tutor
The Get Into Teaching website has more information on how to develop your career .
Career tips
You can attend a Get Into Teaching event before you apply to get advice about teaching, funding and the different training routes available. You can attend events in person and online.
Registration
- you'll usually need qualified teacher status (QTS) to teach in a state school in England
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleHeadteacher
- Job rolePrimary school teacher
- Job roleTeaching assistant
- Job roleSpecial educational needs (SEN) teacher
- Job roleFurther education teacher
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