Where to start
The website Get Into Teaching is a comprehensive introduction to teaching careers. You'll find training bursaries (which vary considerably depending on the subject & your degree grade).
Target jobs guides to teaching are also a great source of information and advice.
Thinking of an education career outside of teaching? See our blog and read this guide
Our Supporters are committed to supporting the development of Cambridge students and graduates.
Before you decide on a teaching career, you will need a passion for your subject, and some working experience of what it’s really like being a teacher (shadowing, summer schools, and so on).
Specifically, you should know if you enjoy spending time with teenagers and children: working or volunteering at youth camps or with youth community groups such as the Scouts is a good way of finding this out.
Read this inspiring blog post from Cambridge graduate Harry Hudson, on being a State School teacher
Teaching after Cambridge - in conversation with Harry Hudson
Arrange a couple of weeks work shadowing in a school. This can be quite hard to fix up so going through contacts or to your old school is a good idea.
- Some help is given on the Get Into Teaching website
- Teach First insight programmes for STEM
- Give a Year, run by City Year, is a one-year paid programme where you run afterschool clubs
- Summer schools
To work in state schools in England, you need QTS (qualified teacher status). It's also valued in many settings where it's not an official requirement (for example academies, international or independent schools). You can train for this in a number of ways;
- PGCE and School Direct (training on the job in a school) - apply through UCAS
- SCITTs (school-centred initial teacher training) where you apply direct to the SCITT partnership or school
- HMT (public schools) has its own initial teaching training route as do many independent schools
- Teach First and Ark Teacher Training
- Researchers in Schools for PhDs
- Now Teach for alumni with significant experience.
- UCAS for PGCEs and School Direct routes
- Multiple SCITT partnerships in various regions of the UK
- The Brilliant Club’s Researchers in Schools programme - for PhDs. They sponsor visas.
- HMC (Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ conference) for independent schools
- Teach First
Apply early for popular subjects such as History, English and primary, as they fill up quickly. Some traditionally shortage subjects like Maths or Science are also becoming more popular and places on training programmes are filling up more quickly than in previous years.
In your application you should reflect on your work shadowing in schools and demonstrate a passion for your subject. You should also show that you care about and can develop good rapport with children and/or teenagers.
STIMULUS is a Cambridge initiative for maths/science students to volunteer in local schools. Great for getting experience pre teaching application.
You could take part in the university’s Widening Participation outreach work in schools
The Faculty of Education holds an open day each year
You can find teaching-specific Careers Service events via the ‘events’ page on Handshake
Keep up to date with Educational news by following TES (Times Educational Supplement) and Guardian Education.
What to do next
Now you have looked at this page, think about your next steps. Everyone's journey is different. There are many ways to move forward. Here are some actions you could take now:
- Look for roles using the resources above.
- Talk to alumni working in this field via Handshake or LinkedIn.
- Talk to a Careers Consultant - book a 1:1 appointment through Handshake.
- Attend events - watch for relevant events.
- Ready to apply? Use the CV and cover letter guide to draft a CV or an application. Most schools and teacher training programmes use application forms in recruitment.
- Write a speculative application to get work experience or work shadowing in schools.