Teaching Philosophy in the UK
Philosophy is not a standalone subject in the National Curriculum for KS3 or KS4, but it is commonly:
Integrated into Religious Education (RE) and Citizenship lessons at KS3 and KS4.
Taught as a formal A-Level subject at KS5 (ages 16–18), typically under the title “Philosophy” or “Philosophy & Ethics”, depending on the exam board.
Are you interested in teaching Philosophy in the UK? At Teach in, we can help you secure either a permanent role, fixed-term contract or guaranteed supply work in schools in London and across the UK. Below is some information to give you an insight into teaching your specialist subject within the British National Curriculum. The good news is that Australian, New Zealand and Canadian teachers have trained and teach in a very similar way to teachers in England, so the transition to working in a UK school is not too hard. We also make sure all the teachers we help into a role in the UK is assigned an in-school mentor and also a UK Consultant, both available to assist in getting started in a British school.
Where You’ll Encounter Philosophy in Schools
Key Stage Subject Name Where Philosophy Is Found
KS3 RE / Citizenship / PSHE Debates on morality, ethics, identity, belief
KS4 GCSE Religious Studies Ethical theory, arguments for/against existence of God
KS5 A-Level Philosophy (OCR) Deep study of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics
KS5 A-Level Religious Studies Often includes major philosophical components
Teaching Philosophy at A-Level (KS5, ages 16–18)
Philosophy is offered at A-Level by the OCR exam board, and can also appear as a component in A-Level Religious Studies (AQA, Edexcel, OCR).
Core Areas in A-Level Philosophy (OCR):
- Epistemology
- What is knowledge?
- How do we perceive the world?
- Can we be certain of anything?
- Moral Philosophy
- Utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, virtue ethics
- Applying moral theories to real-world dilemmas (e.g. euthanasia, lying)
- Metaphysics of God
- Arguments for and against the existence of God
- Problem of evil
- Nature of God (omniscience, omnipotence)
- Metaphysics of Mind
- Dualism vs physicalism
- Consciousness and personal identity
What It’s Like to Teach:
Feature Details
Class Type Usually smaller groups (6–20 students) in sixth forms
Teaching Style Lecture, Socratic questioning, structured debates, essay development
Resources Exam specs, classic texts (Plato, Descartes, Mill), contemporary essays
Assessment 100% exam (two or three 3-hour exams)
Student Skills Needed Abstract thinking, clear written expression, logical reasoning
Philosophy at KS3 & KS4 (Ages 11–16)
- Philosophical thinking is integrated rather than standalone:
- In Religious Education:
- Debating existence of God
- Ethics: what makes an action right or wrong?
- Human purpose and meaning
- In Citizenship or PSHE:
- Identity, beliefs, society, and moral reasoning
- Rights, responsibilities, and global justice
- This means overseas teachers with philosophy backgrounds may teach RE, RS, or humanities more broadly.
Summary Table
Stage Subject Taught As Core Focus Areas
KS3 RE / PSHE / Citizenship Belief, morality, meaning, identity
KS4 GCSE Religious Studies Ethical reasoning, arguments about God and existence
KS5 A-Level Philosophy (OCR) Epistemology, moral theory, metaphysics of mind/God
KS5 A-Level Religious Studies Ethics, philosophy of religion
Tips for Overseas Teachers
Tip Why It Matters
Know UK terminology “A-Level”, “KS5”, and “specifications” are key terms
Focus on argument structure British students are trained to write extended essays
Philosophy = debate + logic Teaching often involves discussion and analytical writing
Cross-subject relevance Philosophy links to RE, Sociology, Politics, Psychology
Learn more about teaching philosophy and other humanities subjects in UK schools. Click here to get started.
