When should you head to the UK to teach?
It is important to plan your UK teaching trip, so when you arrive, it gives you the best chance to achieve your teaching and travel aspirations.
Here are our suggestions on when to arrive, depending on what kind of work you want to undertake.
September (1 Year contract)
If you are looking for a long-term contract, the best time to be available is the start of the British school year in early September. Most teachers secure a job in April, May and June and then arrive in the British summer July or August and travel before starting their jobs. Some arrive in the last week of August and go start into their position. If you secure a contract for the start of the school year it is generally for a year and will run until late July the following year.
October / November/ December (Supply)
This is a good time to arrive to start work, if you want to start as a supply teacher on our Guaranteed Supply Contract. There is little work in the first 4 weeks of the school year, so we encourage teachers to come over for early- mid October if they want to teach casually. You could also arrive in November or December to supply teach, just don’t forget there is a half-term break in late October of a week and 2 weeks break over the Xmas/ New Year period.
January (2 term contract)
Another popular time to arrive to take on a long-term contract is for the start of term 2, in early January. There are many 2 term contracts available which give you solid, dependable work at the same school until the end of the UK school year in late July. Most teachers head over in mid-December or even after Xmas and are available to start in the first week of January. These contracts are often extendable if you want to stay on at the school when it resumes in September. Vacancies for January start to come through in October and placements occur until December.
February/ March (Supply)
These are also great months to arrive, and supply teach! You are coming in at the end of winter in the UK and there will still be lots of supply work in the coming months.
April (Contract)
April is the last chance to pick up a term of work, before the UK school year concludes in late July. The Summer term starts after Easter, so it is usually around mid-April.
You can interview and secure an April 1 term contract ( often with the option to come back after summer break). Interviews usually happen in late February and throughout March and early April. The year ends around July 20th.
We don’t recommend arriving to supply teacher after April, as there is a week off in late May and then only 6 weeks until the end of the year, and so supply work starts to slow down and teachers have the whole summer coming up, meaning limited work until September.
Types of work are explained here….
Long Term/Permanent Teaching Jobs
Our specialist consultants are able to support and work with you to identify a school where you can undertake a long term assignment. This type of teaching work may be a term, a semester or the full school year. This option allows you to become fully immersed in one school. You will get to know the local area in-depth and can also plan ahead. Your dedicated consultant will be able to support you with accommodation information, bank accounts, as well as local services. They will also introduce you to other overseas teachers, and facilitate your induction both with Teach In and your school.
Supply Teaching Jobs
Supply teaching is the British term for casual relief teaching, or substitute teaching. In the UK supply teachers may work at a school for a day, a week, a term or longer. Often supply teachers will work with just a small number of schools of their choosing. Many overseas teachers like supply teaching work because it gives them the flexibility to try working in different types of British schools. They can also live in different UK regions, and enjoy a real working holiday. Because there is often less preparation and assessment to do in supply teaching jobs, many overseas teachers like to undertake supply work to ensure their weekends are free for exploring the UK, continental Europe, and beyond. If supply teaching sounds like it would suit your lifestyle but you need the security of a fixed income, we also offer a guaranteed payment scheme to our overseas teachers.
Please note that Teach In only offers supply contracts for overseas teachers. We do not offer supply work to British teachers. If you are a British teacher interested in supply teaching, please visit our sister companies Supply Desk and Just Teachers.
Education Support Staff/ Teacher Aides
The UK has significantly more varied roles in education support than other countries do. Through our sister company Supply Desk, we place a wide variety of overseas education support staff into roles in the UK. Often our overseas teachers move to Britain with a friend who could work in an education support role. Please speak with your local consultant about such opportunities.
Want to have a chat about your UK teaching options?