what does a primary school teacher do?
Primary school teachers work in schools to teach children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 (KS1 and KS2), aged 4 to 11.
Working in education can be immensely rewarding as teaching children in primary and their early years often sets them on course for the rest of their lives. Primary school teachers not only enjoy a fulfilling career but also help to shape pupils' futures, develop their skills and inspire a thirst for knowledge. We look at:
- Teacher job description
- How to get into teaching - teaching qualifications
- Primary teacher salary
- Teacher career progression
- Teaching jobs near me
Primary school teacher job description.
You will teach pupils numeracy and literacy skills as well as an understanding of other subjects such as history, geography and science. You will also be involved with pupils’ emotional development, guiding them through the start of school as very young children, giving them confidence and a desire to learn as they grow.
How to become a teacher.
If you are looking to get into teaching as a primary school teacher, you will need some teaching qualifications first, or be ready to complete these.
You’ll need to be a fully qualified teacher, which means you must have qualified teacher status (QTS). There are a number of ways you can achieve this:
- get a university degree in a relevant subject before training as a teacher
- postgraduates can study for a certificate in education (PGCE) though some degrees already have a QTS element built into them, which means you can go straight into the classroom
- Follow school-led teacher training, which involves training in a school and learning as you work. You will gain QTS and most will also include a PGCE
- Teach First, a scheme for trainee teachers in England, allows you to earn a salary at the same time at a school in low-income areas. It also helps develop leadership skills
- School Direct and School-Centred Initial Teacher Training are two other vocational routes into teaching where you work in a school
As well as being qualified, a primary school teacher needs to possess good communication and leadership skills, will need to be a team player, be patient and caring. Experience of working with young people in an educational setting is also very beneficial.
Primary school teacher job responsibilities.
Primary school teachers are responsible for delivering the entire primary school curriculum to pupils. It means your daily role will be diverse and involve delivering lessons to pupils on a wide variety of subjects. To be a good teacher you should:
- monitor pupils’ progress
- prepare lessons
- mark work
- encourage the children to achieve their best
In terms of teacher soft skills, you will be enthusiastic and motivational towards pupils, sparking a passion for learning. One of the challenges of teaching is working with children of all abilities and you’ll need to cater to their individual needs so they are given the best chance to reach their full potential.
As well as that, a key part of the job is liaising with parents, staff and other educational professionals to provide feedback and progress on pupil development.
Teachers are never based entirely in their classrooms and you will likely be involved in a whole host of extra-curricular activities including school trips, assemblies, sports days and after school clubs.
Career progression and salaries.
The starting salary for a newly qualified primary school teacher is £24,373, or £30,480 in inner London. As you gain experience, and depending on where you work, this could rise to between £30,000 and £40,000 on average.
In addition to this, schools now have more freedom to develop their own pay policies to attract and retain the teachers that have the greatest impact on their pupils’ learning. So what you’re paid will be linked to performance and not length of service – meaning you can increase your salary faster than ever before.
As your career progresses you can look to become a more senior member of a school team, eventually applying for deputy headships or head teacher roles. As you rise up the pay ranges, you could earn as much as £121,749 as a headteacher in inner London. But, becoming a head of school isn't the only option for you as you progress. Some teacher career progression options are:
- head of department
- head of pastoral care
- head of a year group
- curriculum management
- education lecturer
- prison teaching
Primary school teacher jobs near me.
Once you’ve qualified, you can enjoy job security and a generous pension as a teacher, as well as the chance to inspire young people and use your skills to give something back. Inspiring the next generation, and making a difference to young people, the job satisfaction of teaching is difficult to beat.
At Randstad, we have got a variety of primary school teacher jobs available across the country, from London to Manchester and from North Wales to Plymouth. We also have KS1 and KS2 roles available, so whatever your specialism, we've got you covered.
