What should I know about working in the UK?

The use of relief teachers in Britain is known as “supply” and as in schools in Australia and New Zealand, this can mean filling a gap for a day (day-to-day) or taking on a class or subject area for a longer period of time (long term).  Long term positions tend to cover academic terms and can initially be for one, two or three terms.

If you would like to have the security of teaching in one school for a longer period of time, Long term Teachers are the UK specialists in this field.

We are not one of the large corporate agencies and we maintain a strong personal relationship with everyone who works with us. Long term Teachers will begin working for you immediately you are registered. We can organise interviews for you in suitable schools for when you arrive, having carried out all necessary checks before you leave home, leaving you free to settle in.

We are often asked why there is a teacher shortage in the UK, and there are many reasons. One of these is certainly the high cost of living in London (in particular house prices). However as an overseas teacher you are probably not looking to buy your own home and you will find plenty of people to share rent costs with. Some of our teachers even manage to send money home (as well as spending their holidays travelling all over Europe).

Another reason for the teacher shortage is one of image. The UK is a multicultural country, which is home to people from all backgrounds. The larger cities - particularly London - are big and can be noisy. But these are probably some of the reasons you’re thinking about living here for a while. Of course, the down side of life in a big city is that, as well as the good schools, there are some challenging ones too. However, overseas trained teachers like you have been working successfully through agencies in these schools for the last ten years. This wide variety of schools means we can find the right one for you.

London is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with plenty to do, to suit all budgets and while the UK is not physically big it does contain a wide variety of cultures, landscapes and educational settings. As a Long term Teacher you have the opportunity to make a real contribution to a school while you are here.

So what are you waiting for?