5 CV examples · UK · Updated October 2026
Teacher CV Examples and Templates (UK)
A strong teacher CV proves three things fast: you hold QTS or are on track for it, you teach your phase and subject well, and your pupils make progress. Lead with a short personal profile, then show classes, results and responsibilities, newest first, on up to two sides of A4.
Teacher CV at a glance
- Best format
- Reverse-chronological, one column, QTS and phase near the top
- Length
- One page for trainees and ECTs; one to two pages after that
- Top skills
- Subject and curriculum knowledge, Behaviour management, Assessment and feedback, Adaptive teaching (SEND, EAL)
- Key qualifications
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Enhanced DBS with barred list (England, Wales), ECT induction completed or underway
- Average salary
- £34,000 to £53,000 a yearstarter to experienced, National Careers Service
- Typical hours
- 37 to 45 a week, term timeevenings attending events or appointments
5 teacher CV examples for 2026
Below are 5 UK teacher CV examples, from trainee to head of department and SENCO, each with a free teacher CV template in Word. They follow the rules for England, where schools take a CV only alongside their application form. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ, as explained below. Each one is shown at true A4 size and comes with a free single-column Word template. Open any example to read it in full.
Swipe to see all 5 examples →
Priya Sandhu
English Teacher (QTS, 2026)
Leicester · priya.sandhu@email.com · 07700 900318
Profile
English teacher with QTS (PGCE, 2026) seeking an ECT post from January 2027. Taught Year 7 to Year 10 English across two contrasting placements and led a Year 11 GCSE intervention group. Plans knowledge-rich sequences, models analytical writing and uses retrieval practice and live marking. Now covering KS3 and KS4 lessons as a cover supervisor.
Teaching Experience
Cover Supervisor, Rowanmere Academy, Leicester Sep 2026 – Present
- Cover up to 6 lessons a day for Years 7 to 11 across English, humanities and science, applying the school behaviour policy.
- Log behaviour points and safeguarding concerns in Arbor and CPOMS on the same day, escalating two concerns to the designated safeguarding lead.
- Run a weekly Year 8 reading club for 14 reluctant readers, choosing texts with the English department and tracking reading ages.
Trainee Teacher of English (Placement B), Soarbrook Academy, Loughborough Mar 2026 – Jun 2026
- Taught 70% of a full timetable across Years 7, 9 and 10, including an AQA GCSE literature unit on An Inspector Calls.
- Raised a Year 10 class’s average assessed essay score by 4 marks in 6 weeks through live modelling and whole-class feedback.
- Ran a Year 11 English Language intervention group on Paper 1 creative writing, with 6 of 8 students improving their practice paper grade.
Trainee Teacher of English (Placement A), Wreakeside Academy, Melton Mowbray Nov 2025 – Feb 2026
- Taught Year 7 and Year 8 English for 12 weeks, building a Gothic fiction sequence from the department scheme of work.
- Introduced weekly low-stakes vocabulary quizzes on Google Forms, lifting Year 8 vocabulary test scores from 58% to 74%.
Education & Qualifications
PGCE Secondary English with QTS, University of Leicester, 2026
BA (Hons) English, University of Leicester, 2:1, 2025
A-levels: English Literature (A), History (A), Psychology (B); 9 GCSEs grades 9-5 including English and Maths
Training & Certificates
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), awarded July 2026 · Enhanced DBS with children’s barred list check (Update Service)
Core Skills
KS3 and KS4 English (AQA GCSE) · Knowledge-rich lesson sequencing · Modelling analytical writing · Retrieval practice and live marking · Behaviour routines and school policy · Adaptive teaching for SEND and EAL · Assessment for learning · Safeguarding (KCSIE 2026) · Arbor, CPOMS and Google Classroom
Why this example works
- Treats both placements and the cover role like jobs, with year groups, exam units and results, so a short career still reads as real teaching.
- States QTS, the ECT start date and an enhanced DBS up front, answering the first questions a headteacher or trust recruiter asks.
- Names specific adaptive teaching strategies for EHC plans and EAL, the area ECT interview panels and mentors probe most closely.
Liam Whitaker
Year 6 Teacher and Maths Lead
Sheffield · liam.whitaker@email.com · 07700 900562 · linkedin.com/in/liamwhitaker
Profile
Primary teacher with QTS and 7 years in KS2, teaching Year 6 and leading maths in a two-form entry school. Teaches through a mastery approach with careful questioning, concrete resources and same-day feedback. Experienced with KS2 SATs and pupils with EHC plans. Seeking a Year 5 or 6 post with maths leadership.
Teaching Experience
Year 6 Teacher and Maths Lead, Ridgeholme Primary School, Sheffield Sep 2022 – Present
- Teach a Year 6 class of 30; 83% met the expected standard in KS2 maths in 2026, up from 68% in 2023.
- Lead maths across 14 classes, adding daily 10-minute fluency sessions and a calculation policy now used in every year group.
- Lifted the Year 4 multiplication tables check average from 19.2 to 22.6 out of 25 in two years.
Class Teacher (Year 4), Hollowmead Primary School, Rotherham Sep 2019 – Aug 2022
- Passed NQT induction in 2020 with a Year 4 class of 28, teaching remotely through Google Classroom during closures.
- Ran a daily reading fluency group that brought 9 of 12 pupils up to age-related expectations within a year.
- Wrote support plans with the SENCO for 5 pupils with SEND, reviewing targets with parents each term.
Teaching Assistant, Larkfield Rise Primary School, Sheffield Sep 2016 – Jul 2018
- Delivered daily phonics catch-up to Year 2 groups ahead of the phonics screening check retake.
- Supported a pupil with autism one-to-one, using visual timetables to settle him into whole-class lessons.
Education & Qualifications
PGCE Primary Education (5-11) with QTS, Sheffield Hallam University, 2019
BA (Hons) History, University of Sheffield, 2:1, 2016
Training & Certificates
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), 2019 · Paediatric first aid (12-hour), renewed 2025
Core Skills
KS2 maths mastery (White Rose) · KS2 SATs and moderation · Multiplication tables check · Reading fluency · Adaptive teaching and SEN support · Maths subject leadership · Lesson study and coaching · Safeguarding (CPOMS)
Why this example works
- Puts KS2 results, the multiplication tables check and the maths lead role first, the evidence primary heads compare when shortlisting.
- Uses school-wide numbers (14 classes, 5 teachers coached) to prove a subject leader’s impact beyond one classroom.
- Shows a teaching assistant to class teacher to subject lead path, a strong signal of classroom depth and reliability.
Why this example works
- Opens with QTS and five years in 11-18 schools before the finance career, so the panel sees a teacher first and a career changer second.
- Turns analyst strengths into school currency: tracking data, real-world problems and staff training that maths departments need.
- Results use GCSE grades, FFT estimates and A level A*-B rates, the measures heads of maths actually track.
Applying through an online portal? Use the Word download: it is the same CV in a single-column, ATS-safe layout. Keep this two-column design for emailing and networking.
Fatima Rahman
Head of Science
Bradford · fatima.rahman@email.com · 07700 900845 · linkedin.com/in/fatimarahman
Executive Profile
Head of Science with 14 years in 11-18 schools, leading biology, chemistry and physics teams through curriculum redesign, recruitment and sustained results improvement. Chemistry specialist with the NPQSL who builds coherent KS3 to KS5 curricula and grows strong subject leaders. Experienced in line management, budget control and inspection. Seeking an assistant headteacher role with responsibility for curriculum or teaching and learning.
Core Competencies
Curriculum design, KS3 to KS5 · GCSE combined and triple science (AQA) · A level Chemistry · Required practicals and CPAC · Line management and appraisal · Department budget and resources · Data analysis and intervention (SISRA) · Recruitment and ECT development · Instructional coaching · Behaviour and culture · Quality assurance and Ofsted readiness · Laboratory safety and risk assessment
Teaching Experience
Head of Science, Thornmere Academy, Bradford Sep 2021 – Present
- Lead a faculty of 16 teachers and 3 technicians in an 11-18 academy of 1,400 students, line managing 4 subject and key stage leads.
- Lifted GCSE combined science grades 4-4 and above from 58% in 2023 to 71% in 2026 after redesigning the KS4 curriculum and assessment cycle.
- Rebuilt the KS3 science curriculum around core knowledge, so every Year 7 to 9 unit builds towards the GCSE required practicals.
- Prepared the faculty for a 2024 Ofsted inspection that included a science deep dive, where curriculum sequencing was praised as a strength.
- Filled 4 long-term vacancies within two years by hosting PGCE trainees from 2 providers and running a structured in-house ECT programme.
- Manage a £38,000 annual science budget, cutting consumables spend by 12% through a shared practical kit inventory.
Second in Science (KS4 Lead), Calderbrook School, Halifax Sep 2017 – Aug 2021
- Led KS4 science for 240 students a year, coordinating mock exams, targeted intervention and AQA entries for combined and triple science.
- Grew triple science from 1 to 3 teaching sets by redesigning Year 9 options guidance and starting a weekly Year 9 chemistry club.
- Introduced question-level analysis after every KS4 assessment, so teachers planned reteach lessons within a week of each test.
- Mentored 5 NQTs and trainee teachers, all of whom passed induction or gained QTS, and led the department’s weekly CPD slot.
- Led remote science teaching during the 2020 and 2021 school closures, recording practical demonstrations and live quizzes for Years 7 to 13.
Teacher of Chemistry, Calderbrook School, Halifax Sep 2014 – Aug 2017
- Taught chemistry from Year 7 to A level; the 2017 A level chemistry group achieved 52% A*-B, the school’s best result in the subject.
- Set up CPAC tracking for the new A level practical endorsement in 2015, adopted by every chemistry teacher in the department.
- Became an AQA GCSE Chemistry examiner in 2016 and used mark scheme insight to train colleagues on exam technique.
- Ran a KS3 STEM club for 25 students and entered a team in a regional schools chemistry competition.
Teacher of Science, Kirkholme Academy, Leeds Sep 2012 – Aug 2014
- Passed NQT induction in 2013 while teaching KS3 science and GCSE chemistry to Years 7 to 11 in a large Leeds academy.
- Rewrote three Year 8 chemistry units around practical-first lessons, which the department adopted the following year.
- Tutored a Year 9 form group and ran a twice-weekly homework club for students without internet access at home.
Education & Qualifications
PGCE Science with Chemistry (QTS), Leeds Trinity University, 2012
BSc (Hons) Chemistry, University of Leeds, 2:1, 2011
Training & Certificates
National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL), 2024 · Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), 2012
Wider leadership
- Trust science network lead since 2024, sharing common assessments across 5 secondary schools
- Organise the academy’s annual science and engineering week with 3 local employers
- Staff governor, Calderbrook School, 2019 – 2021
Professional development
- Instructional coaching training with the trust’s teaching and learning team, 2023
- Deputy designated safeguarding lead training, 2025
Professional memberships
- Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC)
- Member of the Association for Science Education (ASE)
Why this example works
- Leads with faculty size, line management and curriculum change, the scope a governing board checks first for a senior leadership role.
- Every leadership bullet carries a result: GCSE outcomes, triple science uptake, vacancies filled or inspection findings.
- Shows a steady teacher to second in department to head of faculty path, with the NPQSL signalling readiness for senior leadership.
Siobhan Kelly
SENCO
Nottingham · siobhan.kelly@email.com · 07700 900693 · linkedin.com/in/siobhankelly
Personal Profile
SENCO and qualified teacher with 13 years in secondary schools, leading SEND provision at an 11-16 academy of 1,100 pupils. Applies the SEND Code of Practice with confidence, writes strong evidence for EHC needs assessments and builds the graduated approach into everyday teaching. Calm with families, firm on statutory timescales. Seeking an assistant headteacher (inclusion) post in Nottingham or Nottinghamshire.
Core Competencies
SEND Code of Practice (0 to 25) · EHC needs assessments and annual reviews · Graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review) · Provision mapping and costing · JCQ access arrangements · SEMH and autism support · TA deployment and line management · Staff training in adaptive teaching · Local authority and multi-agency liaison · Transition planning · Safeguarding (deputy DSL) · Edukey Provision Map and Arbor
Teaching Experience
SENCO, Trentholme Academy, Nottingham Sep 2024 – Present
- Lead SEND provision for 210 pupils on SEN support and 38 with EHC plans, line managing 10 teaching assistants and 2 HLTAs.
- Cut the wait from referral to a first SEN support plan from 9 weeks to 3 with a single online form and fortnightly panel.
- Submitted 12 EHC needs assessment requests to the local authority since 2024, with 11 agreed at the first decision.
- Run every EHC plan annual review within statutory timescales, co-producing outcomes with families, health and social care.
- Trained 70 teaching staff in adaptive teaching and the graduated approach, then quality assured practice through termly learning walks.
- Coordinate JCQ access arrangements for 64 GCSE candidates a year with the specialist assessor and exams officer, all in place before mocks.
Assistant SENCO and Teacher of Geography, Attenmere School, Beeston Sep 2021 – Aug 2024
- Managed provision maps for 140 pupils on SEN support across Years 7 to 11, costing each intervention and reviewing impact termly.
- Set up a nurture group for 10 Year 7 pupils with SEMH needs, halving their recorded behaviour incidents by the spring term.
- Cut suspensions of pupils with SEND by 35% in one year through key adult support and personalised behaviour plans.
- Ran transition for 45 pupils with SEND from 14 feeder primaries, including extra summer visits and one-page profiles for staff.
- Taught geography to Years 7 to 11 on a 60% timetable and covered SENCO duties during a two-term maternity leave.
Teacher of Geography and Head of Year 8, Attenmere School, Beeston Sep 2019 – Aug 2021
- Led a team of 8 tutors as Head of Year 8, running attendance and behaviour reviews with families.
- Became the department’s SEND link, adapting resources and writing pupil passports with the SENCO for 20 pupils.
- Trained the humanities team in dyslexia-friendly resource design, introducing a shared template for worksheets and slides.
Teacher of Geography, Attenmere School, Beeston Sep 2016 – Aug 2019
- Taught AQA GCSE geography to mixed-attainment groups; 78% of the 2019 cohort achieved grade 4 or above.
- Planned and risk assessed GCSE fieldwork for 120 students a year at coastal and urban sites, with EVC approval each time.
Teacher of Geography, Hucknall Moor Academy, Hucknall Sep 2013 – Aug 2016
- Passed NQT induction in 2014 while teaching geography and humanities across KS3 and KS4 in a mixed 11-16 school.
- Ran a lunchtime homework club for pupils with SEND, which first sparked a specialism in inclusion.
- Organised a Year 9 Peak District field trip for 90 students, managing permissions, medical needs and staffing ratios.
Education & Qualifications
PGCE Secondary Geography with QTS, University of Nottingham, 2013
BA (Hons) Geography, University of Sheffield, 2:1, 2012
Training & Certificates
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), 2013 · Enhanced DBS with children’s barred list check (Update Service)
Training and CPD
- National Professional Qualification for SENCOs (NPQ for SENCOs), completed 2026
- Deputy designated safeguarding lead training, 2025
- Youth Mental Health First Aid, 2023
- Autism Education Trust schools training, 2022
Memberships and volunteering
- Member of nasen, the national association for special educational needs
- Volunteer leader at a Saturday youth club for autistic teenagers in Nottingham since 2019
- Presents termly at the city SENCO network on graduated approach practice
Why this example works
- Leads with caseload, EHC plans and team size, the scale a headteacher needs to judge a SENCO in one line.
- Names statutory processes correctly (EHC needs assessments, annual reviews, JCQ access arrangements), which shows real SEND Code of Practice knowledge.
- Shows the route from geography teacher to SEND link, assistant SENCO and SENCO, with the mandatory NPQ for SENCOs completed on time.
Teacher personal profile examples
Copy the personal profile that matches your level, then swap in your own experience, settings and results.
Newly qualified English teacher with QTS from a PGCE with two contrasting secondary placements. Plans sequenced lessons, models extended writing and uses retrieval quizzes to check understanding. Confident with whole-school behaviour routines and adaptive teaching for EAL learners. Seeking an ECT post with strong mentoring, ready to run a KS3 club or support a trip.
Primary teacher with QTS and 5 years across KS1 and KS2, currently teaching Year 1. Teaches early reading through a validated systematic synthetic phonics programme, with 93% of the class meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2026. Uses concrete resources and stem sentences in maths. Seeking a KS1 post with an early reading lead role.
History teacher with QTS and 6 years teaching KS3 to KS5, including AQA GCSE and A level. Builds knowledge-rich schemes of work, teaches disciplinary thinking through enquiry questions and uses whole-class feedback to cut marking time. Runs the Year 9 options evening and the Berlin trip. Seeking a second in department role in an 11-18 school.
Head of English with 12 years in 11-18 schools, leading a team of 11 and line managing KS3 and KS5 coordinators. Raised GCSE English Language grade 5 and above from 49% to 63% in three years. Strong in curriculum sequencing, instructional coaching and quality assurance. Holds the NPQLT and is seeking an assistant headteacher post.
SEND teacher with QTS and 8 years in an all-through special school for pupils with autism and severe learning difficulties. Plans sensory-rich, structured lessons, contributes to EHC plan annual reviews and writes small-step targets towards each pupil’s EHC plan outcomes. Works daily with speech and language therapists and leads a class team of 3 teaching assistants. Seeking an assistant SENCO or resource base lead role.
Newly qualified science teacher with QTS after 8 years as a laboratory analyst in the water industry. Brings hands-on expertise to GCSE required practicals and experience training adult colleagues. Completed placements in two contrasting 11-16 schools, teaching chemistry and KS3 science. Seeking an ECT post with chemistry and KS3 science.
Qualified maths teacher with QTS returning after a four-year career break raising young children. Taught KS3 and KS4 for 6 years with strong GCSE Foundation results. Has refreshed practice through two terms of day-to-day supply and current safeguarding training. Seeking a part-time or full-time maths post from January.
Best skills for a teacher CV
List the skills the job advert and person specification name, in the same wording, and prove the important ones in your employment history.
Hard skills
- Subject and curriculum knowledge
- Lesson planning and sequencing
- Explicit instruction and modelling
- Retrieval practice and spaced recall
- Assessment for learning and feedback
- Exam specifications (AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR)
- Adaptive teaching for SEND and EAL
- Behaviour management and routines
- Data tracking and intervention
- Safeguarding and child protection (KCSIE)
- Phonics and early reading (primary)
- Mentoring trainees and ECTs
Soft skills
- Clear communication with pupils and parents
- Patience and calm under pressure
- Organisation and time management
- Resilience
- Teamwork with teaching assistants
- Adaptability and openness to feedback
- High expectations with warmth
- Sound professional judgement
Systems and equipment
- Arbor, SIMS or Bromcom (MIS)
- CPOMS or MyConcern (safeguarding)
- Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams
- Satchel One or Class Charts
- Sparx Maths, Seneca or Educake
- Interactive whiteboards and visualisers
- FFT Aspire and SISRA Analytics
- Microsoft Excel and Forms
Qualifications and training
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
- PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education)
- ECT induction (two years, ITTECF-based)
- Enhanced DBS with children’s barred list check
- National Professional Qualifications (NPQLT, NPQSL, NPQH)
- NPQ for SENCOs (mandatory for new SENCOs)
- Paediatric first aid (primary and early years)
Teacher CV bullet point examples
Strong bullets pair an action verb with a specific task and a measurable result. Adapt these to your own numbers.
Teaching and planning
- Planned a 12-lesson Year 9 poetry sequence with retrieval starters and modelled paragraphs, adopted by 5 colleagues in the English department.
- Taught a mixed-attainment Year 3 class of 29 through concrete, pictorial and abstract steps, so every pupil passed the end-of-unit fluency check.
- Adapted KS4 resources for 6 EAL learners with dual-language glossaries and sentence frames, lifting their assessment scores by 12 percentage points.
Assessment and results
- Achieved 74% grades 4 and above in GCSE Geography in 2026, 9 points above the school’s FFT estimate.
- Moderated KS2 writing with the local authority team, with every teacher assessment judgement agreed at the 2025 moderation visit.
- Introduced whole-class feedback sheets that halved marking time while raising Year 11 mock scores by an average of 6 marks.
Behaviour, pastoral and safeguarding
- Cut Year 9 behaviour points by 40% in one term as Head of Year with a daily report card and weekly calls home.
- Recorded and escalated safeguarding concerns through CPOMS within the school day, contributing to 3 early help referrals.
- Raised Year 7 tutor group attendance from 91% to 96% through first-day calls home and a weekly attendance challenge.
Leadership and wider school
- Led 6 English teachers through a new KS3 curriculum, running fortnightly instructional coaching cycles focused on modelling.
- Ran the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award bronze programme for 36 Year 9 students, with 33 completing their expedition and full award within the year.
- Mentored 2 ECTs through their two-year induction, running weekly mentor meetings and fortnightly coaching drop-ins focused on behaviour routines.
Action verbs for a teacher CV
Start each bullet with a precise verb instead of “responsible for”.
- Planned
- Taught
- Modelled
- Sequenced
- Adapted
- Assessed
- Moderated
- Analysed
- Tracked
- Raised
- Lifted
- Introduced
- Redesigned
- Embedded
- Mentored
- Coached
- Led
- Organised
- Prioritised
- Supported
- Championed
- Coordinated
- Evaluated
- Standardised
- Liaised
- Engaged
- Inspired
- Developed
Find more by category with the free action verb finder.
Best CV format for a teacher
Use a reverse-chronological teacher CV in one column, with QTS, phase and subject in the first lines. Trainees and ECTs fit on one page; experienced teachers use one to two sides of A4, and leaders two. Send it with the school’s application form, never instead of it.
| Your situation | Format | Length | Lead with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trainee teacher or ECT | Reverse-chronological, placements listed like jobs | 1 page | QTS date, PGCE or route, placements, subjects and key stages |
| Primary class teacher | Reverse-chronological | 1-2 pages | Year groups taught, KS2 or phonics outcomes, subject lead role |
| Secondary subject teacher | Reverse-chronological | 1-2 pages | Subject, exam boards, GCSE and A level outcomes |
| Head of department or middle leader | Reverse-chronological | 2 pages | Team size, curriculum changes, results trend, NPQ |
| SENCO or SEND teacher | Reverse-chronological | 2 pages | Caseload, EHC plans, NPQ for SENCOs, statutory processes |
| Career changer | Hybrid: profile and teaching experience first | 1-2 pages | QTS route, placements, transferable skills from your first career |
| Returning after a career break | Reverse-chronological, gap explained in one line | 1-2 pages | QTS, recent supply or training, refreshed subject knowledge |
Every example above follows these rules, on A4 and without a photo, date of birth or full address.
How to write a teacher CV that gets you shortlisted
A teacher CV gets you shortlisted when the top third of page one shows that you hold QTS, teach the right phase and subject, and get results. Headteachers read many applications for each post, so put the evidence they compare where they will see it first.
Write a personal profile of 3 to 5 lines, then your employment history newest first. For each school, name the key stages, subjects, exam boards and responsibilities, then add two to five results: grades against targets, reading ages, attendance, behaviour data or colleagues you developed.
Mirror the job advert and person specification. If the advert asks for KS4 English Language, adaptive teaching and an extracurricular club, use those phrases and prove each one. Many trusts and councils recruit through online portals, so matching wording also helps applicant tracking systems.
Teacher CV with no experience: trainees, ECTs and career changers
A teacher CV with no paid teaching experience should treat each school placement as a job: the school, dates, year groups, subjects, the share of the timetable you taught and one or two results. Add teaching assistant, cover supervisor, tutoring, coaching or youth work underneath.
If you are still training, write ‘PGCE Secondary English with QTS, expected July 2027’. Once qualified, write ‘QTS awarded July 2026’ and the date you can start, because some schools appoint ECTs for January as well as September.
If you are changing careers, lead with teaching evidence, then translate the earlier career: training adults, explaining complex ideas to non-specialists, analysing data and meeting deadlines. Industry expertise is valuable in a subject classroom, but the panel needs to see your teaching first.
Your teacher CV and the school application form
Schools in England, state and independent, will ask you to complete their application form even if you have a CV. Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 says schools should only accept a CV alongside an application form, because a CV on its own does not give enough information.
Safer recruitment also means shortlisting panels look for gaps in employment and ask about them, and may search online for shortlisted candidates. Explain any career break in one line, keep your dates identical on the CV and the form, and keep public social media professional.
A CV still earns its place with teaching agencies, international schools, speculative applications and LinkedIn. It is also your master document: the personal statement on the form should expand its best evidence against each point of the person specification.
Teacher CV in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
Teachers outside England should swap the England-only terms on this page (ECT induction, KCSIE, Ofsted and NPQs) for their own nation’s registration, induction and safeguarding checks.
In Scotland, list GTCS registration, your PGDE or teaching degree, your probation year and PVG scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland, Scotland’s equivalent of the DBS check.
In Wales, list QTS, Education Workforce Council (EWC) registration and NQT induction, as Wales still uses that term. In Northern Ireland, list GTCNI registration and an AccessNI check.
Keywords to include on a teacher CV
Use the exact terms from the advert and person specification, because shortlisting panels and screening software look for them. These terms come up again and again in UK teaching adverts.
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and ECT induction
- EYFS, Key Stages 1 to 5, GCSE and A level
- Exam boards: AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC Eduqas
- Adaptive teaching, SEND, EAL and EHC plans
- Behaviour management, routines and relationships
- Assessment for learning, retrieval practice and feedback
- Safeguarding, KCSIE and the designated safeguarding lead
- Curriculum design, schemes of work and sequencing
- Data tracking, intervention and FFT targets
- Extracurricular clubs, trips and pastoral care
What to include and leave off a UK teacher CV
| ✓ Include | ✗ Avoid |
|---|---|
| QTS with the year awarded, or your expected QTS date | A photo, date of birth, age or marital status |
| Phase, key stages, subjects and exam boards taught | Your full home address (town or city is enough) |
| Results with context: grades against targets, reading ages, attendance | Pupil names or any detail that could identify a pupil |
| Responsibilities such as subject lead, head of year or mentor | Duty lists such as ‘responsible for planning lessons’ |
| Safeguarding training and an enhanced DBS on the Update Service | Dates or job titles that differ from the application form |
| Clubs, trips and other wider school contributions | Referees’ names and contact details |
| Recent CPD and NPQs that match the post | Claims like ‘passionate educator’ with no evidence |
| Dates for every role, with any gaps briefly explained | Dense two-column layouts for online application portals |
How to write a teacher CV
- Read the person specification. Highlight every essential and desirable criterion in the advert and person specification. Note the phase, subject, exam boards and responsibilities, then plan where your CV proves each one, using the school’s own wording.
- Write a 3 to 5 line personal profile. State QTS, your phase and subject, your years of experience and the post you want. Add one strength backed by evidence, such as a results trend, a subject lead role or, for trainees, a placement highlight.
- List your teaching experience newest first. For each school give your job title, the school, town and dates, then the key stages, subjects and responsibilities. Trainees list each placement as its own entry, with the share of the timetable they taught.
- Turn duties into results. Start each bullet with an action verb and end with a result: grades against targets, reading ages, attendance, behaviour data, subject uptake or colleagues mentored. Use two to five bullets per role and fewer for older posts.
- Add qualifications, safeguarding and CPD. List your degree with its classification, your PGCE or training route, the year you gained QTS and your ECT induction status. Then add an enhanced DBS, safeguarding training and any NPQs or subject courses relevant to the post.
- Check it against the application form. Make dates, job titles and qualifications match the school’s application form exactly, explain any gaps and save the CV as a Word document or PDF on A4. Ask a colleague to proofread it for spelling and grammar.
Teacher salary in the UK
National averages for England. Use them to benchmark offers, not as a promise for any single job.
The National Careers Service puts average pay for a secondary school teacher at £34,000 a year for new starters, rising to around £53,000 with experience. Typical hours are 37 to 45 a week, term time, with evenings attending events or appointments.
Source: National Careers Service, Secondary school teacher job profile (Department for Education), contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are averages; pay varies by region, employer and experience.
Covering letter tip for a teacher
For teaching posts, the personal statement or letter of application on the form carries the most weight. Answer the person specification point by point in the same order, with one specific classroom example each. Mention something real about the school, such as its curriculum or trust, and keep it to two sides of A4.
Start from our cover letter templates or draft one in seconds with the cover letter generator.
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