Become a secondary school teacher
As a secondary school teacher, you'll play a pivotal role in pupils' lives. You'll see them grow from children to young adults, inspiring them to become passionate about learning and help shape their futures.
Why teach secondary
Becoming a secondary school teacher is a great career choice if you want to make a difference in young people's lives. As students progress through school, you'll directly influence their future prospects through the grades you help them achieve and the values you share with them.
As a specialist, you'll inspire students to develop a passion for your subject. You'll give them the skills and knowledge needed to tackle increasingly complex content and maybe even motivate them to pursue your subject beyond school.
In addition to the personal rewards of teaching secondary, there are practical benefits too, including:
- a competitive salary starting at £31k (or higher in London)
- a secure pension
- more holiday days than people in many other professions
- opportunities for progression
Teaching young people and seeing them develop confidence and skills is a privilege. The fact that I continue to love the subject I teach has meant that I have never grown weary of doing what I do.
What you'll teach
Pupils start secondary school in England when they’re 11. Throughout secondary school, pupils will be taught by subject specialists and will gain increasingly greater independence over their own learning.
As a secondary school teacher, you'll train as a subject specialist and teach the agreed curriculum for your subject.
Find out more about some of the subjects you could teach at secondary school.
Key stages
In England, groups of years at school are broken in blocks called key stages. There are 3 key stages in secondary education, starting at key stage 3.
Key stage 3 (KS3)
KS3 includes years 7 to 9, with children aged 11 to 14. In KS3 pupils will be exposed to a broad curriculum. At the end of KS3, pupils will have some choice over the subjects they want to continue studying.
Based on the national curriculum, in KS3, pupils will be taught a range of compulsory subjects including:
- English
- maths
- science
- history
- geography
- modern foreign languages (French, German, Spanish)
- design and technology
- art and design
- music
- physical education
- citizenship
- computing
Religious education and relationships, sex and health education are also compulsory for all state-funded schools.
Key stage 4 (KS4)
KS4 includes years 10 and 11, with pupils aged 14 to 16. During KS4, most pupils work towards GCSEs or another national qualification. Some subjects are still compulsory at this age but pupils have some choice over other subjects. In KS4 pupils will learn subjects in greater depth and become more specialised.
Based on the national curriculum, compulsory subjects in KS4 include:
- English
- maths
- science
- computing
- physical education
- citizenship
Pupils can then choose from a range of subjects offered by the school. Maintained schools must offer at least 1 subject from each of these areas:
- arts (art and design, music, dance, drama)
- design and technology
- humanities (history and geography)
- modern foreign languages
Religious education and relationships, sex and health education are also compulsory for all state-funded schools.
Key stage 5 (KS5)
KS5 includes years 12 and 13, with students aged 16 to 18 studying at secondary schools with sixth forms, or at colleges.
Most students in KS5 will be working towards A levels, T Levels or other equivalent qualifications. At this age, students are given the opportunity to follow their own interests. The subjects and qualifications they choose will impact what they can apply for at university, and whether they would be well placed to pursue apprenticeships or start skilled employment.
If you're interested in teaching young people and adults over 16 who are not studying for a degree, then teaching in further education might be for you.
Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
All initial teacher training courses cover teaching pupils with SEND. Whether you train to teach in mainstream schools, special schools, or both, you’ll teach pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and learn how to support their needs.
Once you have gained qualified teacher status (QTS), you can choose to specialise in teaching and nurturing pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in a more SEND-focused role.
Start your journey into teaching secondary
Check your qualifications
To train to teach secondary in England, you'll need:
- GCSEs at grade 4 (C) or above in English and maths
- a bachelor's degree in any subject
Find out about the qualifications needed to teach.
Fund your teacher training
Depending on the subject you choose to teach, you could be eligible for a bursary or scholarship. Check what funding is available for your subject.
Even if you've had financial support for a previous course, you could still be eligible for funding to support your teacher training.
You may also be able to get extra funding and support if you're:
- a parent or carer
- disabled
- a veteran
Find out how you can fund your teacher training.
In teaching, you see young people grow into mature adults. It’s an incredible feeling to know you’ve played a part in shaping their futures.
Get school experience
To help you decide if you want to start teacher training, you can get school experience.
Spending a few days in the classroom can help you find out what teaching is really like and give you the confidence to know it's the right career for you.
Apply for a paid internship
If you're currently doing an undergraduate or master's degree and are interested in chemistry, computing, languages, maths or physics, you could apply for a paid teaching internship.
The 3-week programme could help you to understand what it's really like in the classroom and get a feel for school life.
Support with teacher training
Throughout your initial teacher training, you'll have the support of a mentor.
Your mentor will:
- guide you through your training, sharing learning and career development opportunities with you
- meet with you regularly to make sure your training is a positive experience
You'll also be part of a welcoming school community where you'll learn from fellow teachers through taught sessions, seminars and workshops.
Once you've completed your initial teacher training, you'll continue to be supported during your first 2 years of teaching. Find out what support you'll get as an early career teacher.
Get free one-to-one support
An adviser with years of teaching experience can help you to become a teacher. Chat by phone, text, or email as little or often as you need.
Find out more about advisers