Primary Teacher

Also known as:

Teacher, Primary School

Introduction

Primary teachers work with children aged between 3 and 12. Most subjects are taught to one mixed ability class. The work includes preparing lessons, marking work, writing reports, and attending meetings and parents' evenings.

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Work Activities

Primary school teachers teach children aged between 3 and 12 (or a limited age group within this range). They usually teach most subjects to one class of children of roughly the same age but with widely differing interests and abilities. 'Mixed ability' groups require a variety of teaching methods, enabling the children to learn at different speeds.

Primary teachers often use small group work, projects and learning through experience as well as more traditional teaching sessions. They devise lessons to encourage and develop a variety of skills. Teachers may also use audio-visual materials and computers to stimulate interest and learning.

Other activities include preparing lessons, marking written work, writing reports, and attending staff meetings and parents' evenings.

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Personal Qualities and Skills

As a teacher, you need to be an effective communicator so you can establish a good working relationship with your students. However, not all students will respond positively so you will need to use discipline to maintain order.

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Pay and Opportunities

Teachers in Scotland are paid on a national salary scale. The starting annual salary for a probationer teacher in 2007 will be £19,878. The top of the scale for unpromoted teachers will be £31,707. There is an additional allowance if you teach in a remote area.

A chartered teacher will earn up to £38,868 and a head teacher will earn from £39,207 upwards, depending on the size of school.

In the private sector salaries are similar or higher, though they are sometimes linked to state sector pay scales.

Teachers normally work a 35 hour week. However, most teachers work extra hours: marking work, preparing lessons and so on. In Scotland, a maximum classroom contact time of 22.5 hours per week is being phased in.

There are opportunities throughout the UK in both the state and private education sectors. There may also be opportunities to teach overseas.

Vacancies are advertised on local authority vacancy sheets and websites and in the local and national press: The Scotsman, The Herald, The Guardian, The Times Educational Supplement Scotland and The Teacher.

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Adult Opportunities

It is now illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Relevant work experience is frequently expected, either within a school as a volunteer classroom assistant or equivalent work with children.

If you don't have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree course, a college or university Access course (eg, Access to Teaching) could be the way in.

These courses are designed for people who haven't followed the usual routes into higher education. No formal qualifications are usually needed, but you should check this with individual colleges.

They can lead to relevant degree courses.

• 24% of primary and early years teachers work part-time.
• 12% of employees work on a temporary basis.

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