Teacher CV example for secondary schools in England

Application form first, CV second

Most maintained schools, academies and local authorities in England recruit through an application form with a supporting statement, not a CV alone. The form asks for a full employment history, so any gap can be followed up. Some schools and trusts accept a CV alongside the form, and independent schools and agencies often ask for one.

Write a CV anyway, and keep it current. It is where you work out your strongest evidence before you start filling in boxes, and it is the version you hand to an agency or take to interview. Think of it as the source that the form and supporting statement are built from.

What goes at the top

Your name, contact details, and one line that tells a head of department what you teach: "Secondary science teacher (physics specialist), QTS". Qualified teacher status is a legal requirement to teach in many schools in England, so shortlisters look for it first. Academies and free schools can employ teachers without QTS, but most still ask for it, and it belongs in the headline if you have it.

Under that, write a short profile: how many years you have taught, in what kind of school, which key stages and courses, your main responsibility, and what post you want next. Gareth's profile names the job he is applying for, which stops it reading like a general statement about loving teaching.

Subjects, key stages and courses

Be exact. "Science teacher" leaves a physics head of department wondering whether you can teach their specialism at GCSE. Say which subjects you teach at which key stage: KS3 science, GCSE combined science, GCSE physics, A level physics. If you teach outside your specialism, say so, because schools with staffing gaps value it. Mention the exam specifications you know if the advert names one, and any experience with vocational science courses.

Writing about results honestly

Results are where teacher CVs go wrong most often. A pass rate with no context tells a head very little, and invented or rounded-up figures can be checked against school data at reference stage. Describe what you taught and how the group did against its targets or starting points, in words you could back up at interview.

Results are not the only evidence of good teaching. A curriculum you rewrote, a revision programme you planned from mock data, a behaviour approach you introduced for a difficult group, or a club that got more students choosing your subject all show impact. Say what you did and what changed.

Responsibilities beyond the classroom

This section often decides who gets an interview for a middle leadership post. List each responsibility with enough detail to show its size: a teaching and learning responsibility, second in department, key stage lead, exam officer liaison, form tutor, trip leader, club organiser. Mentoring is valued highly. New teachers in England complete a statutory induction as early career teachers, supported by a mentor, and a school needs experienced staff who can do that job well.

Safeguarding, DBS and professional standards

Teaching means working with children, so the school will usually request a DBS check before you start. On the CV, list your safeguarding training and when it was last updated, and mention any designated safeguarding lead or deputy role. Some teachers note the date of their most recent DBS certificate. You do not need to give the certificate number.

The Teachers' Standards set the minimum requirements for teachers' practice and conduct in England, and schools use them when assessing trainees, early career teachers and performance. You do not need to quote them on your CV. They are useful when you write the supporting statement, because many heads read that against the standards and the person specification together.

From CV to supporting statement

Take the person specification and put each criterion next to the CV line that proves it. Where a criterion has no match, you have found either a gap to address in the statement or something you forgot to put on the CV. Then write the statement in paragraphs that follow the specification in order, expanding two or three CV lines into short examples: what the class or department needed, what you did, and what happened. Keep it to the length the school asks for.

Trainee or early career teacher?

If you are finishing teacher training, your placements are your teaching experience. Give each school a line with its type and age range, the key stages you taught and one thing you did that you are proud of, such as a unit you planned or a group you supported. Put your degree and training route above everything else except the profile, and say whether you have been recommended for QTS. Tutoring, youth work, cover supervisor and teaching assistant roles all count.

What heads of department look for when shortlisting

• The right subject and key stages, stated in the first few lines.
• QTS, or a clear date when it will be awarded.
• A full, continuous employment history, with any gaps explained.
• Evidence of good teaching that goes beyond a list of duties.
• Something you would bring to the department or school: a club, a curriculum strength, experience with a particular group of students.
• Referees, usually including your current headteacher or line manager.

Teacher pay in England

The National Careers Service gives an average of £34,000 for a starting secondary school teacher and £53,000 for an experienced one. Pay in maintained schools in England follows the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document, and many academies set their own scales, so check the advert for the range and any responsibility allowance.