Being a Primary Teacher

Moving from Trainee to NQT

Bronwen Cullum

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN:
  9781000038231
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Being a Primary Teacher provides key advice on preparing for and undertaking final placements, securing the first teaching post and getting ready for the first class, through to the first year of teaching. Throughout the book, Bronwen Cullum draws on her years of experience teaching in primary schools and in a university working with trainee teachers to provide guidance and support for teachers.

Divided into three parts, the book explores the various challenges that those learning to be teachers face in the early stages of their career. It includes numerous practical examples, useful resources and templates as well as check lists at the end of each chapter. The chapters explore essential topics including:

• applying for a job and preparing for interviews;
• building and managing relationships in the classroom and with staff;
• the transition from training to the first job as a primary school teacher;
• preparation for the progress of children;
• looking after yourself.

This book is an essential read for trainees and newly qualified teachers wanting to enhance their professional development and maximise their potential so that they can fully enjoy the profession of teaching.

PART 1

Applying for your first job and final school placement

CHAPTER 1

Applying for a job and the interview

This chapter should help you to:

■think carefully about the jobs you apply for;

■understand the importance of the initial visit to the school;

■prepare for letters of application for your first teaching post;

■prepare for an interview;

■think about key elements to include in an observed lesson;

■be aware of your digital footprint in preparation for an interview;

■be prepared when finding out whether you have got the job.

Introduction

This chapter aims to help you prepare as much as possible in advance of starting the final placement so that if job opportunities arise during placement, you know you will have put in the groundwork. It would be a shame to miss out on a job opportunity because you have not got the time whilst on placement to prepare. Of course, job opportunities can often arise before trainee teachers have even started their final school placement and this is the reason that this chapter is situated at the beginning of the book. If you do find yourself applying for a job before final placement, do read through the chapters in the first part of the book as they should help you prepare for the interview by highlighting key aspects of practice that you will need to draw on.

Thinking carefully about the jobs you apply for

It is really easy to feel as though you should apply for just about every job going in the area in which you want to teach for fear of not getting a job. In addition, it can seem a worry when other trainee teachers are getting jobs and you have not got one yet but it is really important that you apply for a job that suits you, both in terms of the age range you want to teach as well as the type of school you wish to teach in. Think of all the factors that make schools different and think about what potentially is right for you. If, for example, you apply for a single form entry school, you will not have the support of planning with others but you might relish the thought of the freedom of planning by yourself.

The values that schools hold should be evident on their web site. Have a look and think about whether you hold the same values and whether you feel comfortable promoting the school’s values. This is particularly important when applying for a job in a faith school if you do not believe in the particular faith of the school. This is something that can always be explored with the headteacher. Many teachers who do not believe in the faith of the school in which they teach do successfully integrate into the ethos of the school. Only you will know whether you will feel comfortable with the expectations of the school, so do explore what these are.

The most current Ofsted report should also be on the school web site. Do not just look at the grade of the report but look at the content. The school may not have received a grade of ‘good’ because of an area of concern in a particular Key Stage, whilst the job opportunity is in a Key Stage where the practice is at least good. If the school has areas of concern, they may be looking for competent newly qualified teachers who can help turn the school around and there may be many new staff starting at the school, including new leadership. If it is a school that you are really interested in but you are concerned about the Ofsted report, do ring the school and ask to speak to the headteacher.

If the job is advertised as a vacancy for a primary teacher and you particularly want to work with a particular Key Stage, ring up and ask the headteacher which year group the job is for. There can potentially be quite a bit of movement of staff in a school at the end of the academic year with teachers retiring or getting new jobs so do make sure you will be working in an age range of your preference.

When applying for jobs you also need to think about the location of the school. If it is in the area in which you live, you need to be aware that you are highly likely to meet children and their parents/carers at weekends and in the evenings. Some teachers are fine with this and like being part of the local community whilst others like to have a little space between their work place and their home. Equally you need to consider the amount of time you are prepared to travel to and from work. The importance of a work/life balance is really crucial, so this is something that you will need to consider carefully.

The initial visit to the school

This visit cannot be underestimated and must be treated as part of the interview process. It is really important that you do try to visit the school and it is best to do this before writing the letter of application. You are looking to see if the school is right for you, so you do not want to waste time writing a letter of application that you will not use. It is always best to visit during the school day so that you can get a real feel for the school. Visiting during school hours may not always be possible when you are on your final placement; if this is the case then you may have to visit after school hours. Before the visit you should have looked at the school web site to glean as much information as possible about the school. Try to find out something that is special about the school; maybe they promote a creative curriculum or maybe their sports teams are really successful. Make sure you have something positive to say about the school when you visit to demonstrate your knowledge and interest in the school.

Dress for the visit as if you are going for an interview. First impressions are really important. Always shake hands when you are introduced to someone and smile. If you are in a group with other potential candidates you need to make sure you present yourself as confident and make sure you demonstrate that you are interested in what you are being shown. Ask questions and make comments on things you see, for instance, a lovely display. However, just be careful that you are not speaking too much: it is a fine balance between being interested and not being too vocal.

Whenever I have shown candidates around a school, I have been interested in how they interact with children in the classes. I may stop and spend a little longer in 1 class. Here I would be looking at what the candidates do. It is always a good sign when candidates get down to the level of the children and ask them about what they are learning. Get involved and do not hang back. Thank the te...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• PART 1 Applying for your first job and final school placement
• PART 2 The transition phase: The transition from training to your first job as a primary school teacher
• PART 3 The first year of teaching