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Original poster

Do you need to be a qualified teacher to teach in a private school?

48 replies

purplefeet · 17/06/2011 09:03

I'm thinking of changing career and becoming a teacher, haven't worked out exactly how to do this yet, but someone told me that you don't have to have any teaching qualifications to teach in a private school. Is this correct?

TIA

OP posts:

MmeBlueberry · 19/06/2011 17:30

They might have been polite and affable, but did they actually offer you a job?

cumbria81 · 20/06/2011 09:48

My friend teaches Maths in quite a prestigious private school down south. He got the job straight from Univeristy (Oxford, admittedly) without any teaching experience. He is a good teacher. I think that you can either teach or you can't and a piece of paper doesn't make much difference.

IndigoBell · 20/06/2011 09:57

Teach First would agree

Don't they only have 6 weeks training?

IndigoBell · 20/06/2011 09:58

OP - That's your answer! Apply to teach first......

trixie123 · 20/06/2011 10:53

the private school I work in will take unqualified staff and then get them to do a GTP in the second year. gives everyone a chance to see if it suits. Candidates have to teach a lesson at interview so you get a pretty good idea of their classroom presence. Other stuff can be taught, but that air of authority is either there or not.

meditrina · 20/06/2011 10:59

Independent schools can employ who they want.

But I think it's very rare for them to employ non-qualified staff unless it's in the early stages of a recognised classroom-based training programme, or in a niche (like sports teachers who have coaching rather than teaching qualifications, or music with a licentiate).

From the parents perspective, schools normally publish or readily make available staff lists which show qualifications, so it's easy to see what is going on in any particular school.

Lemonsole · 20/06/2011 16:48

I teach in an independent school, and LOADS of my colleagues do not have a teaching qualification. The poster who said, "I pay £10,000 a year; of course they're qualified" is rather naive.

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 20/06/2011 18:04

My neighbour is a language teacher at a good local private boarding school (£25k fees) with just an honours degree and no teaching qualifications. He got his first teaching job at the private school where his dad was the HT. He hates Saturday school and would love to move but can only work in the private sector. So, it can be a case of who you know, rather than what you know!

Bue · 20/06/2011 21:33

I agree with Lemonsole - everyone saying they doubt an indie would take on an unqualified teacher may be in for a reality check. DH teaches at a well-known public school and loads of the teachers aren't qualified. It actually tends to be a slight bone of contention with those who are qualified, and I can't say I think it's best practice, but it is the reality in independent schools.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 20/06/2011 22:05

All my colleagues are qualified, the school publishes a list of staff qualifications for parents to see.

Jonnyfan · 20/06/2011 22:08

I think you may find that top public schools do not always ask for a teaching qualification but do require teachers to be very well qualified otherwise, but private day schools that need to be competitive WILL want teachers to be qualified. It's a sort of "we do what we like cos we know what we are doing and if you don't like it don't join" attitude whilst day schools have more of an eye on what parents are looking for.
Everyone at my indie is qualified. All the teachers at my childrens' school were too. The poster who thinks we are naive to expect this underestimates our ability to read the staff list and examine the qualifications of those listed.

Jonnyfan · 20/06/2011 22:09

Hello Endoplasm! We think alike!

jbcbj · 20/06/2011 22:19

I haven't read all the threads, but no, you do not have to have a teaching qualification to teach in a private school. I didn't have one when I started (and very little life experience either), although I did do the GTP in my first year. Two of the private schools in which I taught regularly employed non-qualified teachers. I can confirm though that being thrown into teaching with no training is really rather scary...

It's one of my personal irritations, actually, all this govt talk of future teachers having to have a 2:2 or above; these non-qualified teachers were employed generally because they had brilliant degrees or phd's from top universities and this did not necessarily make them fab teachers (some were, of course, some were not), whereas two of the best teachers I know have 3rds.

Sorry, off topic. But the answer is no - no qualification necessary.

Jonnyfan · 20/06/2011 22:21

You won't get into mine without!

veritythebrave · 20/06/2011 22:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wordfactory · 21/06/2011 09:04

I like the fact that independent schools can employ who they want which might mean some teachers do not have formal teaching quals from the UK.

I am a governor at a state school and we wish we had the flexibility sometimes...

Amaretti · 21/06/2011 09:13

Missmiss - is it classics?

missmiss · 21/06/2011 09:34

Amaretti - how did you guess?!

breatheslowly · 21/06/2011 09:37

I taught in a private school and lots of the staff didn't have teaching qualifications (and not just the older staff). They were paid just as much as the qualified staff (which I wasn't very impressed by as I had just spend a year doing my PGCE only to be paid the same as a straight university leaver). Non-qualified teachers were found in all subjects. It wasn't a very impressive school though.

I also have a friend who teaches in a private school (top 10 in league tables) and isn't qualified. She does have a PhD.

I have no idea how people go straight into the classroom without training. I found my training essential.

LadyPeterWimsey · 21/06/2011 09:45

I've taught in a number of private schools (with a teaching qualification) but know that even at very highly regarded and expensive schools there are a number of teachers there who do not have a formal qualification. Do not assume that because you are paying £25,000pa that your children's teachers will have a PGCE or BEd.

Having said that, if you are a bad teacher, you won't last long there whatever your qualifications and I would have been very happy for those teachers to teach my children. They were usually employed because they were very well-qualified in and passionate about their subject, and could bring other skills and experience along - Olympic level rower, etc.

mateysmum · 21/06/2011 09:59

My nephew who has just completed his finals at Oxford (and is predicted a 1st) has been offered a teaching job at a well regarded independent school on the edge of London. They say they will "train him on the job". Not sure if that could mean PGCE or just skills training.

Bue · 21/06/2011 10:19

mateysmum, that probably means they will give him the option of doing the GTP (graduate teacher program). That is how lots of teachers in independent schools become qualified.

Amaretti · 21/06/2011 13:46

My son has really enjoyed classics this year (7)

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