Please browse our Frequently Asked Questions for advice and information:
1. I am an Overseas Trained Teacher, how do I get a teaching job in the borough?
2. I am a teacher from a country within the EEA. Do I need to gain UK QTS?
3. Can I teach in a school without Qualified Teacher Status?
4. Can you help me find a placement for the GTP programme?
5. I am interested in supply teaching within the borough. How do I go about this?
6. Do you offer specific recruitment schemes for NQTs?
7. I am interested in leadership posts within Hounslow Schools – what kind of support can I expect?
8. I am interested in moving from secondary to primary teaching – do I need to re-qualify?
9. I am a teacher in a Hounslow school. Can you help me find a property to buy in the area?
10. Do I need any qualifications or experience to work as a Teaching Assistant?
11. How do I become a School Business Manager?
12. Do I need a CRB check to work in a school?
13. I want to work as a teacher in a Hounslow school but I need a Certificate of Sponsorship / work permit – can you help me with this?
14. Can members of school staff, other than Teachers, get Certificates of Sponsorship?
15. I need a flexible part-time role. How can I find work in a school as a Mid-day Supervisor or as catering staff in a school?
16. Can you help me find work in an Independent (private) School or as a Lecturer in a Further Education College?
1. I am an Overseas Trained Teacher, how do I get a teaching job in the borough?
As an Overseas Trained Teacher (OTT) there are some procedures that you will need to follow when applying to a vacancy in the UK and also some advice, which is beneficial for you.
One of the first things you will need to do is contact UK NARIC on (+44)(0)870 990 4088 www.naric.org.uk . They are an independent organisation that will look at your current qualifications and tell you their equivalent of here in the UK. They will be able to tell you if you have UK QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) or if you have UK degree level. Unfortunately, if you trained in a country outside of the EEA your qualifications may not be recognised completely.
If you do not have QTS but your qualification shows you to be qualified to UK degree level or above (graduate) then you may still apply for positions and be appointed (both fixed-term contract and supply) although UK NARIC will also need to have recognised the teaching qualification you obtained in your country of origin. However, you will only be able to teach for up to 4 years unqualified, before you will need to gain QTS otherwise you will not be permitted to carry on teaching. This 4-year time period starts from your first day of teaching in a UK school and does not stop with any breaks in employment.
Once you have gained QTS you will also be paid on a higher scale and find more jobs open to you, so it is in your interests to gain QTS as soon as possible. The West London Partnership run a course for OTTs who do not have UK QTS - where you can work in a school and teach at the same time as studying to gain UK QTS. Their website with all the details is www.wlp.ac.uk
You may also need Sponsership / a Work Permit to work within our schools (subject to UK entry status) – please make sure that any school that employs you are aware of this. You should familiarise yourself with the new Points-Based System / Work Permits procedure and Leave to Remain by visiting www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk as it is your own responsibility once employed, to ensure your working status stays valid for legal employment.
Please visit our Routes Into Teaching pages and Vacancies page for more information.
2. I am a teacher from a country within the EEA. Do I need to gain UK QTS?
Teachers from the EU, EEA and Switzerland enjoy the right to have their qualifications recognised within the UK. Teachers from these areas should contact the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) and obtain an EC1 form. Once completed the GTC will assess your qualifications and if approved will award you UK Qualified Teacher Status. The GTC can be contacted on 0870 001 0308 or by visiting www.gtce.org.uk
3. Can I teach in a school without Qualified Teacher Status?
Unqualified teachers, whether educated to degree level within or outside of the UK, may only teach unqualified within state-maintained schools for a maximum of 4 years. After this duration, they will not be permitted to legally work as a teacher until they have gained UK QTS. The 4-year period starts with the first day of teaching within a UK school and does not stop with any breaks in teaching employment. Once qualified, teachers will also find more vacancies open to them and be paid on the higher qualified pay scale( the Teacher Recruitment Team advises all schools to employ qualified teachers wherever possible). We strongly advise all unqualified teachers to gain UK QTS via one of the many routes as soon as possible in order to carry on teaching as a legal requirement.
Please visit our Routes Into Teaching pages for more information.
4. Can you help me find a placement for the GTP programme?
The Graduate Trainee Programme requires you to first find a work placement within a school that is willing to support you for the duration of the course, before you can proceed in your application. Due to the sheer volume of applicants we unfortunately cannot find a placement for you – you will need to approach the schools in your local area for this yourself.
We recommend that prior to this you try to gain the required minimum classroom experience for the programme – as a means to familiarise yourself with the teaching environment and with which to help Headteachers get to know you better. Please visit Schools and Teacher Support Section.
5. I am interested in supply teaching within the borough. How do I go about this?
For further information about how we manage supply staff in our schools please view our Supply Staff page.
You may also approach schools directly yourself should you wish and agree with the school the relevant terms of pay and appointment, should they have a vacancy to which you are appointed. In this instance, the Local Authority HR team is happy to draw up a contract to reflect a direct agreement of employment between a supply member of staff and a school.
6. Do you offer specific recruitment schemes for NQTs?
Yes we run a NQT Primary Pool and NQT Secondary Database for those completing their studies and who will want to start their Induction Year the following September. Please visit our NQTs section for more information.
7. I am interested in leadership posts within Hounslow Schools – what kind of support can I expect?
Hounslow supports fully its Assistant/Deputy and Headteachers through the entire recruitment process and into their induction in our borough. We have a whole host of support and mentoring schemes to provide the kind of strategic development that will help to familiarise you with the borough, in your new role. Please visit our Senior Leadership pages for more information or click here to learn more about what we can offer prospective and exisiting school leaders.
8. I am interested in moving from secondary to primary teaching – do I need to re-qualify?
There is no regulation that prevents you working as a primary teacher; the same would apply if you were primary trained and applying for a secondary post and it is not necessary to re-qualify or go on to a conversion course. However, you may want to get some experience within the primary environment first in order to familiarise yourself, ease your transition into the classroom and help with your application to primary vacancies. We recommend that you approach the schools in your area for help with this and request some observation experience with them. Contact details of schools are available in our School and Teacher Support section.
9. I am a teacher in a Hounslow school. Can you help me find a property to buy in the area?
As a teacher you are classed as a 'Keyworker' by the Government, meaning that there are a number of assisted housing schemes you can partake in, whether you wish to buy or rent a property. Please visit our Housing page for more information about the Central Government schemes, the additional schemes Hounslow can offer you and advice for finding a property.
10. Do I need any qualifications or experience to work as a Teaching Assistant?
The majority of schools will ask for some form of classroom experience and expertise in order to work as a Teaching Assistant or Learning Support Assistant. You will also need to demonstrate a competent level of numeracy, literacy and English Language skills. An increasing number of schools will also ask for applicants to have NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Supporting Teaching and Learning, based on the National Occupational Standards. The Local Authority offers training, support and professional development for Teaching Assistants and Higher Level Teaching Assistants. Where a Teaching Assistant position may specialise in a particular area of teaching or the curriculum (such as SEN) then you will need to demonstrate the skills to work in this area. For more information about roles which support teaching and learning, please see our School Support Staff section.
In order to gain UK classroom experience, we suggest approaching schools in your area directly and requesting observational or voluntary work in the classroom. Most schools should be able to assist you with this, although this will depend on their current staffing structure and individual school policy. Vacancies for Teaching Assistant and Learning Support Assistants are currently advertised on www.hounslow.gov.uk and www.schoolsrecruitment,dcsf,gov.uk
11. How do I become a School Business Manager?
To become a School Business Manager, or a School Administrator, you will need to have a good level of administrative experience. Vacancies for school office and clerical staff are currently advertised on www.hounslow.gov.uk and www.schoolsrecruitment.dcsf.gov.uk
If you currently work in a school and wish to develop you career to become a School Business Manager, there are a number of qualifications that can help you with this. Please see our School Support Staff section (LINK) for more information.
12. Do I need a CRB check to work in a school?
All members of staff who work in schools and in particular those who spend time mainly or directly with children or young people, will need to undergo an Criminal Records Bureau Check (CRB). These positions are deemed ‘regulated positions’. CRBs and List 99 checks are gradually being merged and replaced by the Independent Safeguarding Authority Check (ISA).
Any roles in a school, such as teaching, which involves direct contact with children, will require an Enhanced CRB / ISA Check and are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and all subsequent amendments (England and Wales). This means that all criminal convictions, cautions or bind-overs need to be declared when applying for a role, including those which may have otherwise been “spent”. Should you be banned, disqualified or be subject to any conditions regarding working with children and young people, you will need to declare this also at application stage. Failure to fulfil these requirements / provide false information may be a criminal offence and will also disqualify you from being considered for the role or lead to dismissal.
Once you have been offered a job in a school, the Local Authority will draw up a conditional contract, request references and a CRB / ISA check for you. All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and CRB / ISA clearance and you will not be permitted to start work without these. For more information please see http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/faqs/applicants.aspx or call the LA HR team on 020 8583 2681.
13. I want to work as a teacher in a Hounslow school but I need a Certificate of Sponsorship / work permit – can you help me with this?
If you have secured a teaching post in one of our schools and require a work permit / visa, then the Local Authority will be able to assist you. On request from the school, we are able to generate Certificates of Sponsorship under Tier 2 (General) of the Points-Based System, provided by the UK Border and Immigration Agency. Certificates of Sponsorship replaced the old work permit system in 2009. Once you have this Certificate, you will be able to use this to either apply for Entry Clearance to the UK or Further Leave to Remain and once these have been granted, you will be permitted to start work.
This process and permission for you to work, is subject to conditions regarding your existing status in the UK and the nature of the teaching/school position that you have applied for. If you are in doubt, please go to http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/tier2 or speak to your Headteacher.
14. Can members of school staff, other than Teachers, get Certificates of Sponsorship?
Many posts in schools will not be eligible for Certificates of Sponsorship as it may be possible for a school to appoint someone who already has the right to work in the UK. This includes some teaching posts, subject to conditions set down by the UK Border and Immigration Agency. Specialist positions or roles that are deemed shortage professions may still be eligible under Tier 2 (General).
To find out about the different kind of roles that are covered by the Points Based System please visit: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/
15. I need a flexible part-time role. How can I find work in a school as a Mid-day Supervisor or as catering staff in a school?
Mid-Day Supervisors, Catering Staff, Caretakers and other school service management roles are currently advertised on www.hounslow.gov.uk and www.schoolsrecruitment.dcsf.gov.uk You may also find these roles advertised in the local press and on individual school websites. To find out more about these roles please go to our Schools Support Staff section.
16. Can you help me find work in an Independent (private) School or as a Lecturer in a Further Education College?
Unfortunately, we do not deal with working in Independent Schools, Further Education or Higher Education colleges. We are only able to provide information about working and developing your career in Hounslow’s Primary, Secondary and Special Education state-maintained schools. If you are interested in work in a college or private school, you will need to visit the individual establishment’s websites for more information.