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?
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.westlondonpartnership.co.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/workingintheuk/ as it is your own responsibility once employed, to ensure your working status stays valid for legal employment.
PLEASE NOTE: The Points-Based Sponsership System will come into affect from 27th November 2008 for all new entrants to the UK and for existing entrants once their current work permit has expired. The system will eventually completly replace the current Work Permit scheme. For more information on how this affects you please go to the link above.
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?
Hounslow works with Teaching Personnel as administrator, to provide the Hounslow LEA Gateway - a supply service for all schools and teachers across the borough. For further information please view our Supply Teaching page or visit www.hounslowleagateway.com
You may also approach schools directly yourself should you wish though we advise all teachers to approach the Gateway.
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.