If you are enthusiastic and determined, and aspire to become an excellent teacher then we would love to hear from you. We look for the following key personal qualities:
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A positive attitude & commitment to working with young people. Teachers must have a genuine and realistic enthusiasm for working with children and young people, treating them with dignity, being able to build relationships rooted in mutual respect, whilst at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to their professional position.
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A passion for your subject and for delivering first class education. While we look for candidates with a deep understanding and knowledge of their subjects, it is equally important that this expertise is paired with enthusiasm. Your passion for your subject as a teacher is infectious; passionate teachers can hugely inspire young people and make a real difference. Our trainees and teacher play a huge part in furthering our vision of improving the life chances of our students through outstanding education.
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Excellent interpersonal, communication, organisation and time-management skills. Speaking, listening, and communicating are fundamental to a teacher’s role. As a teacher you need to use standard English grammar, clear pronunciation, and vocabulary relevant to the situation to convey instructions, questions, information, concepts, and ideas with clarity. Writing by teachers will be seen by colleagues, pupils, and parents and, as such, it is important that a teacher’s writing reflects the high standards of accuracy their professional role demands. The role of a teacher is complex and busy, with many competing demands; this requires excellent organisational and time management abilities, and you need to be able to work effectively as part of a team.
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A creative and innovative approach. The ability to find new ways to engage and enthuse your students, as well and the ability to develop your own knowledge and practice, are essential to a progressive and successful career in teaching.
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The ability to be reflective and improve your practice, and an eagerness to learn. Feedforward and development are key focusses of the teacher training programme. Trainees are encouraged to reflect on and look critically at their practice in order to identify areas for development and accept and absorb feedforward from their mentors. This, combined with a natural enthusiasm for learning, will ensure that your development is ongoing as you progress through the course on your way to becoming an exceptional teacher. Excellent teaching comes from more than just subject knowledge and expertise. The best teachers are hungry to continue learning themselves.
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The resilience, energy and stamina to thrive in a challenging environment. Training to teach, and teaching, is hard. While helpful and constructive, not all the feedback you receive as a trainee will be positive.. The workload is intense, and you will be juggling multiple demands. Your students may face challenging circumstances that manifest in the classroom and you will need to develop the techniques and skills to manage these. You will need emotional strength to manage this, and the ability to remain positive and optimistic in the face of setbacks. As tough as this may sound, the rewards of teaching make these challenges so worth it. Trainee wellbeing is a high priority and our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way.
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High standards of personal and professional conduct. A good teacher needs to maintain high standards in ethics and behaviour both within and outside school and uphold public trust in the profession. Tolerance, mutual respect, and upholding fundamental British values are essential characteristics that all teachers must show.
