When children turn 4 they are eligible to start school in the September before they are 5 years old. Before this as parents it’s your job to look for a school for them to attend. When picking a primary school there are many factors to take into consideration before settling on a school:- Catchment area – Most schools have a catchment area that they will take children from, so before setting your heart on a particular school always check first that you are in the correct catchment area. Ofsted reports – If you go online to Ofsted’s homepage you can search for any school or nursery and bring up details of their last Ofsted inspection and their results as well as feedback from parents and comments from the inspector. This... Read More »
With classroom sizes increasing year on year, the ranges of abilities of the students is widening making it increasingly difficult for a teacher to carry out a lesson that is suitable for all. There can be children within two different school years in the same class and the level of knowledge and understanding that they have can mean that one structured lesson is simply not adequate. The class needs to be divided in to small groups based on their individual abilities and then separate tasks assigned to each of these groups. This can make lesson planning harder but will give each pupil the best chance in being able to learn at a pace that is suitable to them. If you have a classroom assistant, it is often advised that you... Read More »
Currently there is a great demand for supply teachers. Certain areas of the country, in particular, are screaming out for teachers that are willing to do supply to cover either sick / maternity leave or PPA time. There are many benefits to supply teaching that can attract someone to the post. The wages are generally higher for supply teachers than that of full time permanent staff. Although the work is not guaranteed you can often ear the same wage in three days as a supply teachers as you would in five days as a permanent teacher. Having the flexibility to pick and choose which days you want to work is a massive plus point for many teachers. It may be that they do not want to work full time but... Read More »
Starting out in a new classroom as a teacher or pupil can be extremely daunting. If you are a pupil, then you may worry about if you will fit in, what the other children will think about you and if you will like your new teacher. For a teacher you can often worry about similar issues. Often one of teacher’s main concerns is will they have good control of the classroom and be able to get the children to learn what they need to. If you have a teaching assistant in the class it is always a good idea to approach them before hand and get to know them. Not only will they be your ally when it comes to classroom activities but they may also be able to give... Read More »
To become a teacher you need to have a passion for learning and take pride in what you do. You also need to be disciplined and have a strong character as there may be times when you are really tested. Teaching is not an easy job and is not suitable for everyone. It can take years of studying and once qualified, can be hard to find the right school for you. But saying all of that, it is certainly a very rewarding job with lots of benefits. The pay of a teacher is quite good and you normally have the option to move up the pay scale if you do well. There is also the added bonus of paid sick and holiday leave, long school holidays, pensions / maternity /... Read More »
