If you want to prepare to Teach In London, Vibe’s New Enquiry Manager Cameron (read about him here) shares some of his tips to make this happen smoothly. To make sure you can start work, earn money and experience Vibe’s awesome London schools ASAP, read on or check out the video at the bottom of the page!
Identity Check
It’s the first and (possibly) most important! We need to sight, in hard copy, a proof of identity document. Normally, this is a passport, drivers licence, or other official ID. Most people use their passport for this one.
Hot Tip: Check the document’s expiry date – we can’t accept old ID’s!
Right To Work In The UK
To be eligible for teaching jobs in London you need to have the right to work in the UK! If you have a British or European passport, you’re covered! However, if you are from elsewhere, we need to see a copy of another work entitlement document. For most people this is your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
Hot Tip: It is unlikely a school will sponsor a teacher unless they have already worked in the UK for a significant time. Save yourself some time and check out the uk.gov website to make sure you can obtain a valid visa before you start looking for work in London.
Qualifications Needed To Teach
Prepare to teach in London by making sure you have a degree recognised in the UK and then apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). It’s essential that we sight an original or certified copy of this qualification.
If you have an Australian, New Zealand, Canadian, South African or United States teaching qualification you are classed as an Overseas Trained Teacher (OTT) so can teach for up to four years without having to obtain QTS. Lucky you ?
Hot Tip: Check if your qualification is recognised in the UK with NARIC here. To apply for QTS see here.
Read Ashleigh’s ‘Teach In London Story’ here – she’s also part of the New Enquiries Team!
For any of your other qualifications e.g. CACHE Level 3, Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Team Teach Certificates etc, we will also need to sight these documents.
Hot Tip: Qualifications are very beneficial but aren’t necessary for Teaching Assistants! While some experience working with children is desirable, the only qualifications you need to be a TA are a positive mindset, a passion for education and the right character and attitude to match our schools.
DBS
The Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is super important! It’ s better if you think of this as a British Police Check. You’ll need to organise your DBS before you get out to teach in London schools and this can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to come back. So do it ASAP!
With a copy of your passport, Vibe can organise a DBS link to be sent to you via email. Then, all you need to do is complete the form, pay the fee and you’ll be well prepared.
Hot Tip: Register it on the update service. For a small annual fee you are able to work for multiple employers with the single DBS certificate. Save yourself time and money; register your DBS online!
Overseas Police Check
If you’ve lived outside of the UK for more than twelve months, you’ll also need a Police check from that country. Depending on the country this can take some time to get sorted. My advice; start this process ASAP!
Hot Tip: If you’re moving to London, it’s easiest to obtain this before you leave your country of residence.
Prepare Your References
This is a BIG ONE! I say that because it’s the check that most regularly delays teachers & teaching assistants from getting out to work. Prepare your referees early on and let them know that returning references quickly is important.
You need TWO PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES! If you have a written reference, this MUST be printed on a school or business letterhead, dated within the last six months and be related to you most recent teaching jobs. If Vibe sends reference requests on your behalf these must be returned to us from a professional email address.
For Teaching Assistants, you should have at least one reference related to your experience working with children.
Hot Tip: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail (& others) are NOT professional email addresses. You need to have a reference returned from emails such as name@school.co.uk, firstname.lastname@company.com or joebloggs@stateeducation.org.nz
Employment Choice
Last but not least! There’s two ways to be paid; and don’t we all like getting paid!
You can choose to be employed monthly through a system called PAYE, however most people choose to be paid through an umbrella company. The main reason for this is that with an umbrella company you get;
– weekly pay
– a higher daily rate
– access to doctors and counselors
– sick & maternity leave options
– simplified tax
– the ability to claim relocation costs if you move for work
– access to professional development courses
Hot Tip: Vibe works with two umbrella companies. Click the links to find out about Orange Genie and Generate.
Vibe can help you prepare to teach in London – get in touch here and we’ll talk you through the process.
Check out some of our current teaching JOBS HERE!
Want a quick recap? Watch the Video below.