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Teachers work to enable pupils to develop their abilities and aptitudes and fulfil their own individual potential. In England and Wales, teachers are required to teach the National Curriculum and have to decide on the most effective teaching methods depending on the age and ability of the pupils. In Scotland, the curriculum is not set by law, although there are guidelines on its structure.

Teachers usually specialise in teaching a particular age group within three main types of school:

• Nursery and primary school nursery classes (three to five year olds) - Teachers have overall responsibility for one class and the emphasis is on developing children's social, communication and numeracy skills through play and creative activities.
• Primary (5 to 11 year olds in England and Wales, or 5 to 12 in Scotland) - Teachers usually teach most or all subjects to one class, although they may teach a specialist subject to other classes. Priority is given to developing literacy and numeracy skills.
• Secondary (11 to 16 year olds in England and Wales, 12 to 16 in Scotland - this is 11 to 19 if the school has a sixth form, 12 to 18 in Scotland) - Teachers usually teach one or two subjects to different classes. The focus is on preparing pupils for external examinations.

Teachers spend the majority of their time teaching classes, although they are involved in a range of other activities. These include, amongst other things, planning lessons and preparing materials, setting and marking coursework and exams, offering constructive feedback to pupils, assessing, recording and reporting on the progress and attainment of pupils, maintaining order and discipline among pupils, communicating with parents/carers, teachers, governors and other professionals, and attending meetings and parents' events, often out of school hours.

Entry level

Recognised training is essential for teaching posts in maintained schools. You would need to undertake Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England and Wales, with a similar requirement for Scotland. The minimum requirements for ITT in England/Wales are two A level passes or equivalent and three GCSE Grades A-C or equivalent, including English and maths. (Some courses also require a science at GCSE Grade C or above). In Scotland, you would need at least two Advanced Higher or three Higher, including English or equivalent, together with S Grades 1-3 in two other subjects, including maths at grade 1/2 or equivalent.

There are several different routes and courses involved and you should do some careful research to determine which one would be the best for you. Most of the courses are full-time but there are opportunities for part-time and distance learning. Most of the routes take three or four years and involve spells of teaching practice in schools.

The two main routes to QTS (although there others) are as follows:

(a) A first degree that includes a teaching qualification. Many of these courses are aimed at students who wish to work in primary schools, although there are others aimed at secondary school work.

(b) A first degree followed by a postgraduate certificate in education. The first degree should normally be in a National Curriculum subject. This route is more commonly taken by students who wish to work in secondary schools.Routes are similar in Scotland but are not described in terms of ITT/QTS and courses are geared to the specific needs of the Scottish education system.

There is also a work-based route to QTS, available in England only, known as School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT).

Making the grade

Once trained, you must register with the relevant General Teaching Council for England, Scotland or Wales. In England and Wales, you would train to teach at least two consecutive key stages:

• Early Years and Key Stage 1 - age 3 to 7
• Key Stage 1 and 2 - age 5 to 11
• Key Stage 2 and 3 - age 7 to 14
• Key Stage 3 and 4 - age 11 to 16
• Key Stage 4 and post-16 - age 14 to 19

You must meet standards on each component of ITT, including knowledge of subjects and curriculum, teaching practice - the skills for planning lessons, teaching and assessing pupils, and professional values and practice. In England, you must also pass QTS skills tests in literacy, numeracy and information and communications technology. As a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT), you must then successfully complete a one-year induction period.

In Scotland, new teachers must register with the General Teaching Council for Scotland before they can teach in a Scottish state-funded school. They complete a one-year probationary period in a school before applying for full registration.

Promotion is possible in most schools.

• Primary - teachers can take on responsibility for co-ordinating an area of work such as literacy, numeracy or special needs. They can also move into a management role becoming a deputy head or headteacher. There may also be limited opportunities for progress to advanced skills teacher status (principal teacher or chartered teacher in Scotland).
• Secondary - teachers can take on a specialist area of responsibility (eg careers, personal, social and health education (PSHE), or citizenship), become an advanced skills teacher (principal teacher or chartered teacher in Scotland) or take on a management role such as head of department or year, deputy head or headteacher.

Some experienced teachers specialise in teaching students with special educational needs. Others move into work related to teaching, such as teacher training, educational advisory work, educational research and writing, schools inspection, running a playgroup or nursery.

Personal qualities

You would need to enjoy working with children and young people and to be patient with those who find it difficult to learn. You also need to enjoy the subject or subjects that you are going to teach. Training may help you to handle difficult situations in the classroom but the enthusiasm for learning and helping others to learn must come from you. You would need to have very good communication skills, to be well organised, a good member of a team but confident enough to work on your own, and consistent and fair in your treatment of pupils.