What’s involved?
English is a core subject in all Scottish secondary schools and the English department will always be one of the biggest in the school.
English teaching spans a wide range of topics including study of the language itself, communications and literature. As well as ensuring high standards of literacy, English teachers inspire pupils to understand and use their language as a creative medium.
English teacher training options
To teach English, you need a degree in English plus a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) or a degree that combines education with English studies.
Barry Wright – Principal Teacher of English at Vale of Leven Academy
“I’ve always been interested in teaching even when I was working in my previous job as a Marketing Manager. When I did decide to change careers, I was surprised at how many skills were transferrable, for example being able to present to big groups of people is the same regardless of the audience. It also helped that my family were very supportive and now they can see the satisfaction I have and understand I couldn’t get the same pleasure from another role.
"As an English teacher, you help develop a young person’s core skills of reading, writing, talking and listening by engaging them with fantastic literature and by embracing and dissecting current affairs. There is so much discussion in an English classroom and, when it’s taught well, pupils love it.
"If you love working with young people and you have a passion for an academic area, do it. Being a teacher is an enormous privilege."