Has the start of a new year got you thinking about a return to the teaching profession? Teaching is a rewarding career which allows you to make a difference every day. Each year people who worked in the profession are transitioning back and picking up where they left off.

Returning to teaching may seem daunting, especially if you've been away from the profession for many years. However many former teachers successfully re-join the profession each year and there are resources and support available to help you along the way.

Whether you are returning after a career break, are qualified to teach in England but have never taught in a school, or are planning to return from teaching in another country, we hope you find the following tips helpful.

Familiarise yourself with the current education landscape 

Depending on how long you have been away from the teaching profession, there may have been changes in teaching, schools and your subject area. The get into teaching website provides advice, support and an overview of useful resources and links to help get you up to speed with the latest practices, including:

• Teachers standards
• The national curriculum
• Behaviour management guidelines

Review your experience and refresh your CV 

Give yourself time to reflect on your previous experience and update your CV to showcase your abilities. Let schools know what has motivated you to return to teaching and what you can offer in your next role.

Highlight any skills or experience you have gained during your time away from teaching. If you have worked in another sector you may have developed transferable skills that will help you as a teacher, such as effective communication.

Explore your options 

Take some time to think about what your ideal teaching role looks like to help inform your job search. Consider which type of school might suit your preferences, such as a local authority maintained school or an academy. 

If you have taught in a school before, what aspects did you enjoy or would like to change? Are you looking for career development opportunities? Returning to teaching is a chance to try something new.

Think about where you ideally want to teach, or how far you would be willing to commute, and identify where you should focus your job search geographically.

Once you have a good idea about the type of role you are looking for and where, begin familiarising yourself with current teaching job listings in Portsmouth.

Returning to teach maths, physics or modern foreign languages? 

Additional support is available from the Department for Education if you are planning on returning to teach maths, physics or modern foreign languages at secondary level.

Find out more and register for support on the get into teaching website.

Start searching for your perfect role today

If you're ready to begin looking for your next role, take a look at the Portsmouth City Council website to explore current teaching vacancies in the city. New teaching vacancies are added on a regular basis so if you don't see a suitable role right away, be sure to keep checking back.