If you’ve ever considered a career in teaching then you’ll need a passion for inspiring and the patience to deal with children. It is an incredibly rewarding profession as you work to ensure that every single child reaches their full potential. Here we take a look at the kinds of things you can expect from such an important job.

You will be developing work and lesson plans in line with current curriculum objectives and you’ll foster relationships with children, facilitate learning and organise different learning resources within the classroom. You will know how to get the most out of each child according to their age and abilities. Assessing and recording progress is also an important part of the job along with preparing your pupils for national tests. You’ll find inspiring ways to encourage the children to develop their learning further and deepen their knowledge in a wide range of subjects.

If you choose the Primary school route then there are different areas in which you can specialise. Foundation Stage covers the ages of 3 to 5 and includes nursery and Reception. Key Stage 1 covers ages 5 to 7 and includes Years 1 and 2. Key Stage 2 covers ages 7 to 11 and includes Years 3 to 6. Most all primary school teachers teach all areas of the curriculum, unlike secondary schools where teachers are specialists in a certain subject.

You can expect long working hours but the holidays are generous as you’ll only work during term time. Remember also that there will be lesson planning and marking which is normally completed after school hours and parent’s evenings, after-school activities, trips and school inspections which will all take up extra time out of your day. You will need a degree and unless your degree encompasses Qualified Teacher Status, you will also need to obtain this before you can work as a teacher. If you have a degree, you can attend a post graduate course in education or apply for a school based training route. You can also expect to have a criminal record check, which is a requirement for any work with vulnerable individuals. For information about a DBS Check, visit http://carecheck.co.uk/.

So what sort of a person makes a good primary school teacher? Well, the profession attracts a wide range of personalities and is currently seeking more men to apply. Generally speaking, the following attributes would be useful:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Energy, stamina, dedication, patience and resilience
• An analytical mind
• Imagination, creativity and above all, a sense of humour
• good organisation and time keeping skills
• Leaderships skills and the ability to work as a team
• An interest in the following areas will also help in a primary school setting; art, drama, sport, IT, music, modern foreign languages.

Get involved as soon as possible if this is the career for you. You can volunteer to help out, arrange visits to observe teaching in a classroom or start by applying for a job as a teaching assistant which will give you invaluable experience of working with young people in an educational setting.