A secondary school in the UK requires history teachers for classes as pupils are taught history as a compulsory subject from 11-16 and optional course from 16-18 years old.
History is a fairly important subject part of the UK school curriculum in N Ireland, Wales, Scotland & England teaching children about past events that makes the UK the country it is today.
You’ll deliver lessons on a broad range of English, Welsh and Scottish history mainly to school pupils that are required to study the subject as part of the educational curriculum.
History is a compulsory secondary school education subject for 11-16 pupils. Although UK history teachers are in demand there’s no shortage of trainee or qualified teachers around the UK, except in London schools and some South East areas.
UK secondary school history curriculum
As a school history teacher you could be teaching age groups from 11-18 years old. You’ll be expected to have a broad knowledge base of many hundreds of years of UK history including important events, English civil & war of the roses, kings & queen reins as well as history in England & Wales and Scotland to teach at secondary school.
Much of you’re timetable will be teaching 11-16 year olds in England KS3/4 and S1-4 in Scotland with double and or single lesson periods.
School pupils receive less history teaching hours per year than core subjects such as maths or English. History secondary teachers at UK state schools are in less demand as each school department only requires 1-3 history teachers to teach all 11-18 years the subject compared to 5-8 teacher for maths.
As you’ll be based in the humanities department expect to be offered a teaching timetable that could be all history or geography & history classes making up a full time teaching schedule.
5 reasons for UK school history teacher’s demand
- Every private independent senior and UK state secondary school either requires too teach or offer history as a subject part of the school curriculum.
- In a smaller department an experienced qualified history teacher is required to teach, but also to develop teaching & learning and the department.
- A trainee or newly qualified teacher of history could be employed as a cheaper option as the school doesn’t have the budget for a vastly experienced teacher.
- You’re a newly qualified history teacher keen to teach as a long term career, thus committing yourself to a school providing stability in recruitment and student teaching & learning.
- When the UK has many jobs available a history graduate has the choice of other career options leaving a few to opt to teach in schools resulting in less competition for jobs.
School teacher of history job UK market
Teachers of history can find jobs at 100s of independent & over 4,000 UK secondary schools around the country when job openings become vacant. The only part of the UK with a history teacher demand is the shortage in London & south East England, all other UK areas have plentiful trainee and qualified history teachers.
Flexible about school location
Newly qualified teachers with BA/BSC, PGDE or PGCE history could keep they’re school location options open to secure a full time history teaching position. Jobs are available each year for suitable teachers or trainees although be prepared to search wider locally to commute to another town or city or relocate to secure a position.
Competitive job market for history teachers
History teachers will be up against other candidates at interview meaning it’s competitive, but possible to secure jobs around the UK.
- School you’re applying too, with popular schools receiving multiple applicants.
- Location of the school. Anywhere outside south East England and especially Scotland has no history teacher shortage.
- UK recession, higher unemployment and fewer private business jobs means more people teaching history or looking to train.
- Time of year in the recruitment cycle with December to March being most competitive.
- Full or part time contract with a full time contract desirable for teachers.
- Permanent or temporary teaching position.
- School desires a newly qualified or experienced teacher.
Should you not secure a history teacher job full time permanent post think about accepting a maternity leave temporary position to gain experience to stay teaching in the classroom. Alternatively, look at a supply temporary position to gain more experience if you don’t secure a full time post, although you’re likely be required to teach another subject as well to make up a teaching timetable.
History teachers won’t be added to the UK skilled occupation list, like maths teachers demand offering work visas for overseas qualified teachers as the UK already has more than enough humanity teachers that are already qualified or train each year.
Main school teacher hiring time
History teacher jobs are advertised throughout the year to cover maternity leave, absence or a teacher leaving in the middle of the school year. Peak advertising and hiring times for teachers of history for schools are between December to June to start in August or September each year advertised on council websites, England teacher vacancies, education job boards and My Jobs Scotland for Scottish teachers.