Using Teaching Vacancies to find school jobs

Teaching Vacancies is the Department for Education’s free job site for schools in England. Schools, academy trusts and some colleges post teaching, leadership and support staff jobs on it at no cost. You can search, set up email alerts and, for many vacancies, apply directly through the site using a saved profile. It covers England only; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland advertise school jobs elsewhere.

What is on it

The site lists jobs from state schools (maintained schools, academies and free schools), and some independent schools and sixth-form colleges also use it. Roles include classroom teachers, heads of department, SENCOs, headteachers, teaching assistants, cover supervisors, administrators, technicians and other support posts.

Not every school vacancy appears there. Some schools advertise support staff jobs only on their council’s jobs site, and some trusts use their own recruitment portals or paid job boards as well. If you are targeting particular schools, check their websites too. For council-run school support posts, see where councils advertise jobs.

Searching

You can search without an account. Useful filters include:

• keyword (subject or role, such as “physics” or “teaching assistant”)
• location and distance, or a map search
• job role and education phase (primary, secondary, special, post-16)
• working pattern (full time, part time, job share)
• whether the job is suitable for early career teachers

Each listing shows the closing date, the salary or pay range, the contract type and the school’s details. Teaching posts usually give the pay range (main, upper or leadership) rather than an exact figure. Support staff posts may show an actual salary, a full-time equivalent figure or an NJC pay point. Term-time posts are often shown pro rata, so read the salary line carefully; the guide to term-time-only pay explains the maths.

Job alerts

Create an alert from any search and the service emails you matching new jobs daily or weekly. Several narrow alerts (for example, “maths, secondary, 10 miles from home” and “maths, sixth form, 20 miles”) work better than one broad one, because you see relevant jobs without sifting.

School recruitment has a seasonal pattern. Many teaching posts for September are advertised between January and May, because teachers in maintained schools must resign by set dates. Support staff jobs come up all year.

Applying through the site

Many vacancies have an “Apply” button that uses Teaching Vacancies’ own application form. You create a jobseeker account and a profile with your qualifications, employment history, referees and a personal statement. The profile is reused for later applications, which saves time, but rewrite the personal statement for each school. The guide on writing a teacher application statement covers what panels look for.

Other listings link to the school’s own form, usually a downloadable document or the trust’s portal. Follow the instructions in the advert. Safer recruitment guidance means schools do not accept CVs alone, so a CV may be asked for alongside the form but not instead of it.

The service has also let jobseekers make their profile visible to schools in chosen areas, so that a school looking for staff can invite them to apply. Check your account settings to see whether this is switched on and what schools can see.

What happens after you apply

Schools shortlist against the person specification, then contact shortlisted candidates directly, not through the site. Interview days for teachers usually include a lesson observation and a panel, sometimes a student panel too. See teaching interview day: what to expect.

Expect the school to carry out the checks set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education: two references, usually requested before interview, an enhanced DBS check with a children’s barred list check, and online searches. Schools must also explore any gaps in your employment history. The safer recruitment guide explains each step.

Tips for using it well

Apply early. Some schools review applications as they arrive, and a few close adverts before the stated deadline once they have enough applicants. Download or save the job description and person specification when you apply, because listings disappear after the closing date and you will want them for interview preparation.

Keep your saved profile up to date with your latest role and referees. If you are new to schools, use the filters for support roles and read the guide on getting a school job with no experience.