How to become an art and design teacher

Art and design teachers in England need a degree, usually in fine art or a design subject, and qualified teacher status (QTS) from a training course. Almost every provider will ask to see a portfolio at interview, so your practical work counts as much as your degree classification. There is no training bursary for art and design in 2026/27. Once qualified you start on the same main pay range as other teachers, from £34,069 outside London.

The portfolio

A provider wants two things from your portfolio: proof that you are a capable artist in more than one medium, and a sense that you could teach the skills in it. Bring a selection that shows:

• observational drawing, since it underpins Key Stage 3 and GCSE work
• work in several media, such as painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, textiles or digital work
• sketchbooks or development work, not only finished pieces
• any work you have done with children or community groups

A strong specialism helps. A narrow portfolio (only digital illustration, say) may bring questions about whether you can teach painting or 3D work, so if you have gaps, spend a few months filling them before you apply.

Some interviews ask you to bring a piece of work and talk about how you would use it as the starting point for a lesson. Think about that in advance.

Routes into art teaching

The main routes in England are the same as for other secondary subjects:

1. A university-led PGCE, usually a year full-time.
2. A school-centred SCITT or School Direct place, fee-funded.
3. A salaried School Direct place or postgraduate teaching apprenticeship, where you are employed while you train.
4. An undergraduate degree with QTS, less common in art than in primary.

Salaried places in art are limited compared with shortage subjects, and with no bursary, most trainees on fee-funded routes use tuition fee and maintenance loans. The teacher training routes guide compares the options. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the systems and registration bodies differ.

Entry requirements usually include GCSEs in English and maths at grade 4 (C) or above, and recent time observing art lessons in a secondary school.

What the job is like

Art teachers teach Key Stage 3 classes, GCSE art and design (often with endorsed titles such as fine art, photography or textile design) and A level in many schools. Coursework carries a large share of the marks at GCSE and A level, so much of your time with exam groups goes on guiding portfolios and sketchbooks.

Some features of the job:

• the art room is a practical space, and you manage materials, mess, kilns and equipment safety
• marking coursework is time-consuming, and moderation between teachers is standard
• departments are often small, and many art teachers also teach photography, textiles or D&T
• after-school sessions for exam students in the spring are common

Some schools employ an art technician, but many do not, and teachers do their own preparation and clearing up. The skills overlap with a D&T technician, and in some schools a faculty technician covers both.

Pay and induction

Teachers in maintained schools in England are paid under the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. From 1 September 2026 the main pay range runs from £34,069 at M1 to £46,940 at M6 outside London, after a 3.5 per cent award, and from £41,729 to £54,131 in inner London. The rates are in the draft 2026 pay document, which was due to be finalised around early November 2026. A head of art usually receives a TLR. See teacher pay scales in England for the fringe and outer London figures.

After qualifying you complete statutory induction as an early career teacher, lasting the full-time equivalent of two school years, with a reduced timetable and a mentor. Maintained schools must offer it, and academies and independent schools may.

Keeping your own practice going

Many art teachers want to keep making their own work, and it helps their teaching, but full-time teaching leaves less time for it than people expect. Some go part-time later to protect studio time. Part-time teachers are paid pro rata and their Teachers’ Pension contributions are based on actual pay, so a teacher earning £30,000 a year pro rata pays 7.4 per cent. Others use the summer holidays for residencies or courses.

Exhibitions of student work, gallery visits and partnerships with local artists are common in art departments, and running them keeps you connected to the wider art world. Schools vary in how much budget they give for materials, trips and visiting artists, so ask about it at interview.

Writing the application

Your teacher application statement should explain why you want to teach art to young people, what you have seen in classrooms, and how your own practice would feed into your teaching. Name the media and techniques you could teach with confidence. Applications in England go through the DfE’s Apply for teacher training service, and Get Into Teaching advisers can look at your degree and say whether providers are likely to accept it.