The information in this section only applies to England. See teaching in Scotland, teaching in Wales, and teaching in Northern Ireland for more about the other UK countries. What subject?For middle years, secondary, further education (FE) and a few primary training courses, you need to specialise in a subject. Once you have gained QTS, you are legally qualified to teach any subject. It is common to find teachers in schools teaching subjects other than those they specialised in for their teacher training. Teaching students with special educational needs (SEN) is only offered as a main subject in FE, but may be available as a subsidiary subject on some other courses. The National CurriculumPupils aged 5-16 in maintained schools (including community, foundation, specialist status, new academies, voluntary-aided and voluntary-controlled schools) must be taught the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum states the subjects children must study according to their age groups, called key stages (KS). See the National Curriculum Online for details. Pupils are assessed at the end of each key stage, primarily by their teachers but with the addition of national standardised attainment tests (SATs) at the end of Key Stage 2. This is currently under review. What subjects will I teach at primary level?Primary schools cover KS 1 (5-7 years) and 2 (7-11 years). As few primary courses offer a specialism, you will need to feel confident about teaching a wide range of subjects, from mathematics to PE. The government’s aim is that by the end of the decade all children will have the opportunity to study a modern foreign language at KS 2. This has resulted in an increase in the number of teacher training courses offering primary specialising in a language (most commonly French or German). What subjects can I teach at secondary level?Secondary schools cover KS 3 and 4, and sometimes post-16. Key Stage 3 compulsory subjects are: - English;
- mathematics;
- science;
- design and technology;
- information and communication technology (ICT);
- history;
- geography;
- modern foreign languages;
- art and design;
- music;
- citizenship;
- physical education.
For Key Stage 4, the compulsory subjects are: - English;
- mathematics
- science;
- information and communication technology (ICT);
- physical education;
- citizenship.
Pupils also study one subject from each of the four 'entitlement' areas. The entitlement areas are: - arts subjects;
- design and technology;
- humanities;
- modern foreign languages.
Schools also offer subjects outside this core list, e.g. drama, dance, media studies, and courses exist to accommodate them. Vocational subjectsThere are a number of vocational subjects taught in schools. - Applied GCSEs include leisure and tourism, business, engineering and manufacturing.
- Applied and broad vocational A-level subjects have replaced the advanced vocational certificate of education (AVCE).
- Diplomas were introduced in 2008 for 14 to 19 year olds and are designed to bridge the gao between academic and vocational learning. By 2013 all children will be offered the full range of 17 diplomas.
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