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English as a second language teacher : Salary and conditions

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Case studies

  • Range of typical starting salaries: £16,000 - £23,000.
  • Range of typical salaries at senior level/with experience (e.g. after 10-15 years in the role): £25,000 - £38,800.
  • The salaries quoted are based on full-time posts in schools and colleges. The rate for part-time lecturing is likely to be in the range of £16.50 to £32 per hour.
  • Working hours typically include regular extra hours. An emphasis on community outreach across the sector means that evening, weekend and holiday work is common. Work in schools may involve evening home visits. Full-time posts carry a heavy workload for individual preparation, much of which is done at home. Hourly rates do not account for time spent in preparation.
  • Facilities and resources vary within institutions. In some settings, a room may be set aside for the postholder's use. One-to-one tuition may take place at a variety of locations spread across a local community. Posts can include use of a laptop computer and sometimes a car.
  • Continuing government funding cuts mean that temporary hourly paid contracts are more likely when working for further, adult or community education settings, as permanent posts are becoming increasingly scarce. Many ESOL teachers juggle work with several employers to make up a full timetable.
  • EAL teacher posts within school settings have dimished due to government funding re-structuring.
  • There are limited opportunities for self-employment or freelance work as a private tutor. Freelance opportunities are more common in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) rather than as a second language.
  • Men and women are both well represented throughout the profession.
  • Jobs are available across Britain, but are concentrated in urban areas with high proportions of residents whose first language is not English. Opportunities in rural areas are fewer and tend to be based in towns and cities with peripatetic outreach.
  • Codes of dress and behaviour vary according to setting. Secondary schools expect neat professional dress, but expectations are often more relaxed in colleges and other settings. A relatively formal appearance can be helpful for some home and community settings as a sign of respect.
  • The work is challenging and can be stressful, due to factors such as under-resourcing and insecurity of contracts, as well as workload.
  • Local travel between sites within a working day is common.
  • Absence from home overnight is uncommon, as is overseas work and travel.
 
AGCAS
Written by Julie Bhagat, AGCAS
Date: 
November 2009
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