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Qualified and looking for a teaching job in London? It is crucial to be able to distinguish between the different types of schools across the country, in order to find the school that best suits your teaching abilities.

State Schools

State schools offer free education and are under the control of the state. There are many different types of state schools, most of which must follow the national curriculum. The most common state schools are:

• Community schools, which are controlled by the local council and operate on the basis of their rules. These schools are not influenced by businesses or religious groups.

• Foundation schools (also known as voluntary schools) which have more freedom than community schools with the way they operate.

• Academies, which are independent schools that are funded by the government. Like free schools, don’t have to follow the national curriculum.

• Grammar schools are run by the council and typically have a selection process like that of an exam, to gauge the ability of students and offer places to those that excel.

• State boarding schools offer free education, however, there are fees for boarding. These schools tend to be academies but can be free schools or run by local councils.

Free Schools

Free schools are non-profit organisations funded by the government and not the local council. These schools have a lot more control over how they operate, for example, they are allowed to deviate from the national curriculum. But, being catered to every pupil’s ability, they are not permitted to use selection processes. Free schools have the ability to implement their own payroll and conditions for staff and change the length of terms and the school days.

There are also different types of free schools, being university technical colleges that focus on subjects such as engineering and studio schools that teach through projects.

City Technology Colleges

These schools tend to be situated in urban areas and have a target towards teaching science and technology. City technology colleges are free to attend and are funded by the government, with contributions from companies.

Private Schools

Also referred to as ‘independent schools’, private schools are not free to attend and charge fees, rather than being funded by the government. However, all private schools must be registered with the government and undergo inspections by the School Inspection service or Ofsted. It is not compulsory for students to be taught the national curriculum and all school reports are posted online.

Special Schools

These schools educate pupils over the age of 11 with special educational needs. They tend to specialise in 1 of 4 areas:

• Communication and interaction

• Cognition and learning

• Sensory and physical needs

• Social, emotional and mental health

They can also specialise further within these categories to give extra help to students. This can be achieved by focusing on speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) to help with difficulties.

Enquire Today

Click the link if you are yet to secure a teaching role in London that fits the criteria of one of the above. For those abroad, specifically in Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, the Overseas Applicants section of REESON Education allows you to enquire for more information.