September is here, and you feel that itchy sensation in the classroom making that difference you once did. You may have left teaching a while ago, but teaching refuses to leave you, and each autumn term, you feel the same yearning.
It might be easier to get back into teaching than you imagined, and in so doing, you will be adding to your pension benefits once more. We have gathered some information to help you assess your choices.
What has changed?
It might be that you had good reason to leave teaching in the past. You likely found the workload excessive, your personal wellness was challenged, and pupil behaviour had become too difficult and with too little support.
The Department for Education has been making concerted efforts to address the issues that teachers face. There have been workload reduction initiatives, a focus on pupil behaviour, and plans to support the wellbeing of teachers and offer flexible working opportunities.
It might be that teaching is different from when you left, and it is worth asking people in the professional what it is like now.
Dip your toe in
While a fully-fledged return to the classroom might be daunting, there are opportunities to teach in a more scaled way. The National Tutoring Programme has been established to support those young people more significantly impacted by the pandemic. The programme offers lots of options, from work in school to online roles. You can apply to be a tutor or a mentor via the National Tutoring Programme website.
One-to-one support
For those teachers in shortage subjects such as maths, physics, and languages, you might qualify for support from a Return to Teaching adviser. These advisers are provided by the Department for Education and can help you with the application process, accessing courses to enhance your knowledge and matching you with teaching vacancies.
If you have QTS and a genuine desire to get back to the classroom, then phoning the Get into Teaching helpline on 0800 389 2500 is a great place to start.
The financial benefits
A teacher’s salary may not be the highest in the professional sector, but it is bolstered by a generous pension scheme. If you would like to discuss the financial ramifications of returning to teaching, you might consider speaking to an independent financial advisor.
The content in this article was correct on August 16th 2021. You should not rely on this article to make important financial decisions. Teachers Financial Planning offers advice on pensions for teachers and non-teachers. Please use the contact form below to arrange an informal chat with an advisor and see how we can help you.