You might be fresh out of university or have years of experience under your belt, either way Envision Education are here to help. This blog is designed to help you understand what myself and other consultants here at Envision Education will be looking for when you apply for any school based roles, from Teaching Assistants to Admin Support. Here I have listed some of the areas we focus on:

1.     Relevant Experience

As an agency we look for candidates who have at least 6 months of experience in the area they are looking to get into, from teaching experience to being a Welfare Officer. This gives schools the confidence that you will be able to hit the ground running.

This experience will also need to be backed up with relevant references from the school or agency you had worked through.

2.     Qualifications

As a Teaching Assistant, schools tend to lean towards those with a Level 3 qualification or higher. If the role requires supporting SEN pupils, your prior experience will hold more weight than required qualifications. For teachers, QTS is required, however we may be able to put you forward as an unqualified teacher provided you have substantial teaching experience. There may be further qualifications needed depending on the role, so it is always best to pay attention to the requirements stated on the job advert before applying.

3.     Personality

The right personality can help where your experience or qualification may be limited. Being positive, bubbly, patient and having the ability to use your initiative can go a long way. When you are speaking to a consultant here at Envision Education, we are looking for these traits and more that we know schools will love. If we feel confident that you will do well, we are then able to portray this to Head Teachers.

4.     Availability

This will differ among agencies, however with Envision Education the majority of our roles are full time and long term (unless stated otherwise on the job advert). Additionally, because our roles start on a fairly immediate basis, we normally require our candidates to be available immediately.

5.     Location / Flexibility

As part of our interview process, we will determine the potential areas you are happy travelling too. Honestly, although we will always try to find you the most local roles, the more areas you include on here the better. That will not mean that you have to accept a role in that area, but it does mean you may have the opportunity to attend more trials and interviews in your search for the right school.

Similarly you may only have experience working in a primary school, but have you tried working in a secondary school? If you are just looking to gain more experience, it may be worth giving it a try, and by all means if you attend a trial/interview and feel it’s not the right role for you, just let your consultant know!

I hope the above will help you in understanding what we look for in our candidates before applying. We are always happy to help and provide guidance to you in your job search. Similarly, before attending any school for trials or interview, we will ensure you are prepared and have all of your questions answered, so please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0203 771 1138 to help you find your perfect role!