Newly Qualified Teacher

In September 2009 around 200 Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT’s) joined Medway to begin their teaching career.  If you are looking for your first teaching post we hope you will consider joining us.  We are a small, forward thinking Local Authority (LA) and pride ourselves on our friendly personal approach. At Medway you are not just a number and the School Workforce Team  will ensure you have all the help and support you need to settle into your first teaching job.

Induction

The DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families, formally the Department for Education and Skills) introduced a compulsory period of induction for NQT’s in September 1999.  The induction period must be undertaken by NQTs who wish to work in maintained schools and non-maintained special schools in England.

When NQTs come to Medway they are joining schools and a LA that take induction very seriously.  Medway is committed to supporting teachers and schools in making induction effective for everyone.  The LA has a duty to monitor the progress being made by each NQT and the arrangements made by schools to support them.

As a NQT you will be entitled to

• A timetable of no more than 90% of average teaching time.
• Receive a further 10% planning preparation and assessment time
• An individualised programme of support during your induction year from a designated induction tutor
• A programme of Continuing Professional Development

The period of induction should provide a programme that is tailored to your needs.  The programme must involve a combination of monitoring, support and assessment, which are inter-related.  You should be actively involved in planning the programme, including review and setting objectives.  The school should provide you with records of observations of your teaching and the outcomes of professional review meetings.  Headteachers have a duty to ensure that an induction programme is in place and to recommend to the LA whether requirements have been met.

Your professional development begins with a Welcome Meeting in either September or January and continues with a series of network meetings.  There will also be training on ‘Classroom and Behaviour Management’ and ‘Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs.

Visit Medway's Induction page for more information (www.medway.gov.uk/learning).

Find the school that's right for you Are you interested in being considered for a number of vacancies in Medway and only completing one application form?  NQTs and experienced teachers of all subjects and key stages are welcome to apply to the Medway pool. To apply to either the NQT or experienced teacher pools please complete the application form and email to The Teacher Recruitment Team  teaching@medway.gov.uk (If you require a paper copy of the application form please phone or email the team)

Developing potential and rewarding commitment

Teachers enjoy an exceptionally high status in Medway, and you can expect excellent rewards as well as extensive support when you join us. As a newly qualified teacher, you will receive a very competitive salary, and some schools pay NQTs from 1 July or 1 August.  Above all, we are committed to CPD, and will invest heavily in your future. As you develop your career, we will make generous payments for managerial responsibility, as well as offering a number of other allowances.

Make the move to Medway

Relocation expenses may be paid by the school that employs you.

Helping you buy your home

If you need help finding the right home for you, use Medway Housing.  You will find the information you need to find the right house. It contains details on our partners, Moat Housing and how to find Key Worker housing.

Golden Hello

Golden Hellos are paid to eligible Secondary teachers of shortage subjects of either £5,000, £4,000 or £2,500 depending on the subject taught and the year in which teacher training began.  The payments are made on successful completion of the induction year and a permanent of fixed term contract of one term or more.

You can obtain a form from your Initial Teacher Training provider.  Northern Irish and Scottish trained teachers can now also receive the payment in accordance with the same eligibility criteria as their English trained counterparts.  To find out if you are eligible log on to the TDA's Golden Hello guidance page.

Childcare support you can easily afford

If you have children, you will be pleased to know that wide-ranging childcare facilities are available locally, at very competitive rates. The Medway Children's Information Service has full details of all available services, and publishes detailed leaflets covering all types of childcare. These can be requested by emailing childcareinfo@medway.gov.uk or calling 01634 335566.

Special discounts make your money go further

As a local council employee you will enjoy staff benefits and discounts on a wide range of local services and leisure amenities.  For more information on the Value Plus scheme please contact HR Services on 01634 332019.

Teachers from the Republic of Ireland

If you are a teacher from the Republic of Ireland you would normally have completed a period of probation as part of your training.  In this case you should apply to the GTCE for QTS using form EC1.  If you are successful in your application you will also gain exemption from induction in schools in England.

Teachers from Northern Ireland (NI)

**Changes to the golden hello eligibility guidance**
Teachers trained on postgraduate courses in Northern Ireland or Scotland after 1 August 2006 who go on to teach in eligible schools in England will now be eligible to apply for the golden hello under the same terms as their English-trained counterparts.  For more information please visit the TDAs golden hello webpage and download golden_hello_eligibility_criteria.pdf

If you are a teacher from NI you would normally complete a 3-year induction period after successfully completing your teacher training course, which gives you NI eligibility to teach status. If you have completed that induction stage you are exempt from induction in schools in England

If you are a NI teacher who wishes to teach as a qualified teacher in England you must first apply to the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) using form P67.  You should contact the Teaching Qualification Team at the GTCE on 0121 3450140.  If you need to undertake induction in England you must obtain QTS first.