Teaching abroad sounds exciting until you hit the reality of limited opportunities back home. But here’s something most teachers don’t know. UK schools are facing their worst staffing crisis in decades.

The shortage creates a massive opportunity for qualified teachers from overseas. Some subjects are so short-staffed that schools sponsor visas and have you teaching within weeks.

This guide breaks down exactly where the opportunities are:

• The subjects where you’ll get multiple job offers
• How recruitment actually works
• Which student age groups desperately need teachers
• Real salary figures
• How visa sponsorship works with teaching positions

The Course Book has seen this demand firsthand. We work with schools across England, Wales, and Scotland, and last year alone, we placed over 300 overseas teachers. The hunger for qualified educators is real, and your qualifications could be what the UK education needs right now.

Maths Teachers: The Most Wanted Professionals

I called my friend Julie the other day. She is a headteacher at a school in the UK, and she explained how she was going crazy trying to find a maths teacher for their school. The demand for qualified mathematics teachers is so high because schools face shortages, retirements, and compulsory exam requirements.

Let’s take a closer look at why schools are struggling to fill these roles.

The Mathematics Crisis Explained

Some schools have been advertising the same maths position for over 6 months. But why has it gotten this bad? In the 2023-24 academic year, recruitment for initial trainee maths teachers reached only 63% of its target. Meanwhile, experienced teachers are leaving the profession faster than new ones can replace them.

Where You’re Needed Most

Key stage 3 students and low-attainers are often missing out as secondary schools focus resources on “high-stakes classes“. These are students aged 11-16 preparing for their GCSEs.

So, schools need Maths teachers. What makes this particularly urgent is the timing. These key stages represent the foundation years where students either love or hate mathematics forever.

Without proper teaching, schools know they’re setting up an entire generation for failure.

The Financial Reality

Starting salaries of new mathematics teachers typically range from £28,000 to £34,502, depending on location. In London, the average salary rises to £42,179 per year. Add signing bonuses of up to £29,000, tax-free bursaries, and you’re looking at immediate financial recognition.

Here’s what most people don’t realise. Schools have budget flexibility specifically for mathematics teachers that doesn’t exist for other subjects.

But maths isn’t the only subject where schools are willing to go the extra mile for qualified teachers.

Science Subjects Where Schools Struggle Most

Science teachers suffer just as much as maths teachers from the UK’s staffing crisis. If you walk into science labs across the country, you’ll notice the missed opportunities. For example, you might see brand-new equipment sitting unused simply because no qualified teacher is there to guide students through it.

This shortage hits different sciences in unique ways:

• Physics faces the worst crisis: Schools advertise physics positions for months without a single qualified applicant. To tackle this crisis, students receive lessons from non-specialist teachers who lack expertise for practical work.
• Chemistry struggles with safety concerns: Unlike other subjects, chemistry requires someone who understands lab safety protocols alongside subject expertise. There is no way schools are going to risk putting unqualified staff in charge of chemicals.
• Biology offers better prospects: While still facing shortages, biology recruitment performs better than physics or chemistry. However, competition for top positions in well-equipped schools remains fierce.

The geographical divide creates additional challenges. For instance, rural schools often lose science teachers to urban areas because urban schools have promising career progression and higher salaries than rural schools.

Don’t get disheartened, despite the geographical challenges, I myself prefer rural over urban. Why? Rural areas have breathtaking landscape, lower housing costs, and an overall serene environment, best for someone who enjoys quiet places.

Special Needs Teachers in High Demand

While science labs sit empty, Special Educational Needs (SEN) teaching is seeing explosive growth. In fact, schools urgently need more SEN teachers because the number of students with additional learning needs keeps rising every year.

Sarah, an overseas teacher from Australia, discovered something remarkable about SEN roles. Within two weeks of applying, she had three job offers from different schools.

SEN teaching represents one of the fastest-growing opportunities in UK education. The reason is simple. Government inclusion policies are driving massive expansion in SEN provision, which means every mainstream school now requires qualified staff who can support students with diverse learning needs.

The qualification pathway is simple and clear. Based on our experience placing SEN teachers, many schools will hire experienced educators and provide additional training on the job. This is when your ability to adapt teaching methods and work with teaching assistants proves most important.

Here’s the kicker: SEN teachers often earn more than their mainstream colleagues while creating greater impact. Starting salaries include SEN allowances on top of standard teacher pay scales. In this career, you’ll see a direct impact on individual students’ lives in ways that traditional classroom teaching can’t match.

Modern Foreign Languages: Thriving Beyond Brexit

As someone looking for a teaching career, I’m assuming you did your research on Brexit’s impact on language teaching. Let’s talk about what Brexit is actually doing to Modern Foreign Language (MFL) opportunities.

Brexit was supposed to kill foreign language teaching. Instead, it did the opposite. Schools realised that Britain needed language skills more than ever. The demand for qualified MFL teachers has actually increased since 2016.

Here’s how the post-Brexit landscape looks for language teachers:

1. Spanish leads demand: Both primary and secondary schools can’t get enough Spanish expertise as parents want their children to learn the world’s second most spoken language.
2. French maintains steady prospects. It remains a popular GCSE choice in secondary education. This interest keeps demand consistent.
3. Germany offers solid opportunities: Grammar schools actively seek German language specialists. Schools in areas with strong business links to Germany also look for these teachers.
4. Primary schools represent untapped potential. Many have introduced language learning from Year 3 onwards. This change created hundreds of new positions that didn’t exist five years ago.

Schools desperately seek the cross-cultural value that overseas MFL teachers bring. You offer authentic pronunciation, cultural insights, and real-world language experience that British-trained teachers simply cannot match.

Start Your UK Teaching Journey Today

Armed with this knowledge about high-demand subjects, your path to UK teaching is clear. The opportunities are real, and the support systems are in place to help you succeed.

Here’s your simple roadmap to securing a UK teaching position:

1. Match Your Skills. Do you have qualifications in maths, science, SEN, or languages? You’re already ahead of most other applicants.
2. Know the Timeline. Most overseas teachers get positions within 6-12 weeks of applying. Maths and physics teachers often find roles faster during busy recruitment periods.
3. Sort Your Visa. The Course Book handles your entire Tier 2 visa process. We work directly with schools that can sponsor overseas teachers. You won’t handle immigration paperwork alone.
4. Get Your Job Before You Travel. We arrange job offers before you leave home. This means you arrive with confirmed employment and sorted accommodation.

UK schools need your expertise right now. They’re actively seeking qualified overseas teachers across England, Wales, and Scotland. Through our experience, The Course Book has the connections to place you successfully.

Ready to start? Contact us today and let us help grow your teaching career.