Regardless of where you are in your teaching career, whether you are a newly-qualified teacher or an experienced head of department, it is important to not only showcase your skills and experience but your achievements too. Your accomplishments are an essential part of your CV as they demonstrate the successes you can bring to the new school as well as providing you with a distinctive CV, that sets you apart from other applicants.
Fortunately for teachers, there are plenty of achievements that you can add to your CV to ensure it stands out and attracts the attention of recruiters.
Remarkable Student Progress
Demonstrating your ability to motivate and encourage students to progress in their studies is an excellent way to show your commitment, enthusiasm and skill in the role. Whether you have transitioned students several grades higher than predicted, or your whole class achieved outstanding exam results; the progress your students make should be an excellent metric that you can use to give your CV a boost.
Additional Responsibilities
Your CV shouldn’t just show what a fantastic teacher you are but what you can bring to the school as a whole. Taking on additional responsibilities as a teacher shows your time management skills as well as your caring approach and focus on improvements. From setting up successful afterschool clubs, volunteering as a school representative for community events and organising trips, shows and leading year groups or departments, you can make your CV shine and prove that you add value both in and outside of the classroom
Supporting SEN Students
After recent concerns about SEN students with over 19,000 students dropping off school rolls in a single year and 30% of those having special educational needs and disabilities, it has never been more crucial to show how you support SEN students in your role.
From innovation in lessons or inclusion in activities, the way you support SEN students in your class or school can be a fantastic skill for your CV and an impressive achievement that you can demonstrate through the progress and of your SEN students.
Exam Results
For all schools, exam results are still an essential measure for teachers, and this could be a chance for your CV to shine when you make your exam results tangible on your CV. Instead of saying ‘many’ children achieved higher than their predicted grade, use the numbers to make your achievement more notable. For example, 30% of your students performed better than their predicted result or 97% achieved their predicted grade or above in your GCSE class.
Ofsted Reports
Ofsted reports are still a crucial indicator of your performance as a teacher and the school as a whole. If you have a recent observation report, it may be worthwhile including a positive quote from the Ofsted inspector to demonstrate your achievements in the workplace. If an inspector didn’t observe your class specifically, then there may be other aspects to include such as the commendation for the afterschool class or revision sessions you run.
When crafting your CV for a prospective role, consider the fact that many similar-looking applications will be landing on the recruiter’s desk. Use your achievements to make your CV stand out and ensure that you are a memorable candidate.
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About the author
Andrew Fennell
Andrew Fennell is the founder and director of StandOut CV, a leading UK careers advice website. He is a former recruitment consultant and contributes careers advice to publications like Business Insider, The Guardian, and The Independent.
