Creating Career Path...

Finding Further Careers...

Teaching

Art Teacher

View this career for different education levels:

Primary Secondary Post-16

Being an Art Teacher means you get to share your love for art with young people and help them discover their own creativity. You'd work in schools, usually secondary schools, teaching students from around 11 to 18 years old how to draw, paint, sculpt, print, and explore other exciting art forms. Your main job is to plan fun and engaging lessons, teach different art techniques, and guide students as they create their own artwork. You'll also mark their work, give them feedback to help them improve, and might even help organise school art exhibitions to show off their amazing creations. It's a really rewarding job where you get to inspire the next generation of artists and designers, helping them express themselves and see the world in new ways. You'll also be responsible for making sure the art classroom is a safe and inspiring place to work, managing art supplies and equipment, and keeping up-to-date with new art practices.

Art Teacher

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

📊 Statistics

Average Salary Range

For a qualified Art Teacher in the UK, starting salaries typically range from around 28,000 to 34,500 pounds per year, depending on location and type of school. Experienced teachers can earn up to 45,000 pounds or more, with leadership roles potentially reaching higher.

Job Outlook and Opportunities

There is a consistent demand for qualified teachers across the UK, including for specialist subjects like Art. Many schools, particularly secondary schools, look for passionate individuals to inspire students in creative fields. Online job boards like 'TES' (Times Educational Supplement) frequently list Art Teacher vacancies.

Typical Working Hours

Art Teachers generally work school hours, which are usually from around 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM or 4:00 PM, Monday to Friday, during term time. However, there is often extra time needed for lesson planning, marking student work, preparing art materials, attending staff meetings, and organising school events or exhibitions. They also have school holidays off.

🚀 Careers in this path

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

Primary School Art Specialist

Imagine helping younger kids, maybe 5-11 years old, discover their artistic talents! You'd teach them how to draw, paint, and make crafts, and help them create amazing art for school displays and shows. It's all about making art fun and exciting for little ones.

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

Art Workshop Leader

Instead of a regular school, you could run fun art workshops for different groups, like after-school clubs, holiday camps, or even birthday parties. You'd come up with cool art projects and guide people through making their own masterpieces. Every day could be a different creative adventure!

Flag Media

Please select a reason for flagging this content.

Museum Education Officer

If you love art and history, you could work in an art gallery or museum! Your job would be to teach visitors, especially school groups, about the different artworks and artists. You might even lead practical art activities inspired by the collections, making history come alive through creativity.

Build Your Foundations

Excel in School Art Classes

Pay close attention in your art lessons at school and try your best. This is where you'll learn lots of different art techniques and styles.

Focus on developing a strong portfolio of your artwork. This portfolio will be really important later on when you apply for further education. Try out different mediums like paint, pencil, clay, and digital art. Ask your art teacher for feedback and tips on how to improve your skills and understanding of art concepts.

Explore Art Outside of School

Look for opportunities to do more art in your free time. This could be anything from drawing at home to visiting art galleries.

Visit local art exhibitions or museums to see different types of art and get inspired. Consider joining an art club or taking extra art workshops if they are available in your area. You could also experiment with art at home by watching online tutorials or trying new creative projects. The more you immerse yourself in art, the better.

Choose Relevant GCSEs and A-Levels

When you choose your GCSE and A-Level subjects, make sure to pick ones that will help you on your path to becoming an Art Teacher.

For GCSEs, definitely take Art & Design. Other useful subjects could include English, History, or a creative technology subject. For A-Levels, Art & Design is essential. You might also consider subjects like Photography, Graphics, or even History of Art if offered. These subjects will give you a strong academic background in art and show your commitment.

Higher Education and Training

Get an Art Degree

After your A-Levels, the next big step is to study art at university. This is usually a 3-year course where you'll really specialise in art.

You'll typically need to complete an undergraduate degree in a relevant art subject, such as Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, or Art and Design. When applying, you'll need to submit your portfolio of artwork, so keep that in tip-top shape. Look for courses that offer a broad range of artistic skills and theoretical knowledge.

Complete Teacher Training (PGCE)

Once you have your art degree, you'll need to do a special course that teaches you how to be a teacher. This is called a PGCE.

The most common route is to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) specialising in Secondary Art and Design. This course usually lasts one year and involves practical placements in schools where you'll teach art to real students under supervision. You'll learn about teaching methods, classroom management, and curriculum development specific to art education. You could also look into School Direct programmes or Teach First for alternative routes into teaching.

Gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

After finishing your teacher training, you'll be officially recognised as a qualified teacher in the UK.

Achieving Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) is essential for teaching in most state-maintained schools in England and Wales. Your PGCE or other accredited teacher training programme will lead to QTS. Once you have QTS, you'll enter an 'induction year' where you continue to receive support and training as a newly qualified teacher (NQT) in your first teaching role, solidifying your skills and experience.

Start Your Teaching Career

Apply for Art Teacher Jobs

Start looking for job openings for Art Teachers in schools. This is your chance to put all your training into practice!

Search for 'Art Teacher' vacancies on school websites, local authority job portals, and national education job boards. Prepare a strong CV and a compelling cover letter that highlights your artistic skills, teaching experience, and passion for art education. Be ready to discuss your teaching philosophy and show examples of your work and potential lesson plans during interviews.

Continue Learning and Developing

Even when you're a teacher, there's always more to learn! Keep improving your art skills and teaching methods.

Attend professional development courses and workshops to stay updated with new art techniques, technologies, and educational practices. Join art teacher networks to share ideas and collaborate with other educators. Continue to create your own art to keep your skills sharp and inspire your students. Lifelong learning is key to being an excellent art teacher.

Inspire Young Artists

Your main goal is to help your students discover their inner artist and feel confident in their creative abilities.

Create an exciting and supportive classroom environment where students feel safe to experiment and express themselves. Design engaging and diverse art projects that cater to different learning styles and interests. Encourage critical thinking about art and foster a love for creativity that extends beyond the classroom. Celebrate their achievements and help them build their own unique artistic voices.

🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Art Teacher. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

🎓 View Apprenticeships

Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

An Art Teacher in a school setting, particularly one beyond early years or primary, primarily aligns with the responsibilities and qualifications of a Secondary School Teacher, specialising in art education for adolescents.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

University

Undergraduate degree

You can do an undergraduate degree that leads to qualified teacher status (QTS), for example:

  • Bachelor of Education (BEd)
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA) with QTS
  • Bachelor of Science (BSc) with QTS

Postgraduate certificate

If you already have a bachelor's degree without qualified teacher status, you can complete a postgraduate qualification like a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) to get QTS. This can be done at university or through a training programme based in a school.

You need QTS to teach in most primary and secondary schools in England but you do not need a PGCE to teach.

Find out more about QTS from Get Into Teaching.

You do not always need to have a degree in the subject you'd like to teach. Your teacher training organisation will decide whether you have the required skills and knowledge to teach the subject.

If your training organisation thinks you need to improve your subject knowledge, they will ask you to do a subject knowledge enhancement course.

Change careers to teaching

Find out about the support available if you want to change to a career in teaching.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

More Information

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply to do an Undergraduate or Postgraduate Teacher Level 6 Apprenticeship.

The undergraduate option takes up to 4 years to complete. The postgraduate route takes around 1 year, with both leading to qualified teacher status (QTS).

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths

  • a degree for a postgraduate teaching apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could start as a teaching assistant or learning mentor and do a part-time degree or an undergraduate teaching apprenticeship to gain qualified teacher status (QTS).

Volunteering

You might find it helpful to get some experience of working with young people.

You could volunteer at a school, do youth work or work on a holiday scheme.

More Information

Registration

Career tips

You can attend a Get Into Teaching event before you apply to get advice about teaching, funding and the different training routes available. You can attend events in person and online.

Further information

You can discover more about how to become a secondary school teacher from Get Into Teaching.

You can also search for jobs through the Teaching Vacancies service.

Interested in More Career Paths?

Explore other careers or use our AI to discover personalised paths based on your interests.

Browse All Careers Generate New Career Path

Stay connected

Join our newsletter to stay up to date on features and releases

Address
Developing Experts Limited
Exchange Street Buildings
35-37 Exchange Street
Norwich
NR2 1DP
UK

Phone
01603 273515

Email
[email protected]

Developing Experts

LessonsAboutResearchReportingPlans & Pricing

Legal

GDPRPrivacy PolicyTerms and ConditionsCookie Policy

Contact Us

Get in touchRequest SubscriptionChildren's CodeAbout UsCareers

Copyright 2026 Developing Experts, All rights reserved.