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Art Teacher

View this career for different education levels:

Primary Secondary Post-16

An Art Teacher in the UK plays a crucial role in nurturing creativity, artistic skill, and critical thinking in students, typically across primary or secondary school age ranges. This career involves designing and delivering engaging lessons that cover a wide spectrum of art forms and techniques, from drawing, painting, and sculpture to digital art, textiles, and ceramics. You'll be responsible for developing students' understanding of art history and theory, helping them to analyse and interpret artworks, and providing constructive feedback on their practical creations. Beyond classroom teaching, the role often includes preparing students for examinations like GCSEs and A Levels, organising exhibitions of student work, and running extracurricular art clubs or workshops. It's a dynamic and rewarding profession that requires passion for art, strong communication skills, and the ability to inspire and motivate young people to explore their artistic potential. You'll need to manage classroom behaviour, assess student progress, and collaborate with colleagues to contribute to the overall school environment. It's not just about teaching techniques, but about fostering a lifelong appreciation for art and creative expression.

Art Teacher

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📊 Statistics

Average Salary Range

For a qualified Art Teacher in the UK, the starting salary for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) typically ranges from £30,000 to £36,745, depending on location (e.g., higher in London). Experienced teachers can earn up to £46,525, and those in leadership roles could earn considerably more.

Job Outlook

The demand for qualified teachers across all subjects, including art, remains steady in the UK. While specific numbers for art teachers are not always isolated, the Department for Education consistently recruits for secondary education, with art being a core creative subject offered in most schools.

Working Hours

Full time Art Teachers typically work around 32.5 hours per week during term time, which includes teaching periods, lesson planning, marking, and administrative tasks. However, many teachers dedicate additional hours outside of these to prepare lessons, mark work, and participate in extracurricular activities.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Secondary School Art and Design Teacher

Specialise in teaching Art and Design to teenagers in secondary education (ages 11-18), covering various mediums and art history, preparing students for GCSE and A Level exams. Requires a PGCE or School Direct training.

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Art Workshop Facilitator

Design and deliver creative art workshops for specific age groups or communities outside of traditional school settings, perhaps for local councils, charities, or private art studios. Focus could be on particular techniques or themes.

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Museum or Gallery Educator

Develop and lead educational programmes, tours, and workshops for visitors of all ages, including schools, within a museum or art gallery setting. This role combines art education with curatorial understanding and public engagement.

Build Your Foundation

Achieve a Strong Degree in Art or Design

Obtain an undergraduate degree in a relevant artistic field, such as Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, or Art History, to build a strong theoretical and practical foundation.

Many universities across the UK offer excellent Bachelor's degrees in various art and design disciplines. Look for courses that include practical studio work, critical theory, and opportunities to develop your own portfolio. A strong degree not only provides you with in-depth knowledge and skills but also demonstrates your passion and commitment to the subject. Consider what specialisms within art genuinely excite you, as this will inform your teaching style.

Develop a Diverse Art Portfolio

Create a varied portfolio showcasing your artistic skills, techniques, and creative range across different mediums. This will be crucial for demonstrating your capabilities.

Your portfolio should not only highlight your technical proficiency in areas like drawing, painting, sculpture, digital art, or printmaking, but also reflect your unique artistic voice and conceptual thinking. Include a range of finished pieces, sketchbooks, and works in progress. This portfolio will be a key asset when applying for teaching programmes and future jobs, as it demonstrates what you can teach and inspire in others.

Gain Experience with Young People

Volunteer or work in settings with children or young people, such as youth clubs, holiday camps, or art workshops, to develop your communication and teaching skills.

Understanding how to interact with and manage groups of young people is invaluable for a future teacher. This experience will help you develop patience, learn different communication styles, and understand classroom dynamics even before you step into a formal teaching environment. It also allows you to see if working with young people is truly a good fit for you and provides valuable practical examples for your personal statement and interviews.

Gain Teaching Qualifications

Complete a PGCE or SCITT Programme

Undertake a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) or School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

A PGCE or SCITT programme is the most common route to becoming a qualified teacher in the UK. These year-long courses combine university-based study of educational theory and pedagogy with practical placements in schools. You'll learn how to plan lessons, manage a classroom, assess student work, and understand the national curriculum for Art and Design. Look for programmes that offer a secondary education specialism, as this will align with teaching art to students aged 11-18.

Specialise in Art and Design Education

Ensure your teacher training focuses specifically on Art and Design to develop expertise in teaching the subject across different key stages.

During your PGCE or SCITT, you'll be placed in schools where you can apply your artistic knowledge to the classroom setting. This specialisation means you'll learn specific teaching methodologies for art, how to set up and manage an art studio, and how to teach a diverse range of artistic techniques and art history effectively. You'll also learn about different assessment methods relevant to creative subjects.

Undergo Enhanced DBS Check

Successfully complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which is mandatory for working with children and vulnerable adults.

The enhanced DBS check is a crucial part of safeguarding procedures in the UK and will be a requirement for all teacher training programmes and employment. It involves checking your criminal record and any information held by local police forces. Your training provider or future employer will guide you through this process, but it's important to be aware that it's a necessary step to ensure you are suitable to work in a school environment.

Start Your Teaching Career

Complete Your NQT Induction Year

Successfully complete your Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) induction year, where you will receive support and mentoring while teaching in a school.

After gaining your QTS, you will undertake an NQT induction year, which is a statutory requirement to become a fully registered teacher. During this year, you'll have a reduced timetable, a dedicated mentor, and structured professional development. This period is essential for consolidating your skills, gaining confidence, and applying everything you've learned in a real-world setting. Your performance will be assessed against the Teachers' Standards.

Apply for Art Teacher Positions

Search and apply for Art Teacher vacancies in primary, secondary schools, or further education colleges that match your qualifications and career aspirations.

Utilise online job boards, school websites, and education recruitment agencies to find suitable roles. Tailor your CV and cover letter to highlight your art specialism, teaching experience, and passion for inspiring creativity in young people. Be prepared to discuss your portfolio, teaching philosophy, and classroom management strategies during interviews. Demonstrate enthusiasm for contributing to the school's wider arts programme.

Engage in Continuous Professional Development

Regularly participate in training, workshops, and courses to keep your artistic skills and teaching methodologies up-to-date.

The field of art and education is constantly evolving. Staying current with new artistic trends, technologies, and pedagogical approaches is crucial for an effective Art Teacher. This could involve attending art exhibitions, taking professional development courses in new software or mediums, or collaborating with other art educators. Continuous learning not only enhances your teaching but also keeps your own creative practice vibrant and inspiring.

🎯 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 the context of the UK education system typically teaches art to students in secondary schools, focusing on art history, practical techniques, and creative expression, aligning with the responsibilities of a Secondary School Teacher who specialises in a particular subject.

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.

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