A template for English teachers who turn lesson plans into real reading scores and grade boundaries crossed.
English teachers plan and deliver lessons, run the classroom, mark work, and report progress to parents and leadership. The job mixes literature and language study with the practical side: differentiated tasks for mixed-ability classes, GCSE and A-level prep in the UK or state exams in the US, and a steady stream of marking. You usually report to a head of English or a curriculum lead, and you sit on a department team that shares schemes of work. The best teachers keep a room calm, adapt fast when a lesson isn't landing, and back claims with results. Recruiters read for your teaching qualification first, then for a number that proves students learned something. So lead with both.
QTS-qualified English teacher with 8 years in UK secondary schools, teaching English Language and Literature across KS3 to KS5. Lifted GCSE English Language pass rates from 68% to 81% over two years and led a whole-school guided reading programme that moved a struggling Year 8 cohort up close to a full reading age. Strong on differentiated instruction, AQA exam prep, and clear parent communication.
Qualification, curriculum, and outcomes, in that order. A line like "Raised GCSE English Language pass rate from 68% to 81% over two years" beats "taught English" every time. Recruiters want to see QTS or state licensure up top, the exam specs you know (GCSE, A-level, AQA, Edexcel, or US state standards), and proof you can move a class. Safeguarding training and a current DBS or background check are now standard checks, so name them. If you've led intervention groups, run a department initiative, or mentored a trainee, that signals you're more than a timetable filler.
Lesson planning, classroom management, differentiated instruction, and assessment for learning are the core four. Add curriculum mapping, GCSE and A-level prep, phonics or guided reading for younger cohorts, and ESL or EAL methodology if you teach non-native speakers. List the tools you actually use: Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, or a school MIS like SIMS or Arbor. Parent communication and behaviour management belong on the page too, since heads of department ask about both in every interview.
The biggest one is no outcomes. A CV full of duties ("planned lessons, marked books, met parents") tells a recruiter nothing about whether your students improved. The second is burying your qualification three jobs deep when QTS or licensure is the first thing screened. Don't pad with generic phrases, and don't claim a percentage you can't defend in interview. And skip the two-paragraph personal statement that says you're passionate about young people; show it with a result instead.
Two pages is right for most teachers, one page if you're newly qualified. Lead with your teaching qualification and the curriculum you teach, then a short summary with one results figure. Use reverse-chronological experience, three or four bullets per role, and start each bullet with a verb. Keep fonts plain and consistent so applicant tracking systems read it cleanly, and save as PDF unless the school asks for a Word file.
Figures in USD. Ranges reflect mid-level experience (3–7 years). Senior roles and major metro areas typically sit at the top of these bands.
State and independent secondary schools, multi-academy trusts, and ESL providers all screen the same way: teaching qualification, curriculum experience, and an outcome they can read in five seconds. In the UK that's QTS plus GCSE and A-level English; in the US it's state licensure plus exam results. List your DBS or background check, your safeguarding training, and any exam-board moderation work. Put your qualification, the curriculum you've taught, and one results figure near the top, because that's where recruiters stop scrolling.
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