If you have been teaching for a number of years and consider yourself to be an experienced teacher you may want to think about the possibility of working as a head teacher in a primary school but are you ready for this step in terms of qualifications and experience?

Previously head teachers had to hold the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), but this is no longer the case, and any experienced teacher can apply for a post as head of a school. There is however some experience that will help the application such as being part of the senior leadership team or holding a deputy head post in a school. These roles involve the management of the school and how it is run and so gives the teacher a deeper insight into what running a school entails.

For any teacher that wants to take this step in their career, professional development training should be sought that will focus on the management aspects of the school as well as the teaching and learning. These courses may be able to be completed in the evenings or during the school day.

Applying for a headship post at a different school to the one you currently work in will mean that you will need to conduct some research into the school and its ethos and be prepared to discuss at interview the skills you have and how they will benefit the school staff, pupils and other stakeholders.

Learning and education is not always easy, especially for some pupils. It may be that they struggle with certain tasks or subjects and find it easy to become distracted. It is vital that you keep students motivated in order to ensure that they get the most out of their learning. A student who is not motivated and has low morale is unlikely to progress well in their education.

Although the national curriculum requires specific information be taught to ensure an equal education for children around the country, there is a little room for flexibility. If the children are particularly interested in a certain part of the topic, it may help motivate them by focusing on it a little more or tyring to incorporate that into other areas of learning too. For example, if they like learning about the dinosaurs then you may be able to theme some of the maths work and English work you do around dinosaurs.

Children can get bored if they are made to sit still for long periods of time. Try and make sure that you give them breaks and get them moving from time to time. Even doing a bit of exercise before sitting down to learn has been shown to increase productivity.

After gaining a few years teaching experience many teachers start to think about their career progression and whether they want to stay at classroom teacher level or whether they have an ambition to become a lead teacher, deputy head or a head teacher. If you want to gain promotion it may not be possible to stay at the school where you are currently working as it will depend on there being a vacant role. Should a promotion opportunity exist in your school it is important to let the senior team know your intention to apply and ask how you could improve your chances of being successful. Taking on extra, sometimes unpaid, responsibilities to benefit the school is always worthwhile and will add to your skill set. Additional qualifications or specialisms gained such as the ability to lead on a subject will be invaluable in your quest for promotion too.

If you need to set your sights further afield, applying for a new job can be stressful but it can also be seen as an exciting way to pursue new challenges. Your application form should convey your desire to progress in your career and clearly state your qualifications and any experience you have gained in your present role.

As the summer holidays approach lots of teachers are looking forward to a well earned rest, but before they can completely switch off, they need to think about preparing for the new term. Some teachers prefer to get everything done at the start of the holiday where as others like to have a good few weeks where they don’t have to think about work and go in at the end of the holidays.

If you are moving classrooms then you will probably have even more work to do than others. Ideally you want to start preparing for this during the last week or so of school. Start by taking down displays and sorting out cupboards so when the time come to move your stuff, it is relatively easy.

If you are going in during the holidays, you may want to time it when other members of staff are mostly off site. This will allow you to get on with your tasks without disruption and you will probably find that you get much more done this way.

It may be a good idea to have two or three days in school at the start of the holiday and then go back in for a day or two at the end just to finish off. Teachers often say that they can relax more when they know the majority of their work has been done.

The majority of A level exams have now been completed and many students are taking a well earned break to recoup and have a much needed rest. If a student is wanting to go to university they will need to wait until they have got their A level results to check if they have been accepted on to the course and university of their choice.

It can be a big change when you make the switch from a school or college to university and you may find it hard to adapt initially. University is quite often about independent learning, and you have to be motivated to work on your own, meet deadlines, revise and research. You will not be pushed as much as at school to attend, so if you do not put the effort in the chances are you will not be successful. Without drive and determination you’ll likely to struggle with the university workload and timetable.

You are paying for your lecturer’s time (unlike schools where education is mandatory for younger pupils) and if you decide to reject their advice and wisdom then they do not necessarily have the obligation to chase you up and demand attention