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It’s often thought that teaching is teaching – and schools are broad churches in which every teacher should be able to thrive.  

But that would be to misunderstand just how varied schools can be – in mission, ideology, leadership, curriculum, pedagogy, and pupil population. And don't underestimate the potential impact of variables such as where you are living, your ambitions, preferences and personality.  

If you have a 40-minute commute in heavy traffic to a school larger than one you would ideally wish to work in, and it is somewhere that prioritises subjects you feel are less important than others, then dissatisfaction can quickly creep in.  

But by using a list of pre-application checks, you have a better chance of finding and teaching in a school that’s the right fit. 

So, what checks might you want to run? Here are seven to get you started. Some may seem obvious, but they are often overlooked. 

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This may seem like an aspect you would carefully consider. However, so many teachers compromise on distance (either selecting schools closer or further away than originally intended) because they like a school. 

A commute that is slightly longer than you were hoping for may seem manageable for the first few weeks, but you need to think about whether you will be as tolerant of it in the depths of winter on the fourth day of a road diversion that makes that 10 minutes more like 30 minutes. 

And at the other end of the scale, perhaps you want to teach far enough away from work to have a personal life, but the school down the road seems so perfect, you decide that the risk of running into students is worth it. But how will you feel after the third time you run into a parent in the supermarket? 

Think through every eventuality and be sure that if you compromise your original boundaries, it is for good reasons. 

Likewise, be sure of your reasons for a specified search area. For new teachers, this can be particularly important.  

If you are a young teacher beginning your career, deciding where you want to teach is “all about personality”, says Peter Mattock, director of maths and numeracy at Brockington College in Leicester. 

“If you are the sort of person who wants to go and explore, and who thrives on independence, then you can use teaching as an opportunity to see new places, meet new people and work in a different environment,” he explains. 

“If you prefer a settled life and you like having friends close by, then applying for jobs in and around your local area is probably best for you in terms of your own mental health and wellbeing.” 

2. Size of school

Just as some people prefer the bustle of a city centre to the tranquillity of a village green, teachers often have a preference for the size of school they wish to work in. 

For some, the all-hands-on-deck, multi-tasking environment of a small school, where everyone mucks in and you know every child and family like your own, is perfect. For others, being in a huge school with a defined role and a wide mix of children and backgrounds is ideal. And there are large areas of grey in between.  

Think about what makes you tick as a teacher and as a person – and try to map that on to how a school operates.  

For example, in a smaller school, you are less likely to have a department of five or six teachers with which to share your planning. Depending on the type of person you are, that will be a good or a bad thing. 

3. Support networks 

Schools differ in how closely they scaffold support for teachers. For some, it is all about compulsory team-building days, yoga after school and bans on any work being done after 7pm. For others, there is less compulsory support, and more networks and interventions if and when they are needed. 

Are you someone who needs the former or latter approach? Neither is better or worse than the other, but individuals will respond differently to each.  

Talk to teachers on your visit or interview day and suss out how things are done in that school.  

4. Multiple jobs available 

If a school you are applying for is advertising multiple jobs at once, then you need to think about why that might be. 

It could be that teachers are leaving because of unhappiness. It may be simply that one teacher announced they were leaving and it sparked several others to think about their own careers. 

It may be that a new headteacher has arrived with new systems and those that do not buy into the new way of working are seeking employment elsewhere. Never assume that it is any one of these scenarios without doing some research and talking to the headteacher and staff.  

5. Job progression 

It might sound like a job-interview cliché, but knowing where you see yourself in five years is something you need to be clear about. 

From there, you can work out whether the school you are applying to fits your proposed career path. Will it offer you the opportunities, training and support you need? 

6. Is a mainstream school really for you? 

Ask yourself which students you want to teach, as this is helpful in allowing you to narrow down your job search. 

“If you’ve found you’ve really enjoyed working with certain groups of students, you may want to explore working in a setting that specialises in supporting students with special educational needs and disability or a pupil referral unit,” says Rebecca Foster, head of English at St Edmund’s Girls School in Salisbury.  

Many teachers find their way to alternative provision and suddenly feel at home for the first time. Think carefully about what you enjoy most about your job – it may be that mainstream schools are not the right fit for you.  

7. Pedagogy matters 

The majority of schools will enable a degree of freedom in how you teach, but some may have a preferred method, and a few may dictate your teaching style. 

You need to do in-depth homework on how the school likes its teachers to teach and how much prescription is involved.  

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Originally published 2019 and updated in 2026