what is a reception teacher?
As a reception teacher, you promote a child's development through learning and play activities. Reception is the first year in primary school and the final year of the EYFS curriculum. Hence, reception teachers have a challenging role in introducing children to the school learning environment. It is an important class since children develop crucial cognitive, physical and emotional skills at this stage. As a reception teacher, you play a vital role in encouraging a positive attitude towards the school learning environment. You also set behavioural expectations for the children and build a strong understanding of numbers and reading.
You need to ensure your pupils have learned the basics of reading, writing and using numbers at the end of the reception class. Building solid literacy and numeracy skills is the foundation of all other learning activities. Apart from building educational concepts, you also ensure children develop personal, emotional and social skills. You teach them how to interact with others, empathise and work in a team.
As a reception teacher, you work in primary schools with nurseries or independent schools to implement the EYFS. In some regions of the UK, pupils skip the reception year, but it is compulsory in England and Wales.
Would working in education as a reception teacher suit your enthusiasm for helping children improve their learning? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a reception teacher role.
average salary of a reception teacher
According to ONS, the median salary of a reception teacher is £35,995 per year. Beginners start with a compensation package of £31,370 annually. When you increase your experience, your salary can surpass £46,000 per year.
As a permanent reception teacher, you enjoy various employment benefits like medical insurance and house or transport allowance. You also benefit from contributions to a pension scheme, paid annual leave days and sick days. While there is no overtime pay for work after hours, you can receive stipends for organising activities for children.
what factors affect the salary of a reception teacher?
As a reception teacher, your compensation package depends on the employer. You will probably enjoy a higher salary working for independent schools since their budgets are not restricted. If you work in state schools funded by the government or local authority, you earn a pre-determined salary depending on your years of experience. However, permanent reception teachers working for the government enjoy various benefits like job stability and guaranteed pay.
The location can also influence your earnings. For instance, major cities like London pay reception teachers higher salaries to match the cost of living. The demand for teachers is also high, enhancing your salary prospects.
types of reception teachers
Some types of reception teachers include:
- early years teachers: as an early years teacher, you train children between three and five years in basic literacy and numeracy skills. You prepare them for primary school by helping them learn how to write and read. You also help them get used to school routines and enjoy learning activities.
- nursery teachers: these reception teachers work with younger children between three and four years. If your pupils achieve the learning outcomes of the early years foundation stage, they can skip reception class if they meet the age requirements for joining a primary school.
working as a reception teacher
A reception teacher uses creativity and passion for helping children improve their learning outcomes and develop crucial literacy and numeracy skills. Read on to find out reception teachers' work schedules and career outlooks.
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reception teacher job description
Some of the duties and responsibilities of a reception teacher include:
- stimulating children's learning abilities: as a reception teacher, you motivate children to learn. You use games and stories to stimulate their learning abilities and encourage learning through experience. Motivating and stimulating learning in children improves their concentration and prepares them for more complex subjects.
- assisting with language and overall development: as a reception teacher, you help your pupils improve their language abilities. You introduce reading by teaching them to recognise letters, sounds and phonics and introduce common words and meanings. You also help them learn writing skills and basic numeracy like counting and shape recognition.
- supervising learning games and class activities: most reception class learning is play-based. That means you organise games and various group activities to help children understand concepts. You also supervise class activities and ensure pupils participate and understand the games' objectives. It is crucial to ensure children don't fight or lose concentration during the games.
- observing and evaluating children's progress: as a reception teacher, you need to pay attention to the pupils during learning activities and record their progress. The milestones like reading or counting are important in identifying their weak areas and improving teaching resources to help them. You prepare reports for the school and parents. If a child needs additional help or has a learning disability, you can inform the parents.
- staying updated on curriculum changes: as a reception teacher, you need to attend professional training programmes and watch out for changes in the curriculum. You should apply the changes to ensure pupils achieve learning objectives.
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work environment
As a reception teacher, your work environment is in primary schools, nurseries or children's centres. Most schools build an interactive reception class with various learning aids to motivate children to learn. You spend most of the day indoors, but you can also guide children on outdoor activities like games. The job involves minimal travelling since you will probably work near home. The only time you travel is during class trips or attending conferences.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on the school you work for and your employers, your colleagues may include primary teachers, KS1 teachers, early years teachers and nursery teachers. You may also work in close proximity to nursery nurses and teaching assistants, as well as other specialists that may include headteachers, special needs teachers and children's nurses.
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work schedule
The work schedule of a reception teacher depends on the work setting. When you work in nurseries that are open between 7.30 am and 6.30 pm, you will work 40 hours a week. However, most reception teachers work within school hours of 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. You have to arrive early to plan for learning activities and leave late after evaluating pupils and recording their progress. You may also work extra hours during school events or when you have to attend staff meetings. Part-time opportunities are available for reception teachers, but you cannot teach young children remotely.
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job outlook
As a reception teacher, you have many opportunities to build your career. For instance, you can build on your qualifications to become a primary or secondary teacher. Some reception teachers explore options for special educational needs and learning disabilities. Working as a reception teacher can also lead to administrative roles like school administrator or supervisory roles like local authority advisory roles in children's education.
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advantages of finding a reception teacher job through randstad
Finding your reception teacher job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a reception teacher is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
Some of the qualifications a reception teacher needs include:
- undergraduate degree: you need early years teacher status (EYTS) to become a reception teacher. You can qualify through Early Years Initial Teacher Training (EYITT) schemes at undergraduate level. When you complete a degree in early childhood related subjects, you will gain the EYTS status.
- graduate-entry: if you have an undergraduate degree that doesn't lead to EYTS, you can complete a 12-month graduate programme to become a reception teacher. Part-time graduate entry routes are also available if you want to meet teachers' qualification requirements.
- work experience: having qualifications isn't enough. You need hands-on experience. You can participate in volunteer programmes in nurseries or find internship opportunities.
skills and competencies
A reception teacher needs the following qualities and characteristics:
- ability to enthuse and motivate: as a reception teacher, you need to encourage and motivate children to participate in learning activities. Your enthusiasm influences the children's reactions to your teaching methods and keeps them interested in the learning activities.
- storytelling skills: as a reception teacher, you ensure children look forward to school and learning activities. Children love good stories, and if you are a good storyteller and have a great sense of humour, they will be looking forward to your classes. Storytelling skills also help you impart various values to children through moral lessons.
- ability to work independently: as a reception teacher, you manage your classroom activities. Hence, you need to be a good classroom manager and work under minimal supervision.
- planning and organisational skills: reception teachers need to plan learning activities before class and prepare teaching aids. You also need organisational skills to manage various tasks associated with the role. For instance, you have to teach pupils, organise games and group activities and complete administrative work like updating progress and writing reports.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a reception teacher
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what does teaching reception mean?
Reception is the first year in primary school and welcomes children between four and five years. Teaching reception usually involves imparting numeracy and literacy skills to children to prepare them for primary education.
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what do you need to be a reception teacher?
To become a reception teacher, you need an undergraduate degree in an early childhood-related subject. The degree should give you an early years teacher status, the minimum requirement for teaching reception class.
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what skills do you need as a reception teacher?
As a reception teacher, you need to be creative to enthuse and motivate children. You also need a great sense of humour and storytelling abilities to relate to children.
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can you become a reception teacher without a degree?
The most important qualification for reception teachers is the Early Years Teacher Status. To achieve the qualification, you need to complete a degree course.
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how do I apply for a reception teacher vacancy?
Applying for a reception teacher job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
