Secondary School Teacher CV Example in 2026

The top third of your Secondary School Teacher CV should help the reader decide whether you can teach the subject, manage the class, and contribute to the department they are hiring for. That means your profile should not open with a generic statement about loving education. It should name your subject, your phase or qualification coverage, and the evidence that makes you credible.

A secondary school hiring panel may include HR, the head of department, a senior leader, and sometimes governors. They will often be comparing candidates who all have teaching experience or relevant training. Your first job is to make your fit easy to locate.

For example, this is stronger than a vague profile:

Secondary English teacher with 6 years of experience across KS3 and KS4, including GCSE literature and language preparation, mixed-attainment teaching, retrieval practice, and intervention support for pupils below target. Known for calm classroom routines, precise feedback, and collaborative work with pastoral and SEN teams.

That paragraph works because it answers specific questions. It tells the reader what the teacher teaches, where they teach it, what kind of work they do, and what school-facing strengths they bring.

A weaker version would say the teacher is enthusiastic, hardworking, and committed to helping every pupil achieve. Those qualities may be true, but they do not prove readiness for a secondary classroom. Use the profile to set up your evidence, not to make claims you never support.

If you are an early career teacher, keep the same logic. Mention your subject, placement settings, QTS or expected QTS, key stages, and classroom evidence from training. A Secondary School Teacher CV for an ECT can still sound strong if it is honest about scope.

For instance:

Trainee secondary science teacher due to gain QTS in July 2026, with placement experience across KS3 biology, chemistry, and physics, plus GCSE biology support. Confident planning sequenced lessons, using retrieval starters, applying school behaviour routines, and adapting resources for pupils with SEND and EAL needs.

That sounds more useful than pretending to have long experience. Schools understand career stage. They still want to see reflection, subject knowledge, and practical classroom habits.

Secondary teaching is subject-led. Your CV should make your subject specialism obvious in the headline, profile, qualifications, teaching experience, and skills section. Do not rely on the job title alone.

For a maths teacher, that might include KS3 mastery, GCSE higher and foundation tiers, numeracy intervention, exam preparation, and use of diagnostic assessment. For an English teacher, it might include literature texts, language analysis, writing development, reading confidence, or spoken language work. For science, it might include biology, chemistry, physics, practical work, health and safety, and exam-board familiarity.

The same principle applies to humanities, arts, languages, PE, computing, and technology subjects. Hiring teams want to know whether your subject evidence matches their timetable. A broad teacher CV might be fine for a general page, but a Secondary School Teacher CV should show what you can teach on Monday morning.

Use your experience bullets to connect subject knowledge to classroom action:

• Planned GCSE English lessons on unseen poetry, using model responses and structured retrieval to help pupils build exam confidence.
• Delivered KS3 geography units on coasts and urbanisation, adapting case studies for mixed-attainment groups and checking understanding through low-stakes quizzes.
• Supported Year 11 foundation maths pupils with targeted intervention on ratio, proportion, and algebra after mock analysis showed recurring gaps.

Each bullet names the subject context, the teaching action, and the reason it mattered. That is much more persuasive than listing “lesson planning” without detail.

If your degree does not perfectly match the subject you teach, do not hide it. Use your CV to show how you have built the required subject knowledge through training, school experience, subject knowledge enhancement, CPD, mentoring, or exam-board work. The National Careers Service notes that a training organisation decides whether candidates have the required subject knowledge and may ask for subject knowledge enhancement where needed. Your CV should reflect the same practical question: what evidence shows you can teach this subject safely and confidently?

A Secondary School Teacher CV should tell the reader which year groups and qualifications you have taught. This matters because secondary schools often recruit against timetable gaps. A department may need a teacher who can take Year 7 transition groups, Year 10 GCSE classes, sixth-form groups, vocational pathways, or mixed KS3 and KS4 timetables.

Add coverage in your profile if it is central to the role. Add more detail in the experience section.

Useful phrases include:

• KS3 and KS4 English teaching
• GCSE language and literature preparation
• A level sociology teaching
• BTEC sport assessment support
• Year 7 transition and reading intervention
• Year 11 exam revision classes
• mixed-attainment KS3 groups
• higher and foundation GCSE maths groups
• sixth-form tutorial support

Do not overclaim. If you supported A level lessons but did not lead the class, say that. If you taught GCSE groups during placement but not as a permanent class teacher, write it accurately. A good CV sounds confident because it is precise, not because it inflates responsibility.

You can also mention exam boards where they strengthen the fit. For example, “supported AQA GCSE English language preparation” or “planned Edexcel GCSE maths revision sessions” can help, especially when the advert names a board. Keep the wording concise. The CV is not the place for a full syllabus commentary.

Planning, marking, assessment, and feedback appear on almost every teaching CV. The difference between a weak and strong Secondary School Teacher CV is whether those words show practical impact.

Instead of saying you planned lessons and marked work, explain how you used planning and assessment to support learning. Schools want to see that you can spot gaps, adapt teaching, and follow through.

Stronger bullets might read:

• Used mock exam analysis to identify recurring gaps in analysis and structure, then planned short intervention tasks for Year 11 pupils before the next assessment point.
• Built retrieval starters into KS3 history lessons so pupils revisited prior knowledge before moving into new content.
• Adjusted seating plans, questioning, and support materials after assessment showed weaker confidence in extended written responses.
• Worked with the department to moderate sample work and align expectations before a shared assessment window.

These bullets show a teaching cycle: plan, teach, assess, adapt. That is more useful than listing duties in isolation.

Be careful with attainment claims. If you have verified results, use them responsibly. If you do not, focus on the action and context rather than inventing a percentage. For example, “supported pupils below target through weekly revision sessions” is safer than claiming you raised attainment unless you can prove it.

A Secondary School Teacher CV can still be strong without dramatic metrics. Schools often value consistent routines, targeted support, and reliable follow-through. Evidence can be qualitative when it is specific.

Behaviour management is one of the most important parts of a secondary teacher CV, but it is easy to write badly. Avoid heroic claims about transforming challenging classes. They often sound exaggerated and can distract from your everyday classroom practice.

Use calmer, practical language:

• clear routines
• consistent expectations
• low-level disruption follow-up
• positive relationships
• restorative conversations
• seating plans
• visible instructions
• school behaviour policy
• communication with tutors and pastoral leads
• support for pupils who need structure

For example:

• Improved the start of lessons for two Year 9 groups by introducing consistent retrieval tasks, visible instructions, and follow-up routines aligned with the school behaviour policy.
• Used seating plans, calm narration, and agreed escalation routes to reduce low-level disruption and keep learning time focused.
• Worked with heads of year and parents to support pupils who needed clearer expectations across lessons.

These examples sound like real school work. They show control without turning the CV into a behaviour case study.

If the school advert refers to high expectations, inclusion, pastoral care, or behaviour systems, mirror that language carefully. Do not copy long phrases from the advert. Select the evidence from your work history that proves you can operate within that environment.

Safeguarding belongs on a Secondary School Teacher CV, but it should be handled with care. You do not need to describe confidential cases. You do need to show that safeguarding awareness is part of your professional conduct.

The Department for Education’s Teachers’ Standards set minimum expectations for teacher practice and conduct, and the GOV.UK QTS guidance explains that QTS is a legal requirement in many English schools. For CV purposes, that means your qualifications and conduct evidence should be visible, accurate, and easy to verify.

You can include safeguarding in three places:

1. In the skills section, as “safeguarding awareness” or “safeguarding procedures”.
2. In qualifications or additional training, such as “Safeguarding in Education training”.
3. In experience, where you can say you followed school procedures, recorded concerns appropriately, or worked with pastoral staff without giving sensitive detail.

A useful bullet might be:

• Followed safeguarding and pastoral procedures carefully, recording concerns through the school system and escalating to designated staff when required.

That is enough. Avoid naming pupils, situations, or confidential details.

Your work experience section should be reverse chronological, with the most relevant role first. For each role, include the job title, school or organisation, location if useful, dates, and concise bullets.

A Secondary School Teacher CV normally benefits from four to six bullets for the most recent role and two to four for earlier roles. More senior or experienced teachers can use slightly more detail if every bullet adds value.

Use this pattern:

Action + classroom or department context + outcome or purpose.

Examples:

• Planned and delivered KS3 and KS4 English lessons for mixed-attainment groups, using retrieval practice and model responses to strengthen written analysis.
• Created short intervention tasks after mock exam review, helping Year 11 pupils focus revision on specific gaps in structure and evidence.
• Contributed to department moderation by comparing sample work against assessment criteria and refining shared feedback expectations.
• Liaised with tutors, parents, and pastoral staff to support pupils whose attendance or behaviour affected progress.
• Mentored a trainee teacher during a KS3 poetry unit, sharing resources and modelling behaviour routines.

For an ECT or trainee teacher, the structure is similar:

• Planned and taught KS3 science lessons during placement, using questioning and mini whiteboards to check understanding before independent tasks.
• Adapted resources for pupils with SEND by simplifying instructions, adding visual prompts, and checking progress during practical activities.
• Reflected on mentor feedback after observations and adjusted lesson pacing, transitions, and modelling in later lessons.

Notice that none of these bullets uses inflated language. They show what happened in the classroom.

Many secondary teachers have mixed experience: placements, supply teaching, tutoring, cover supervision, intervention roles, teaching assistant work, exam invigilation, youth work, or private tuition. Your CV can use that evidence, but it needs to be organised clearly.

If you are applying for a qualified secondary teacher post, put qualified teaching roles and placements ahead of unrelated jobs. If tutoring or supply teaching is your strongest evidence, include it, but frame it around the skills the school needs.

For tutoring, focus on diagnostic support, subject knowledge, confidence building, exam preparation, and progress tracking. Avoid making it sound identical to classroom teaching if it was one-to-one.

For supply teaching, show adaptability, behaviour routines, following cover plans, and working across year groups. If you did long-term supply in one department, treat it closer to a teaching role and give more detail.

For teaching assistant or learning mentor roles, show how the experience supports your teacher application: SEND adaptation, pastoral awareness, classroom support, small-group work, literacy or numeracy intervention, or behaviour follow-up.

A useful line might be:

• Supported Year 8 and Year 9 pupils in English lessons as a teaching assistant, adapting instructions and helping pupils apply teacher feedback during written tasks.

That line does not pretend to be the class teacher. It still proves useful secondary experience.

For most candidates, education should sit after work experience. For trainees, ECTs, or career changers, education and training may need to sit higher because QTS, PGCE, placement experience, and subject knowledge are central to the application.

Include:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), awarded or expected
• PGCE, PGDE, BEd, BA/BSc with QTS, School Direct, SCITT, apprenticeship, or assessment-only route where relevant
• degree subject and university
• safeguarding training
• subject knowledge enhancement where useful
• exam-board training or relevant CPD
• SEND, behaviour, literacy, numeracy, or assessment CPD if relevant to the role

Do not clutter the education section with every short course you have ever taken. Prioritise what a school would use to judge readiness.

If your QTS is pending, be clear:

PGCE Secondary Mathematics with QTS, expected July 2026

If you trained outside England, avoid vague wording. Use the accurate route, such as QTS awarded in England, QTS application in progress, eligible to teach in Wales, or registered with the relevant devolved body. Teaching status rules differ across the UK, so your CV should not blur them.

A skills section helps scanning, especially when HR teams or applicant tracking systems compare your CV with the advert. But it should not become a long collection of generic soft skills.

Split your Secondary School Teacher CV skills into two groups:

Role-specific skills

• Subject teaching
• KS3 and KS4 lesson planning
• GCSE preparation
• Assessment and feedback
• Retrieval practice
• Behaviour management
• Differentiation and adaptive teaching
• SEND support
• Safeguarding procedures
• Parent and carer communication
• Curriculum sequencing
• Department collaboration
• Revision and intervention planning
• Use of SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, or other school systems where accurate

Working strengths

• Communication
• Organisation
• Patience
• Calm under pressure
• Collaboration
• Reflective practice
• Time management
• Professional judgement
• Relationship building

Avoid unsupported adjectives such as passionate, dynamic, and inspirational. They do not help unless the CV proves them. Schools would rather see the routine, evidence, and conduct that make those qualities believable.

A Secondary School Teacher CV should change slightly for each application. You do not need to rewrite everything. You do need to adjust the top section, first few bullets, and skills order so they match the vacancy.

Read the advert for clues:

• Does it emphasise GCSE outcomes, KS3 curriculum, sixth form, pastoral care, SEND, behaviour, EAL, literacy, enrichment, or curriculum development?
• Is the school an academy, maintained school, independent school, faith school, grammar school, comprehensive, pupil referral unit, special school, or sixth-form setting?
• Does the department need a specific subject specialism, exam-board experience, or extra-curricular contribution?
• Does the advert mention evidence-informed practice, retrieval, literacy, inclusion, high expectations, or raising attainment?

Then choose your evidence accordingly.

For an exam-focused role, bring mock analysis, revision, assessment, and feedback higher. For a KS3 curriculum role, emphasise sequencing, transition, literacy, and engagement. For a role with pastoral responsibility, include tutor work, communication, safeguarding, and collaboration with heads of year. For a school with a strong SEND focus, show adaptive teaching and collaboration with the SENCO.

Do not link to retired or irrelevant internal pages when you use Modern CV resources. Useful canonical pages include Teacher CV Example, Primary School Teacher CV Example, Teaching Assistant CV Example, Tutor CV Example, School Administrator CV Example, Teaching CV guide, CV structure guide, Skills on CV guide, and Work Experience on CV guide.

Most secondary teacher CVs should be one to two pages. A trainee or ECT can usually keep it to one page if evidence is focused. An experienced teacher may need two pages, especially with multiple schools, exam groups, CPD, and wider department contribution.

Use clear headings:

• Contact details
• Profile
• Key skills
• Teaching experience
• Education and qualifications
• Additional training
• Volunteering or tutoring if relevant
• References available on request, if you choose to include that line

Use reverse chronological order. Keep dates consistent. Use bullet points for teaching evidence. Avoid dense paragraphs, decorative graphics, photos, date of birth, marital status, national insurance number, or full home address.

Your contact section should usually include name, phone, email, general location, LinkedIn if professional, and a portfolio link only if it helps. Many teachers do not need a portfolio, but a concise teaching portfolio can be useful for career changers, creative subjects, or candidates with lesson resources they can discuss at interview.

Keep the tone restrained. Schools want professional judgement, not sales language.

Secondary history teacher with 8 years of experience across KS3, GCSE, and A level, including exam preparation, curriculum sequencing, and intervention for pupils below target. Confident using assessment evidence to adapt planning, maintain clear routines, and contribute to department moderation and resource development.

This profile works because it is specific. It gives subject, stage, teaching activities, and departmental value.

Early career secondary maths teacher with QTS and placement experience across KS3 and GCSE foundation groups. Confident planning structured lessons, using retrieval practice to revisit prior learning, applying school behaviour routines, and adapting worked examples for pupils who need extra support.

This version does not pretend the teacher is experienced. It shows practical readiness.

Career changer training as a secondary computing teacher, with 9 years of industry experience in software support and a PGCE with QTS expected in July 2026. Brings strong subject knowledge, clear technical communication, and placement evidence in KS3 programming, digital literacy, and classroom routines.

This example connects previous career value to secondary teaching without overloading the profile.

Use these as models, not copy-and-paste text:

• Planned KS3 English lessons that combined reading, vocabulary, and structured writing practice, using short retrieval tasks to revisit prior learning.
• Supported Year 11 pupils below target through small-group GCSE revision sessions focused on exam structure, quotation use, and timed responses.
• Used assessment evidence to identify common misconceptions, then adapted lesson modelling and independent tasks for the following sequence.
• Applied school behaviour routines consistently, using seating plans, visible instructions, and calm follow-up to protect learning time.
• Worked with the SENCO and teaching assistants to adapt resources for pupils with dyslexia, ADHD, and working-memory needs.
• Communicated with parents and carers after assessment points, explaining next steps and encouraging practical revision routines at home.
• Contributed to department moderation by reviewing sample work and aligning feedback expectations across shared classes.
• Organised an after-school revision club, using targeted activities and model answers to help pupils prepare for mock exams.
• Reflected on lesson observation feedback and adjusted transitions, questioning, and independent-practice tasks in subsequent lessons.
• Supported extracurricular subject engagement through debating club, reading group, science club, sports fixtures, coding club, or another relevant activity.

PGCE Secondary English with QTS, University of Leeds, 2018 Placement experience across KS3 and KS4, with focus on English language, literature, assessment, and behaviour management.

BA English Literature, University of Sheffield, 2017 Developed subject knowledge in literature, analysis, writing, and communication.

Additional training Safeguarding in Education; GCSE English assessment CPD; SEND adaptive teaching workshop.

Subject teaching, curriculum sequencing, lesson planning, GCSE preparation, assessment and feedback, retrieval practice, behaviour management, adaptive teaching, SEND support, safeguarding procedures, parent communication, department collaboration, revision planning, digital classroom tools, pastoral awareness.

Clear communication, calm authority, organisation, patience, professional judgement, collaboration, reflective practice, time management, resilience, relationship building.

A skills section should support the evidence in your work history. If you list “GCSE preparation”, your experience section should show exam-class work, mock analysis, revision sessions, feedback, or assessment planning. If you list “SEND support”, show how you adapted resources, worked with teaching assistants, or followed pupil support plans.

A generic teaching CV talks about helping pupils learn, planning lessons, and building positive relationships. A stronger Secondary School Teacher CV names the subject, age range, qualification level, and classroom evidence.

Fix it by adding subject-specific examples. Replace “planned engaging lessons” with “planned KS4 chemistry lessons on rates of reaction using practical demonstrations, retrieval checks, and exam-question practice.”

Schools need to know your teaching status quickly. If QTS is awarded, expected, or being applied for, make that clear. If you are an ECT, say so plainly and focus on training evidence, mentor feedback, and placement scope.

Fix it by adding qualifications near the top for trainees and career changers, or in a clear education section for experienced teachers.

Attainment data matters, but unsupported claims weaken trust. Do not invent percentages or suggest you were solely responsible for whole-cohort improvement if that is not accurate.

Fix it by using evidence you can stand behind: mock analysis, intervention sessions, feedback routines, attendance support, revision resources, and verified results where you have them.

Saying you are confident, firm, or inspiring does not show how you manage a class.

Fix it by describing routines: retrieval starters, visible instructions, consistent follow-up, seating plans, pastoral communication, and alignment with school policy.

Secondary schools often want teachers who contribute to shared planning, moderation, enrichment, intervention, resources, trips, tutor time, or pastoral routines.

Fix it by adding one or two bullets that show collaboration, but keep the focus on teaching unless the role includes leadership.

Evidence-informed practice, adaptive teaching, retrieval, metacognition, mastery, and inclusion can all be useful terms. They become weak when they are listed without examples.

Fix it by pairing each term with classroom evidence. For example: “used retrieval starters to revisit key vocabulary before pupils wrote analytical paragraphs.”

• Does the first third show your subject, key stages, teaching status, and strongest classroom evidence?
• Have you named relevant qualifications, such as QTS, PGCE, BEd, degree, safeguarding training, or subject CPD?
• Are your bullets specific to secondary teaching, not generic education duties?
• Have you shown planning, assessment, feedback, behaviour routines, and adaptation in practice?
• Is any pupil progress claim accurate and supportable?
• Have you tailored the profile and first few bullets to the target school, department, and year groups?
• Does the skills section include subject teaching, assessment, safeguarding, behaviour management, and communication?
• Have you removed photos, personal details, and unrelated hobbies that do not support the application?
• Are internal links and related resources canonical, such as /guides/teaching-cv-uk and /guides/cv-structure?
• Is the CV one or two pages, easy to scan, and free from repeated wording?