What to look for in a school

Once you have your TEFL certificate, there are many different types of school that you can apply to. You can find work in state schools, universities, colleges, summer schools, private schools, charities and businesses.

However, not all of these places will treat you the same and there are some things that you need to think about before you apply.

Where can you find a good source of information on the institution that you are applying to?

• Well, the obvious thing to do would be to check the school's documents and website. Here, you can find out a lot of information about the establishment, the courses and the accreditation.
• Ask colleagues and friends if they've heard of it. You may be surprised to find that the EFL industry is quite close-knit.
• Check EFL websites that include forums for teachers, e.g. Dave's ESL Café (please note that the views expressed within this website are not necessarily endorsed by Stafford House Study Holidays)

Check the school facilities

Resources
Equipment
Venues
Materials

Methodology

Timetable - is there a sample timetable you can access? Check that you have free time for planning and resting.

Syllabus - most reputable schools have a syllabus, so you won't then have to spend time creating your own teaching materials, making it easier for newly qualified teachers. If you can, have a look at the course books.

Method - some organisations have their own 'methods', which may or may not suit you.

Time in Operation

How long has the school been established for? What is its reputation? What are the exam/test results that have come out of it?

Transparency in pay and conditions

Pay - check that the rate is set out clearly in the advertisement and that it meets the minimum wage standards.
Holiday pay - all staff working in the UK, by law, receive holiday entitlement or holiday pay in lieu, even on a short term contract.

Conditions - the advertisement should state the number of hours you are expected to work in a week. Some may only state sessions, in which case, you will need to find out how long a session is. In the UK, unless you sign an opt out agreement, you are not expected to work more than 48 hours per week, and will have at least one day off in every seven.

Most summer residential courses in the UK include accommodation and full board as part of their package, though some will deduct an amount for this. Check that this is clearly stated in the terms and conditions.

Is the school a member of an industry body?

Industry bodies will regulate all their members to certain standards. In most countries there will be a specific body to which schools can apply for membership (e.g. in the UK, the British Council and English UK) and then both students and staff know that a certain set of standards and practices will be followed within that school. You should make enquiries as to whether the school possesses membership of such a body.

Check with the British Council that the school actually has the accreditation that they claim to. You can do this for UK schools, here

What kind of work is it?

Some things to look out for:

• length of contract
• what age range/ability you will be teaching
• whether they will be multilingual or monolingual classes
• extra duties, such as pastoral care or supervision of activities
• whether they will supply you with a reference after your employment finishes

What kind of support does it offer?

A reputable school should provide ongoing support, even to short term employees. Support may be in the form of in-house training, inset sessions, observation and feedback and/or assistance with lesson planning. You should also be offered an induction at the start of your contract and an offer of providing you with a reference upon successful completion of the course.

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