Teaching Overseas

Our Services

Every school would benefit from appointing an overseas trained teacher…

At Hourglass, we have over 20 years’ combined experience of recruiting from a wide range of overseas countries, including: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Jamaica, as well as many others.

We can fully appreciate the myriad educational, cultural and social experiences that an overseas trained teacher can bring to UK schools and we make every effort to communicate this clearly to our client schools.

When we submit your details to our client schools, we do not offer your application as a second best alternative to a UK trained teacher, but as a highly advantageous, inspired addition to a school’s most valuable resource, it teaching staff.

Benefits of working through Hourglass Education

• Excellent pay rates
• Tax efficient payment system enabling you to earn more money
• Weekly pay
• Referral bonus
• Short term, long term and permanent posts
• National coverage
• Friendly, supportive and experienced consultants
• Company directed by 2 former headteachers
• Extensive experience within education recruitment
• Matching your expertise to the needs of the school; we match teachers to positions which closely reflect their experience, capabilities and stated preferences
• Comprehensive immigration support
• Advice on Certificates of Sponsorship
• Support finding and securing accommodation
• On-going support throughout your teaching placement
• Comprehensive Induction programme

Our work on your behalf

As soon as we are made aware that you are hoping to teach in the UK, we will call you to introduce ourselves and explain just how we can help you to secure your ideal teaching position in the UK.

We will ask you some essential vetting questions to assure ourselves that we will be able to assist you. We must determine that you are fully qualified to teach and have the necessary experience to undertake a teaching position in a UK school.

Careful vetting

You will be asked to provide a number of essential documents; it is essential that we are fully satisfied of the veracity/authenticity of your application and will ensure that all documents provided are fully verified. These essential documents include:

• Full and detailed Curriculum Vitae
• Teaching qualification
• Any degree level qualification in addition to the above
• 2 professional references from your current or most recent school
• Identification – passport
• Criminal Records Bureau disclosure
• Qualified Teacher Status
• GTC registration

• Right to enter/remain in the UK
• Right to work in the UK
• Overseas police check

Following a successful vetting procedure, we will arrange a convenient time to conduct a thorough telephone interview with you in order to become fully conversant with your professional profile and to become acquainted with you as a person.

Once we are satisfied that your qualifications and experience will enable you to teach in the UK and we are aware of your needs and preferences, we will start the proactive search for your ideal teaching position and we will submit your details to schools with current and appropriate vacancies.

As soon as a school communicates their interest in your details, we will provide you with comprehensive information about the school and vacancy information and arrange an interview if you wish to proceed with the application; we will give you as much support with this process as you require.

If your interview is successful and the school offer a position which you want to accept, this appointment might be on short or long term temporary basis paid through Hourglass or a fixed term/permanent contract, employed direct by the school (see Types of Work).

Types of work:

Short term position
A school may be looking for short term cover for an absence, perhaps due to illness or an unforeseen vacancy. This type of placement might last from one week up to one term. You would be able to benefit from our competitive rates of pay and the tax advantages of working through one of our partner umbrella companies.

Long term position
Schools always require extended temporary appointments on a supply basis, due to a variety of reasons such as: maternity cover, long term illness of a teacher, unfilled vacancies etc. This type of appointment might last from 1 term, to one year and beyond, giving you the security of a long term job. As with the short term position, you would be paid via Hourglass. You would be able to benefit from our competitive rates of pay and the tax advantages of working through one of our partner umbrella companies.

Permanent or fixed term position on a school contract
Schools can experience difficulty making successful permanent appointment through the placement of adverts in the increasingly ineffective TES. Hourglass assists schools with making permanent teaching appointments. If you accept a permanent teaching position facilitated by Hourglass, you will be employed directly by the school and paid by them on a monthly basis, benefitting from full employment rights. If you require a Certificate of Sponsorship, this is the only option available to you.