Primary School Teacher CV examples

To help you craft an application that truly reflects your skills, this guide will break down exactly what a perfect CV should include. From structuring your experience to showcasing your strengths as an educator, this guide will ensure you’re writing a CV that’s as engaging and effective as the lessons you teach.

Hiring managers don’t have time to search for key information – they need to see at a glance that you have the right skills and experience for the role. A well-structured CV, with a layout that’s nice and easy to navigate, makes that easy.

Here’s how to organise your CV structure:

• Name and contact details – Keep your personal details and an optional photo at the top so schools can easily reach you.
• Profile – Kick off with a strong summary that highlights your teaching experience, key strengths, and educational philosophy.
• Core skills – Provide a snapshot of your most relevant abilities, such as lesson planning, safeguarding, and classroom management.
• Work experience – Detail your teaching roles in reverse chronological order, showcasing your impact in each position.
• Education – Walk the recruiter through your teaching qualifications, degrees, and relevant training, starting with the most recent.
• Additional info – Optionally, mention relevant hobbies, awards, or extracurricular contributions.

A teacher’s CV format should be as well-presented and easy to follow as a good lesson plan. If it’s messy or difficult to read, hiring managers may assume the same about your classroom: so don’t let simple formatting mistakes cost you teaching opportunities.

Follow these formatting tips:

• Bullet points – Keep your responsibilities and achievements clear and concise.
• Divide sections – Structure your CV logically to make it easy to navigate.
• Use a clear and readable font – Stick to a professional, legible font for a polished look.
• No more than 2 pages – This is plenty long enough to cover everything you need to, without boring or overwhelming recruiters.

A great teacher knows how to capture attention from the very first moment – your CV should do the same. Your CV profile is a short introduction which should summarise your teaching experience, approach, and key strengths, with the ultimate aim of convincing schools that hiring you would benefit them.

To make an impact, include:

• Your teaching experience – Whether you’ve taught in EYFS, KS1, or KS2, make it clear.
• Your teaching philosophy – Highlight your approach to learning, engagement, or child development.
• Curriculum expertise – Schools want to see that you can deliver lessons in line with national standards.
• Classroom management skills – Demonstrating your ability to maintain order and engagement is key.
• Additional contributions – If you’ve led extracurricular activities or pastoral support, mention it here.

A core skills section gives schools a quick way to assess whether you’re a good fit for their teaching environment. Since primary school teachers need a mix of educational expertise, classroom management, and pastoral care skills, this section should reflect a broad skill set.

Make sure the skills listed align with the job description and the specific needs of the school. Tailoring your CV skills section will make your application stand out.

Your work experience should demonstrate your impact as a teacher, not just your job title. Schools want to see how you’ve engaged students, supported their progress, and contributed to the wider school community.

List your roles in reverse chronological order, focusing on your responsibilities, teaching methods, and student outcomes. If you’ve worked with special educational needs (SEN) students, implemented new teaching strategies, or played a role in school events, highlight those achievements.

• Outline – Introduce the school, the year groups you taught, and any key responsibilities.
• Responsibilities – List your core teaching duties, such as lesson planning, assessment, and classroom management. Use action verbs like “delivered”, “developed”, and “implemented”.
• Achievements – Highlight measurable impact, such as improved student progress, successful Ofsted inspections, or the introduction of new learning techniques.

Your education and qualifications are essential in a teaching CV. Schools want to see the specialist certifications that qualify you to work in primary education, as well as any additional training in areas like SEN support, safeguarding, or leadership.

List qualifications in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. If you’ve completed additional professional development courses, mention those here too.