As England’s second city, Birmingham has a population of over 1.1 million people, many of them of school age. There is an excellent school infrastructure to accommodate the children, including more than 25 nurseries, over 290 primary, junior and infant schools, and about 80 secondary schools. These are just the state schools, Birmingham City Council being responsible for other types of schools as well. Then there are the private schools and two universities.
You can appreciate that for such a high number of schools, a lot of teachers are needed with a very wide diversity of qualifications being required.
The Quality Of The Schools In Birmingham
For such a large number of schools there are very few that have problems with OFSTED, and those that have had issues in the past are getting the support they need to put things right. This means that Birmingham is an excellent place to expand your teaching career, as on your CV you will be able to show that you have taught in schools with a wide range of subjects, social standings and cultures.
The local authority has a commitment to a high standard of education for all children, and works hard to ensure schools where OFSTED find problems get the help they need to overcome them.
Other Advantages Of Birmingham
There are many other advantages of being located in Birmingham. It is a lot cheaper to live than in London, but is less than an hour and a half away from the capital city by express train. There are slower trains that make the journey, and on these you can travel the distance for as little as £6.
Birmingham has an extensive public transport system with buses to every part of the city running on a regular basis. Trams were also reintroduced with a line from Bull Street to Wolverhampton, and there are plans to make more stops in the main streets of the city centre. Birmingham Airport, one of the busiest in the country with flights to most international destinations, is only 10 minutes away from the centre by train.
There is more to Birmingham than its travel infrastructure. There are theatres, cinemas, markets, ice rinks, the famous Jewellery Quarter with all its modern homes, parks galore and no end of shops, bars, cafes and restaurants. It has two major league football teams and famous institutions such as the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Royal Ballet. You need never be short of something to do in Birmingham, and within a very short distance there are a whole host of other attractions such as Warwick Castle, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the Black Country Museum.
Living And Teaching In Birmingham
If you would like to have the chance to expand your teaching career, Birmingham is an ideal place to opt for. The jobs available are for all grades of teaching and there is plenty of scope for extra training and promotions within the schools. Along with the many advantages listed above, Birmingham should certainly be on your list of possibilities.
