Identify your qualification and professional status
Prepare a concise record of your academic award, teaching status, registration, subject or age specialism, induction status and experience. Use the exact titles shown by the issuing organisation. UK teacher qualification and registration systems differ, so identify the relevant home authority rather than describing every credential simply as QTS.
DfE guidance distinguishes QTS-only, QTS with PGCE and PGCE without QTS. A PGCE title does not establish that QTS was awarded. For overseas recognition, DfE's QTS guidance directs teachers to the destination's responsible body. Ask what your actual post requires and whether local assessment is necessary.
Verify the exact school, campus and employer
Check the school's legal employer name, campus, location, curriculum and recruitment contact independently. Ask who will sign and pay under the contract. Confirm a recruiter's relationship with the school through contact details you find independently on the school's official website.
If British Schools Overseas accreditation is claimed, consult the DfE's current inspection-report list and read the report for the exact school. Record its date and scope. The words British or international in a school's name do not replace this check. Accreditation evidence, local licensing and the conditions of your particular job are separate questions.
Check overseas induction before accepting
This section concerns England's statutory induction. DfE states that schools without BSO accreditation cannot offer it. Its current induction guidance sets additional conditions. Ask the school and the appropriate body to confirm eligibility, registration, mentoring, assessment and support in writing before your proposed induction begins.
Use the current statutory guidance and appropriate-body guidance. Do not treat association membership, a general induction promise or a job title as sufficient evidence. If your professional route belongs to another UK jurisdiction, check with that jurisdiction's authority.
Turn the package into comparable written terms
Compare duties, teaching and preparation hours, cover, extracurricular work, probation, notice and any repayment obligations. Ask for the salary currency, payment dates, deductions and the basis of any net-pay illustration. For housing, flights, insurance and family benefits, record eligibility, exclusions, caps and who pays first.
Hypothetical planning example: two offers describe a flight benefit. One books the flight; the other reimburses it after probation. Even if the final benefit is similar, the second requires more cash before departure and carries a condition to investigate. Enter the confirmed terms in your budget. This is an illustrative comparison, not a real offer or a salary estimate.
Expect safeguarding checks and verify document requests
COBIS's safeguarding statement expects candidates for its member schools to undergo child-protection screening, including checks with past employers. Ask the recruiting school for its current process and the correct checks for your residence and employment history. Check the safeguarding policy and how concerns are raised.
Use the documents checklist to track the requested record, recipient, format and deadline. Verify the recipient before sending sensitive documents. Keep evidence of qualification recognition and work permission separate from references or a conditional offer. Seek clarification of outstanding conditions before making non-refundable commitments.
Create an evidence-led shortlist
Start with genuine vacancies on the school's own careers page or an established recruitment platform such as Tes international jobs. Confirm that a vacancy is still open directly with the recruiter. Match your subject, age phase, curriculum experience and availability to the advertised criteria.
For each shortlisted role, retain the specification and complete the blank offer-check worksheet. Give each unanswered question an owner and a decision date. If the school, role or package changes, recheck the record. Use the qualifications guide and relevant destination page to organise further research. TeachAtlas supplies planning information; it is not presenting these links as its own vacancies.
Sources and scope
This guide is based on the published sources below, checked on 2 November 2026. It has not been signed off by a named specialist reviewer. It is general planning information, not an individual eligibility decision. Check the current rules with the programme, employer and relevant authority before committing money or travel.
International school offer-check worksheet
Download a blank decision worksheet. Keep your completed copy on your own device and record the source and date for each answer. TeachAtlas does not receive your entries.
Download CSV worksheetSources and dates
- What is a PGCE course?
Department for Education / Get Into Teaching · checked 2026-11-02
- Qualified teacher status (QTS)
Department for Education · checked 2026-11-02
- British schools overseas inspection reports
Department for Education · checked 2026-11-02
- British schools overseas accreditation and support
Department for Education · checked 2026-11-02
- Induction for early career teachers (England)
Department for Education · checked 2026-11-02
- Find an appropriate body
Department for Education · checked 2026-11-02
- Safeguarding statement
Council of British International Schools · checked 2026-11-02
- International teaching vacancies
Tes · checked 2026-11-02
Prepared by TeachAtlas editorial using AI-assisted research and synthesis. Sources were checked for the statements cited; no individual specialist review or personal teaching experience is claimed. Eligibility and permission must be confirmed for your circumstances.