How to demonstrate teacher skills on your CV

By Sophie · Published 30 October 2026

Teaching skills

Curriculum planning

Name a subject and year group when describing a sequence of lessons you planned.

On your CV Planned a Year 4 geography unit on rivers and local land use.

Subject knowledge

Identify a subject or examination specification you have taught.

On your CV Taught GCSE biology using the AQA specification.

Assessment for learning

Explain how pupils’ work informed a subsequent teaching activity.

On your CV Used Year 6 arithmetic checks to plan practice on fractions.

Behaviour management

Describe a classroom routine you introduced to support learning.

On your CV Established a settling routine for a Year 8 tutor group.

Supporting pupils with SEND

Give an example of an adjustment you made to teaching materials or activities.

On your CV Provided visual prompts for pupils who needed support with written instructions.

Safeguarding

Describe how you followed school procedures when you had a concern about a pupil.

On your CV Recorded a welfare concern and reported it to the designated safeguarding lead.

Professional qualities

Communication with parents and carers

Describe a conversation or meeting in which you shared information about a pupil’s learning.

On your CV Discussed reading progress and home reading activities at parents’ evenings.

Professional judgement

Describe a teaching decision you made after checking pupils’ understanding.

On your CV Revisited column subtraction after a starter task revealed gaps in understanding.

Working with teaching assistants

Explain a task you planned or carried out with a teaching assistant.

On your CV Agreed guided reading activities with a teaching assistant before each session.

Organisation

Show how you managed a regular responsibility alongside classroom teaching.

On your CV Maintained assessment records ahead of termly pupil progress meetings.

Tools and software

Google Classroom

Describe a teaching task you completed using Google Classroom.

On your CV Set weekly history homework and returned feedback through Google Classroom.

Microsoft Teams for Education

Give an example of how you used Teams to share learning materials or communicate with a class.

On your CV Shared revision resources with a Year 11 class through Microsoft Teams.

SIMS

State which records or information you maintained in SIMS.

On your CV Recorded registration attendance in SIMS each morning.

Qualifications and professional status

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

State that you hold QTS and give the year it was awarded.

On your CV Qualified Teacher Status, awarded 2021.

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

List your PGCE with its subject or phase, provider and completion year.

On your CV PGCE Secondary Mathematics, University of Leeds, 2021.

Early career teacher induction

Give the completion year if you have completed induction.

On your CV Completed early career teacher induction in England, 2023.

Choosing teacher skills for a school vacancy

Read the person specification alongside the job description. Note the age range and subjects the post covers, then identify the essential criteria you can demonstrate from your own work. A primary school may want evidence of teaching across the curriculum; a secondary school may ask for experience with a particular subject or examination course.

Choose an example that shows what you did for each important requirement. For a post with a strong focus on literacy, you might describe how you used reading assessments to organise teaching. Add the year group when it helps the school understand the context.

Look at the desirable criteria as well. Include relevant experience where you have it, and leave out qualifications or software you have not used. CV Ajuste can help tailor your CV to a vacancy using the facts you provide.

Where to place evidence on your CV

Make QTS easy to find in a qualifications section. Give your degree and teacher training qualification separately, including the provider and completion date. If you have completed induction, add that information nearby.

Use your employment history to show teaching work in context. Under each role, include your job title, the school and your dates of employment. Short bullets can explain the classes you taught and the decisions you made. A statement about adapting a lesson after reviewing pupils’ work gives the reader something concrete to discuss at interview.

A brief skills section can help a recruiter find subject knowledge or systems used at school. Support the most relevant points with evidence elsewhere on the CV. If your experience comes mainly from training, include school placements and label them clearly.

Mistakes to avoid on a teaching CV

A list of personal qualities gives the reader little detail about your work. Instead, describe an action: for example, explain how you prepared a teaching assistant for a small group activity. Use an example you can discuss at interview.

Check the wording of your qualifications against your records. A PGCE and QTS are separate, so list each one only if you hold it. Give accurate dates for your posts and placements, including any ongoing role.

Protect pupils’ confidentiality when describing support or safeguarding work. Leave out names and details that could identify a child. Before sending the CV, check that the examples relate to the age group and responsibilities of the role.

Official source on this job: Secondary school teacher job profile, National Careers Service