TES Jobs 2026 – How to Search Teaching Vacancies & Apply Online

TES jobs refers to teaching, leadership, and school support vacancies listed on Tes.com, the world’s largest network for teachers, covering primary, secondary, further education, and independent (fee-paying) schools across the UK and internationally. This matters to job seekers because, with thousands of live listings spanning classroom teaching to headteacher roles, knowing how to search Tes effectively — and how it differs from the UK government’s own official teaching jobs service — makes a real difference to your search.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
What it is	The world’s largest teaching and education jobs platform, formerly the Times Educational Supplement (Tes)
Post/Vacancies	Varies continuously — recently showing 7,000 to 10,000+ live listings, spanning classroom teacher, head of department, senior leadership, headteacher, and support staff (e.g., Teaching Assistant) roles
Location coverage	UK-wide (primary, secondary, further education, and independent schools), plus international schools in regions including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe
Job Type	Permanent, fixed-term, maternity cover, and part-time roles, spanning NQT/ECT (newly/early career teacher) positions through senior leadership
Application Method	Online, directly through each individual school/employer’s listing on Tes
Official Portal	tes.com/jobs
Related but separate service	teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk — the official UK government teaching jobs service, specifically for state schools and colleges in England, run by the Department for Education, not by Tes
Cost to job seekers	Free to search and apply — Tes generates revenue from schools/employers paying to advertise, not from job seekers

Important: Because Tes hosts listings from thousands of separate UK and international schools, eligibility, salary, and closing dates are set individually by each employer for their specific listing, not by Tes itself. Independent (fee-paying) UK schools set their own pay and terms, separate from the standard Teachers’ Pay Scale used in state schools.

What Is Tes?

Tes (originally the Times Educational Supplement) has evolved from a print publication into the world’s largest network for teachers, combining a jobs board with teaching resources (over 900,000 resources made by teachers, for teachers), teacher training courses (via Tes Institute), and education news and analysis.

Tes Jobs specifically covers a very wide range of the education sector: primary and secondary state schools, further education colleges, and independent (fee-paying) senior schools in the UK, as well as international schools overseas — meaning UK-based teachers looking to work abroad, or international teachers looking to move to the UK, both use the same platform.

Because Tes serves the entire education sector rather than one employer, and because UK independent schools are not government-funded and set their own recruitment processes and pay, “TES jobs” really means “the marketplace where thousands of individual schools and colleges post their own vacancies” — not a single recruitment scheme.

Types of Roles You’ll Typically Find

The table below reflects the categories of roles commonly seen on Tes — not a fixed advertisement, since exact openings change continuously.

Category	Example Roles
Primary Teaching	Class Teacher, Key Stage 1/2 Teacher, SEND Teaching Assistant
Secondary Teaching	Subject Teacher (Maths, Science, Computing, etc.), Head of Department, Head of Maths
Further Education	Lecturer, Head of Department (FE), Leadership roles at colleges
Independent (Fee-Paying) Schools	Classroom Teacher, Head of Computing, Senior Leadership roles
Leadership	Assistant/Deputy Headteacher, Headteacher
International Schools	Subject Teachers and leadership roles at British-curriculum schools overseas (e.g., UAE, Thailand)
Teacher Training	Pathway Tutor and other roles via Tes Institute, supporting Initial Teacher Training

Important: This is a general picture of typical roles, not a current vacancy list. Exact open posts, salaries, and locations change regularly — search the live portal for what’s actually open right now.

Pay

Pay varies significantly depending on the type of school and role:

• UK state schools generally follow the national Teachers’ Pay Scale — a recent listing showed a Head of Maths role at £31,650–£49,071 (Teachers Main Scale) plus a Teaching and Learning Responsibility (TLR) payment of £6,000
• Independent (fee-paying) schools set their own pay, often shown pro-rated for term-time-only roles — a recent SEND Teaching Assistant listing showed a pro-rated salary of up to £23,906
• International school roles frequently list salary as “Undisclosed” or “Competitive”, to be discussed directly with the specific school

Important: No single confirmed salary figure applies across all Tes listings — check the specific posting for exact pay, and note that independent and international schools operate outside the standard state-school pay framework.

Eligibility Criteria

Because Tes hosts listings from many separate employers, there is no single eligibility standard. General patterns include:

• UK state schools typically require Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for teaching roles, though some listings are open to those completing initial teacher training (e.g., via a Pathway Tutor / PGTA route)
• Independent schools may have more flexibility on formal QTS requirements, depending on the specific school’s policy
• International schools often specify particular curriculum experience (e.g., British curriculum, IB) and may assist with visa sponsorship — check the individual listing
• NQT/ECT (Newly/Early Career Teacher) roles are commonly listed separately, aimed at those in their first years of teaching

Important: Always check the specific listing’s requirements — Tes itself doesn’t set eligibility criteria; each school does.

How to Search Effectively

• Use the category browse pages (e.g., Primary Teaching, Secondary Teaching, Further Education, Independent Senior Teaching) to narrow results by sector
• Filter by subject, position, and location to cut down thousands of live listings to what’s relevant to you
• Set up an email job alert so new matching roles reach you automatically rather than needing to search manually
• Create a Tes CV/online career profile to speed up applications and let some employers find you directly
• Use “Quick Apply” where available for a faster application process on eligible listings

How to Apply Online

1. Visit the official portal: tes.com/jobs.
2. Browse by category (Primary, Secondary, Further Education, Independent, International) or search by keyword/location/subject.
3. Open the specific listing to review the school, role, salary, and application deadline (“Apply by” date).
4. Create or log in to your Tes account and build/update your Tes CV.
5. Use “Quick Apply” where offered, or follow the listing’s specific application instructions (some schools link out to their own application system).
6. Submit your application before that listing’s specific closing date.
7. If you’re specifically looking for a UK state school role and want to check the government’s own listing service too, also search teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk.

Important: Some listings show recurring or templated text across multiple postings (common when a recruiter or trust posts several similar roles) — always confirm you’re reading the actual, current details for the specific school and role before applying.

Required Documents

Document	Notes
CV/Resume	Core requirement — Tes lets you build and save a CV directly on the platform
Cover letter/personal statement	Often required for teaching roles, particularly in UK state schools
Evidence of QTS (or equivalent)	Required for most UK teaching posts; requirements differ for independent/international schools
DBS check	Standard safeguarding requirement for UK teaching and support roles working with children
References	Typically required, especially covering time spent working with children

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing Tes with the official GOV.UK Teaching Vacancies service — they are separate; Tes is a private platform, while teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk is the UK government’s own listing service for state schools.
2. Applying without checking whether a role requires QTS — this varies between state, independent, and international schools.
3. Missing each listing’s own “Apply by” date — these are set individually and vary widely, especially for international school roles with specific start dates (e.g., an August intake).
4. Assuming independent school pay follows the national Teachers’ Pay Scale — it doesn’t; independent schools set their own terms.
5. Overlooking visa/right-to-work requirements for international school roles, which differ by country and school.
6. Letting your Tes CV/profile go stale, missing out on being found directly by schools searching the platform.

FAQs

1. What is Tes? Tes (formerly the Times Educational Supplement) is the world’s largest teaching and education jobs platform, also offering teaching resources, teacher training, and education news.

2. Is Tes a government website? No — Tes is a private company. The UK government’s own official teaching jobs service is a separate site, teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk.

3. How many jobs are listed on Tes? This varies continuously, but recent figures show anywhere from roughly 7,000 to 10,000+ live listings at a given time.

4. Is it free to use Tes as a job seeker? Yes — searching and applying is free; Tes generates revenue from schools and employers who pay to advertise.

5. Does Tes only list UK jobs? No — Tes also lists international school roles in regions including the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Europe, alongside its large UK listing base.

6. Do I need QTS to apply for jobs on Tes? For most UK state school teaching roles, yes — though requirements can differ for independent and international schools, and some listings support routes into teacher training.

7. What’s the difference between Tes and Teaching Vacancies (GOV.UK)? Tes is a private platform covering state, independent, and international schools; Teaching Vacancies is the official UK government service, specifically for state school and college roles in England.

8. How do I apply for a job on Tes? Create a Tes account and CV, browse or search listings, and apply directly through the specific school’s listing — using “Quick Apply” where available.

9. Does Tes charge job seekers a fee? No — using Tes to search and apply for jobs is free for job seekers.

10. Can international teachers use Tes to find UK jobs? Yes — Tes explicitly supports international teachers looking to move to the UK, as well as UK teachers looking to work abroad.

11. What types of schools post on Tes? State primary and secondary schools, further education colleges, independent (fee-paying) schools, and international schools overseas.

12. Are support staff roles (like Teaching Assistants) listed on Tes, or just teachers? Both — Tes lists a wide range of roles, including Teaching Assistants and other school support staff, alongside classroom teaching and leadership positions.

Final Words

TES jobs cover the full range of the UK and international education sector — classroom teaching, leadership, further education, and school support roles — posted continuously by thousands of individual schools and colleges rather than through one fixed recruitment cycle. If you’re specifically after a UK state school role, it’s also worth checking the government’s own Teaching Vacancies service alongside Tes. For the widest range of current listings, visit the official source: tes.com/jobs.