Teaching in East Sussex

Living and teaching in East Sussex

East Sussex is a great place to start your teaching career. You can make a big difference in the classroom and beyond with lots of support and training.

Teaching here

You can teach in many different places, from small primary schools in the countryside to big secondary schools in the city.

Supporting your professional growth and development

East Sussex has a strong school-led improvement system where collaborative working is a strength of the local landscape.

Through strong partnerships with local, regional, and national partners, East Sussex provides lots of support for teachers’ training. The support covers all stages of their careers. This includes initial teacher training, the Early Career Framework, and leadership roles.

We help teachers and leaders at all levels to take on roles that develop their skills further. This can be through school leadership or broader system leadership roles.

Find out more about system leadership in our video:

- Where can a career in teaching take you?

Watch on YouTube: "Where can a career in teaching take you?"

Living here

East Sussex is a great place to live and work.

Get into or return to teaching

Get into teaching

You can find out how to become a teacher on the Department for Education website:

Return to Teaching

Do you want to teach again? Need to refresh your teaching skills or regain confidence in the classroom?

Find out about the help you can get if you return to teaching - GOV.UK.

And why not think about returning to teach in East Sussex? We’d love you to join one of our schools.

Headteachers

Why choose East Sussex?

East Sussex is a diverse county with urban, rural, and coastal areas with different characteristics. The education sector is made up of a range of providers.

You can find more information about the local context in  ‘Excellence for All’

In East Sussex, leadership is a skill that is needed from day one as a teacher. Class teachers lead in their classrooms and work with a range of support staff. The development of leadership skills needs to start early in a teacher’s career. East Sussex has a strong school-led improvement system where collaborative working is a strength of the local landscape.

I’ve always worked in East Sussex – starting out as an NQT and now a Headteacher at Ditchling. I do live in Brighton but what’s kept me here in East Sussex is the incredible leadership support available across the county. From the beginning, I’ve benefited from the guidance and opportunities provided by East Sussex, including through the Alliance and the Education Improvement Partnerships (EIP), which offer excellent collaboration with fellow leaders.

The culture of openness, support, and continuous self-improvement makes East Sussex stand out. Taking on the role of EIP Chair has been a highlight – it’s given me a chance to work closely with inspiring colleagues across the area. If you're looking for a place where leaders grow together and where professional generosity is the norm, East Sussex is it.

Amy Clarke, Headteacher, Ditchling CE Primary and Nursery School

We provide:

  • Continuous professional development (CPD) to support career pathways, from Initial Teacher Training and the Early Career Framework, to early leadership, and on to a range of leadership roles within and across schools. With our partner organisations, we provide access to the full programme of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).
  • Comprehensive support and training, so you can make more of a difference in the classroom and beyond.
  • Strong partnerships with local, regional and national partners provide comprehensive support for professional development at all career stages.
  • A range of career pathways that encourage leaders at all levels to engage in roles that draw on and develop their expertise further. This may be through school leadership or wider system leadership roles.

Find out more about system leadership.

As a new headteacher coming into a school that required change, I felt supported and encouraged to make bold decisions. Whether this was opening a SEND facility or expanding and re-siting our Nursery, there was support to make these changes, be it practical support to wade through processes or mentor support to validate the decisions I was making. Working in East Sussex as a headteacher has been very rewarding and support from colleagues and the local authority have been key in helping me build the school and community we have today.

Mike Taylor, Headteacher, All Saints C of E Primary School and Nursery, Sidley, The Rainbow Rooms SEND Facility

Headteacher induction programme 2024-25

For 2025-26, we will be running our fully funded headteacher induction programme.

We aim to provide ongoing professional development and support for every new, acting, or interim primary, secondary and special headteacher and every new Head of School.

We have a wealth of experience with serving headteachers, consultant headteachers, colleagues from all departments of the Local Authority and external experts. This provides all delegates with an essential toolbox of skills and knowledge.

Course overview and dates:

  • Welcome to East Sussex – Thursday 25th September 2025
  • The school improvement journey – Wednesday 12th November 2025
  • An inclusive school – Wednesday 3rd December 2025
  • The curriculum – Tuesday 27th January 2026
  • School finance explained & handling complaints – Wednesday 25th February 2026
  • Working with stakeholders – Tuesday 28th April 2026

For further information, contact Katie Ridgway:

To sign up, visit East Sussex Learning Portal (ESLP). 

Coaching:

Changing Chances CIC is proud to support headteachers in East Sussex through its fully-funded, confidential coaching programme.

Coaching provides a safe and confidential space for busy headteachers to reflect, share thoughts or concerns and to explore opportunities.

Heads who have worked with a Changing Chances coach report growth in their leadership skills, improved ability and confidence in tackling tricky issues and better work-life balance.

You can use your coaching to discuss anything that's on your mind. It's your time and your agenda.

What does it cost?

If you are new to coaching, this support will be fully-funded by ESCC. If you have already accessed the free coaching, you may be eligible for a 50% discount.

To find out more or sign up please email office@changingchances.co.uk.

Changing Chances will answer any questions you may have and identify a coach to work with you.

Teaching assistants

Training and progression

Qualifications

There are many qualifications for teaching assistants (TA). They include:

  • Modern Apprenticeships
  • National Vocational Qualifications
  • Higher Level Teaching Assistant Status

Some go on to become qualified teachers.

Higher Level Teaching Assistant Status (HLTA)

HLTA are senior support staff with a greater responsibility. HLTA is a status, not a qualification. You must have:

  • at least two years experience as a teaching assistant (or in a related post)
  • a Level 2 qualification in literacy and numeracy

You can find a test centre on the Learndirect website.

Progression from TA to teacher

A TA role can be a useful step to becoming a fully qualified teacher. Many schools and academies recruit TAs with degrees to train them to become a teacher. Many universities offer in-service degrees to become a TA.

More details on becoming a teacher can be found on our website:

Becoming a teaching assistant

Being a TA can be a very rewarding job.

TAs have an important role in supporting teaching and learning in the classroom.

For example, they use specialist learning skills to support pupils and teachers to create high-quality learning environments, help prepare lessons, and support pupils with their learning, under the direction of the teacher.

For information on pay scales, visit our jobs pages.

TAs who have a degree may be able to progress to teacher training.

How can I gain experience or qualifications to become a TA?

Schools often have voluntary positions for people to gain classroom experience. Many volunteers also do the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) Level 2 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools. This replaced the Level 2 NVQ in Supporting Teaching and Learning.

To do the course, you need to volunteer at least 15 hours a week in school. You’ll need the school’s support so you can meet the requirements of the qualification.

To find out about the qualification, contact:

What qualifications do I need to become a TA?

You don’t need formal training or qualifications to apply for teaching assistant posts. However, the experience of working or volunteering with children is an advantage.

You must be numerate and literate. It helps to have Level 2 qualifications in numeracy and literacy, such as GCSEs grades A to C (or equivalent). Some schools might also want a qualification, such as the Level 2 Certificate or NVQ mentioned above.

If you don’t have Level 2 numeracy and literacy qualifications, you can take them as an adult for free. Find your nearest study centre.

How do I find a TA job?