Teaching is one of the most rewarding jobs you can do, and with schools across the UK looking for more qualified teachers, there has never been a better time to train. At St Mary’s University, London, our teacher training programmes support hundreds of aspiring teachers each year as they prepare to step into the classroom.
Becoming a primary teacher is a meaningful career choice – one that allows you to support children through the most formative stage of their education, teaching across subjects and helping them build confidence in learning. Here are five reasons why primary teaching could be the right path for you.
5 reasons to train to teach in primary education
1. Excellent employment prospects for primary teachers
With schools across the UK needing more qualified teachers, job opportunities for primary teachers remain strong. At St Mary's, we're proud to say that the vast majority of graduates from our teacher training courses find work within a few months.
In fact, as much as 98% of our Primary PGCE graduates are in employment or further study within six months.
2. Clear career progression in primary teaching
There's clear career progression within primary teaching. Many teachers progress into leadership roles – becoming subject leads, heads of year, deputy heads and eventually headteachers.
That doesn’t even include alternative progression routes such as becoming a SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator), training the next generation of teachers, and taking on a pastoral management role.
3. Competitive primary teaching wages
As of 2025, qualified primary school teachers earn a minimum of per year in England and Wales. In London, this goes even higher with minimum salaries ranging from £34,398 to £40,317, depending on where you live in the city.
As you gain experience as a teacher, salaries increase. Leading practitioners can earn between £52,026 and £79,092, while headteachers earn between £58,569 and £143,796. In London, a headteacher can earn up to £153,490.
4. Flexibility to suit your life
There are many ways in which teaching can be shaped to fit around your family life. Many teachers choose to job-share, allowing them to work part-time. Others work as supply teachers, meaning they have the option to work when it suits them.
Some teachers choose to work abroad for part of their career – giving them an international perspective and an opportunity to travel the world.
5. Inspire young learners every day
While teaching requires dedication beyond the classroom hours, the rewards of supporting young people as they learn and grow are significant.
No two days are the same, nor are any two children. You’ll be there throughout the school year to witness the children in your class growing and learning. Your encouragement, guidance and teaching will help shape the confidence, curiosity and character of the young people in your classroom, and the adults they'll become.
Train to teach at St Mary’s
At St Mary's, we’ve been training teachers for 175 years, and our programmes are rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. We help you build the teaching skills, resilience, and knowledge to become a future leader in education.
We offer postgraduate teaching training with PGCE courses at both and level, and our is one of the most comprehensive courses in the UK. We also offer foundation degrees for those already working in education, as well as international routes into teaching.