Guidance

Recruit teachers from Spain to teach modern foreign languages

Get help recruiting qualified teachers from Spain to teach modern foreign languages using Spain’s Visiting Teachers Programme (SVTP).

From:
Department for Education
Published
11 January 2017
Last updated
27 April 2020 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on

This programme has closed to future applications and will not reopen. The current programme will continue to run until 31 July 2021.

Applies to England

Register

Register your interest with our commercial partner, Randstad Public Services Ltd, and someone will be in touch with more information within 2 working days.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Spain’s Visiting Teacher’s Programme will continue to place modern foreign language teachers from Spain for the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

We’re focusing on recruiting international teachers to start in January 2021, rather than September 2020, in case travel restrictions and the closure of visa application centres continue. Register your interest with Randstad Public Services Ltd.

If you’ve already agreed a placement

If you have a teacher from Spain starting in September 2020, you can defer the start date to January 2021 if you need to. If you wish to continue with a September start date, contact Randstad Public Services Ltd for further details.

What schools can get

State-funded schools in England can get help recruiting qualified teachers from Spain to teach modern foreign languages (MFL) for one to 3 years.

SVTP is open to secondary schools. There is also a pilot for primary schools in the academic year 2019 to 2020.

All candidates are able to teach Spanish and some can teach French or German as well.

All teachers referred through the programme will:

  • meet eligibility criteria
  • have been assessed and interviewed by senior leaders of English schools
  • receive an acclimatisation package and continuing professional development (CPD), covering topics including behaviour management, safeguarding and England’s examination and accountability system

Before hiring a teacher, schools can interview their preferred candidates through Skype or similar.

Costs

We will fund:

  • recruitment costs
  • acclimatisation package and ongoing CPD programme during the teacher’s first year in post
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for recruited teacher

Schools must appoint an in-school mentor to support their overseas teacher, and will need to fund:

  • the teacher’s salary
  • supply cover costs to support CPD days (at least 1 day per term) and mentor training

The recruitment process

After you register your interest with our commercial partner, Randstad Public Services Ltd, they will:

  • contact you within 2 working days to discuss your needs
  • give you access to candidate information online, including previous experience and notes from their assessment and interview
  • help you arrange final interviews with your shortlisted candidates (via Skype or similar)

Candidate eligibility criteria

All candidates have met the following criteria.

Qualifications and experience

Secondary MFL teachers will have:

  • a bachelor’s degree in English, Spanish, French or German studies or equivalent
  • a Teaching Certificate of Aptitude or a master’s degree in teaching or equivalent
  • at least one year of teaching experience with children in the last 5 years, as a full-time teacher in formal education, equivalent to secondary school

or:

  • a bachelor’s degree in translation studies (English/French/German) or equivalent
  • a Teaching Certificate of Aptitude or a master’s degree in teaching or equivalent
  • at least one year of teaching experience with children in the last 5 years, as a full-time teacher in formal education, equivalent to secondary school

Primary MFL teachers will have:

  • a bachelor’s degree in teaching primary education
  • completion of a 3-year initial teacher training programme to obtain a Masetro/Mestro/Mestre
  • specialisation in a foreign language on completion of the primary education degree
  • at least one year of teaching experience with children in the last 5 years, as a full-time teacher in formal education, equivalent to primary school

Other requirements

Candidates must have:

  • a B2 level English proficiency, in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
  • Spanish criminal background checks
  • a medical form (English school standard upon offer of contract)
  • qualified teacher status (QTS)

Programme evaluation

Schools involved may be asked to take part in an evaluation of SVTP.

Contact

Email: svtp@randstad.co.uk

Updates to this page

Published 11 January 2017
Last updated 27 April 2020 + show all updates

  1. Updated the guidance to include coronavirus (COVID-19) advice.

  2. Corrected the eligibility criteria for secondary MFL teachers recruited through SVTP.

  3. Updated title, summary and wording to make it easier for schools to understand how they can benefit and that a primary school pilot will start in the academic year 2019 to 2020.

  4. Update made to reflect services delivered by DfE's commercial partners for this programme, teachers recruited through the programme and the new name of the Spanish Ministry.

  5. Updated content and changed registration and email links to reflect the appointment of Randstad.

  6. Opportunity to register your interest in recruiting a Spanish teacher from Spain's Visiting Teachers programme

  7. First published.

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