How to Become a Prison Teacher

At Novus, we understand that prison education is integral to a prisoner’s successful rehabilitation. 

According to research conducted by the Ministry of Justice, learners who participate in prison education, are significantly less likely to reoffend (within 12 months of release) than those who didn’t engage in education whilst in prison. 

For us to be able to provide quality education to learners, we need experienced and dedicated teachers, who are experts in their field, to equip learners with the skills and qualifications needed to thrive upon release.

However, with prison education not being a well-known teaching career pathway, we wanted to share some insight into what being a prison teacher entails, the different pathways into prison education and ultimately, how to become a prison teacher. 

How do you become a prison teacher?

At Novus, you don’t need to be a qualified teacher in the first instance to enter a career in prison education, we have many different pathways for people to consider. If you are a qualified teacher, an individual with years of industry experience or an armed forces veteran, there are plenty of options available to you. 

Qualified teacher

If you are already a qualified teacher in a mainstream education setting or within prison education, you can be a prison teacher at Novus.

We provide a large curriculum offer to equip learners with the essential functional skills as well as vocational and creative skills. So, whether you teach English, maths, digital, vocational or a creative subject we have plenty of roles available. 

As a prison teacher at Novus, there are plenty of paths available from teaching to management and plenty of opportunities to work your way up. Below are the main teaching roles that we advertise for:

• Teacher
• Hub/Curriculum Manager
• Local Education Manager
• Lot/Senior Manager

Industry experience 

To be a prison teacher at Novus, you don’t necessarily have to have a teaching qualification in the first instance. We also offer teaching roles to unqualified teachers who have industry experience. 

If you have experience working in industry, then you could be a great candidate for a prison education role, as you can share your years of experience with learners, and we can support you to gain your teaching qualifications. 

Providing learners with industry-relevant skills and experience for their chosen career path means they can find employment or further training upon release and build a positive future for themselves.

We offer a large variety of vocational training so that learners are given more opportunities to enter a career that they will enjoy and pursue upon release. 

Examples of our vocational courses include: 

• Bricklaying 
• Woodwork 
• Engineering 
• Gardening 
• Barbering 
• Hair & Beauty 
• Catering

As a teacher with industry-experience, you would be able to apply real-world knowledge to your teaching, giving learners the opportunity to learn and apply their skills and knowledge to a real working environment. 

Veteran prison educators

If you’re a veteran who has recently left the armed forces or are about to leave, then you could be a great fit for prison education.

We have many veterans, who’ve successfully made the transition to Novus thanks to the transferable skills they acquired whilst in the armed forces. 

Below are some of the transferable skills that can be utilised in a prison education setting:

• Discipline and structure
• Strong leadership skills 
• Resilience and adaptability 
• Life experience 
• Commitment to service 
• Ability to build rapport
• Focus on skills development
• Crisis management skills
• Empathy and understanding
• Commitment to lifelong learning

What qualifications do you need to become a prison teacher?

Due to the wide and versatile range of teaching roles, you don’t need to be a qualified teacher in the first instance to apply for a prison teaching role. If you’re not a qualified teacher, we will help and support you in obtaining your teaching qualifications whilst working at Novus. 

What does being a prison teacher involve?

Working in prison education provides a unique opportunity to help vulnerable people change their lives around for the better. Our end goal is to equip learners with the skills and qualifications necessary to find employment immediately after release. To achieve this, we need to provide learners with the best opportunities possible. 

As a prison teacher, you will be tasked with a range of different jobs and tasks to support learners in their education journey and help set them up for successful rehabilitation.  

Develop flexibility and adaptability in your teaching style

Teaching in prisons is a rewarding career with opportunities for professional development. No two days in prison education is the same, you will need to be flexible to work well and communicate with others.

Help learners gain the skills and qualifications needed to find employment upon release

As a prison teacher, you will help learners complete accredited training programmes and gain industry-relevant qualifications which will help them secure employment upon release, thus reducing reoffending rates. 

Embrace daily challenges and foster engaged learning 

Many learners have had negative experiences with education and have a limited belief in the potential of learning. This means that as a tutor, it’s your job to engage learners in education and enrichment programmes so that they are better equipped for life outside of prison. 

At Novus, our education provision is specifically designed and tailored to meet the needs of our learners so that all learners can benefit from the education and enrichment provisions we provide.

Join a supportive and expertly equipped education team

Working in prison education is a unifying experience. Our education teams are supportive, and you will be working with like-minded individuals in a positive working environment. You will be working together with other teachers and prison education staff to support learner outcomes.

Why choose to be a prison teacher?

As a prison educator, you are helping to shape the lives of learners and making sure that they're equipped with all the vital skills that they need to be successful upon release. Being able to make a difference in your job is a huge driving factor to why many of our colleagues work in prison education.

There are also other benefits to working in prison education such as:

Enjoy a healthy work/life balance

As you can’t take work home with you, our colleagues are able to enjoy a better work/life balance through a focus on flexible, mobile and agile working, and support for your mental health and well-being. 

Salary, pension and annual leave

As an employer we offer our colleagues a competitive salary, generous pension and annual leave allowance.

CPD for personal and professional development 

Supporting colleagues with their professional development is crucial to ensuring that all colleagues are equipped with the relevant and up-to-date skills and knowledge to educate learners. We offer a wide range of support, content, and services to help colleagues develop in their careers.

Great discounts and offers through our partners

We're proud to offer much more than just a competitive salary, generous pension, and annual leave allowance. We help our colleagues make their money go further with great offers and discounts through our industry partners.

Become a prison educator with Novus

If you’re interested in a prison teaching career, explore our careers section, or visit our website to learn more about what we do at Novus to support the transformative power of prison education.