Primary Teacher CV—Samples and 25+ Writing Tips

From your captivating lesson plans to your empathetic personality to your classroom management skills—you know you’d make the best primary school teacher.

But the school doesn’t know it yet.

To score that teaching interview, you’ll need to show the school you’re the top candidate with a perfect primary teacher CV.

No problem.

In this guide:

• The best primary teacher CV sample to land top school jobs.
• How to personalise a school CV to the primary teacher job description.
• How to make CVs for teaching positions to score primary school interviews.
• Expert advice and examples to increase your chance of getting the school job you want.

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Seeking other teacher CVs, education CVs, and school-related CV examples? 

Give these a go:

• Librarian CV
• Reception Teacher CV
• Special Education Teacher CV
• Substitute Teacher CV
• Teacher (General) CV
• Teaching Assistant CV
• Art Teacher CV
• Tutor CV
• ESL Teacher CV

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV Samples.

Primary School Teacher CV Sample You Can Copy and Use

You just saw our take on a pitch-perfect sample primary school teaching CV.

Now— 

Here’s how to create a primary teacher CV for yourself:

1. Sort Out the CV Format for Primary Teachers First

A good teacher won’t just walk into a classroom and wing it.

Likewise, a good primary teacher CV needs to have its layout in order before content is added.

So—

Here’s how to format primary teacher CV templates:

• Format your CV using the reverse-chronological layout, putting the most recent items first in dated CV sections, such as work history and education.
• Choose a legible CV font, and stick to an 11pt or 12pt font size for the main text.
• Use 1-inch CV margins around the entire document.
• Know what to include in a CV—leave out anything that is irrelevant to the teaching job.

Keep your CV design as simple as possible. In today's recruiting world, when you apply to a job, your CV is typically uploaded to an Applicant Tracking System. If your CV format is overly complicated, it might parse into the database incorrectly. That said, if your CV reads incorrectly, it is likely to be skipped over by the recruiter screening it, or it will come out funky looking, creating a poor impression.

Expert Hint: Use the PDF format when saving CVs. Microsoft Word docs sometimes appear weird and distorted, depending on the device the head teacher chooses to view it on, so save your teaching CV as a PDF unless the job description says otherwise.

2. Start with a Primary Teacher CV Objective or Summary

When you first walk into your class in the morning, you want your kids to perk up and pay close attention to you.

Well— 

The CV objective or career summary needs to work the same magic on the head teacher reading it.

Which opening paragraph is right to use?

When you’ve years of teaching experience, use the CV career summary. 

As the name suggests, a summary paragraph summarises your teaching background, educational skills, and classroom expertise. To prove you’re not just giving vacuous statements like the other candidates, add in a key achievement using numbers from your teaching job history.

Here’s how to write an primary school teacher CV summary:

Primary Teacher CV Examples—Summary Statement

Effective and empathetic primary school teacher with 4+ years of experience leading Year 3 and Year 4 classrooms in the Stamford School District. Certified in Supporting Literacy in Learners with Dyslexia for Primary School purposes. Implemented overhaul of the Year 3 curriculum which increased literacy and comprehension scores by 32%. Seeking to utilise successful teaching methods and learning strategies to become a Year 5 teacher at Davenport Ridge Primary School.

Experienced teacher seeking a job in an primary school, primary school, or middle school setting. Plenty of know-how in working with children, leading classrooms, and assigning homework and tests.

The good example above is from a CV tailored for one particular job ad, because generic CVs are passed-over CVs. Numbers are added to prove you’re as capable as you say.

But— 

What Happens When You’ve No Experience in Teaching Jobs?

Use the CV career objective. 

The career objective paragraph, rather than focusing on your lack of teaching experience, gives your skills and background in a way that translates well into the teaching job. It also relays your career goals as a primary school teacher. Finally, it adds a quantifiable accomplishment to seal the deal.

Here’s how to write a primary education CV objective statement:

Primary Teacher CV Examples—Objective Statement 

Knowledgeable after-school tutor with 2+ years helping students with learning disabilities catch up to their peers and graduate on time. Successfully assisted 10+ students in science, math, social studies, and language arts to get them back on track according to their age and grade levels. Seeking to utilise successful teaching methods and learning strategies to become the Year 5 teacher at Davenport Ridge Primary School.

Having been an after-school tutor for the past two years, I believe I have what it takes to manage a full classroom. My tutoring experience has helped me to develop my teaching skills, and I believe I can extrapolate those methods into a larger classroom environment.

As in the last primary teacher CVs samples, the good example here is just right—it’s tailored to the specific teaching job and shows how the skills developed from another position easily translate into teaching skills. 

Expert Hint: Write the heading statement at the end, after you complete the other teaching CV sections below. This way, you’ll be able to come up with the most effective opening paragraph possible.

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3. Ace Your Primary School Teacher Job Description and Teaching Skills Section

Now it’s time for the core of any CV for primary school teachers— 

The employment history area.

Here’s how to write a primary teacher job description that aces their exam:

• List your current or most recent teaching position (or other job) first, going backward in reverse-chronological order. 
• For each job listing on your primary education CV, add your professional title, the dates you were employed, the name of the school or other company, and its location.
• Give several job responsibilities in a way that is most relevant to the primary teaching position.
• Add an accomplishment or two using numbers to quantify just how well you handled the job.

Here are two examples of primary teacher job descriptions:

Primary School Teacher Job Description Examples

Primary School Teacher, Year 2
June 2016–September 2019
Newfield Primary School, Fearnhead, Wessex

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

• Developed and implemented lesson plans, teaching strategies, and classroom activities in line with the national educational system’s methodologies.
• Communicated regularly with pupils and respective guardians about student progress and any potential problems or roadblocks.
• Assisted in the creation and improvement of educational curriculum to foster the best learning environment.
• Assigned challenging homework and reviewed assignments for comprehension and accuracy.

Key Achievements

• Increased literacy and comprehension scores by 15% over 2 school years by tweaking curriculum and teaching methods.
• Awarded £150,000 grant to purchase new educational technology and supplies.

Year 5 Teacher 

May 2015–September 2019
Long Ridge School

Teaching Job Responsibilities:

• Taught students art, math, history, science, and language arts.
• Disciplined students when necessary.
• Supervised classroom and after-school activities.

See the differences there?

The good example gives detailed accounts of past teaching responsibilities and tasks, as well as quantifiable achievements to knock it out of the park. 

It gets a gold star sticker compared to the “unsatisfactory” score of the second one.

Also— 

Many of the schools which use current technology utilise an ATS (applicant tracking system) in their employment process. The ATS helps the administrators sort through the many teacher CVs by parsing them for CV keywords.

The primary teacher CVs without the right keywords get expelled from the candidate pool.

How to locate the right CV keywords for a primary school job? 

Look back at the teacher job description, first. If you scroll down to the job responsibilities section, it tells you exactly what the school is looking for in their new teacher, just like a cheat sheet.

Expert Hint: In the UK, there’s an ever-increasing shortage of teachers. If you can woo the head teacher with a great CV, you have a great chance of securing that primary school teaching position.

Next up is the CV skills section.

To ensure your primary school teacher’s CV gives you the best chance at landing the job, you’ll need a skills section that shows the head teacher you’re their best bet.

Here is a list of example primary teacher CV skills:

20+ Sample Teacher CV Skills & Proficiencies

• Primary School-Level Literature
• Primary School-Level Arithmetic
• Primary School-Level Science
• Primary School-Level History
• Primary School-Level Art
• Primary School-Level Physical Education
• Curriculum & Assessment
• Educational Technology (e.g., Smart Boards, Virtual Learning)
• Computer-Based Instruction
• Integrated Learning Systems
• First Aid, CPR, and AEDs
• Teaching Students With Special Needs
• Teaching Gifted and Talented Students
• Classroom Management
• Educational Growth and Development
• Verbal & Written Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills & Collaborative Spirit
• Empathetic & Compassionate Demeanour
• Innovative & Creative Attitude
• Teaching & Instructional Skills
• Effective Leadership Methods

Like a homework assignment, don’t simply take a list like this and use it within your primary school teacher CV template.

Rather, look once more at the teaching job responsibilities in the employment listing. List the teaching skills you have which are also mentioned there—those are the ones they’re searching for. 

Expert Hint: Primary school teachers should showcase a generous mixture of both hard skills and soft skills on their CV. Hard skills, such as computer skills or CPR know-how, are a perfect complement to soft skills, such as empathy and patience.

4. Turn the Education Section Into the Reason the School Hires You

Every primary school teacher needs a pre-defined level of education before they’re allowed to become an educator.

But it’s not enough to just have it— 

You’ve got to document your educational background correctly if your primary teaching CV is to be effective.

Here’s how to organise your education section on CVs for primary teachers:

Primary School Teacher CV Education Section

Bachelor of Arts in Education

Hull University

Completion: 2013

Relevant Coursework: Childhood Development, Primary School Art Methods, Health & PE Methods, Instructional Technology, Literacy Methods, Curriculum & Assessment, Childhood Developmental Psychology, Classroom Management & Leadership.

Here’s how to properly lay out the education section:

• Like the work history section, add the most advanced degree at the top.
• Include your degree name, the university you attended, its location, and the date of your completion or graduation.
• Adding relevant coursework to your CV is a great way to get some more keywords onto your CV while also showing them you’re skilled in specific areas.
• If you have any relevant academic achievements, awards, or extracurricular activities, add those as a subsection.

Expert Hint: Since a primary teacher is required to at least hold a bachelor’s degree, there is no need to include high school on the CV.

5. Add Some Electives on Your Primary Teacher CV With Extra Sections

Want to earn extra credit on this most important homework assignment?

Include an additional section or two onto your primary school teacher CV template.

Here are a few of the best extra sections to consider adding, as well as primary teachers CV samples of each one:

Certifications & Licences

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
• Additional certifications, like Supporting Literacy in Learners with Dyslexia and other specialist courses

Activities, Hobbies & Interests

• Tutoring Maths
• Captaining the school softball team
• Travelling & geography
• Reading early American literature

Proficiency in Foreign Languages 

• Estonian: Native Proficiency
• Mandarin: Professional Working Proficiency
• Portuguese: Intermediate Conversational Proficiency
• German: Beginner’s Proficiency

Expert Hint: Don’t forget to include a primary teacher cover letter with your CV. A cover letter is necessary for teaching jobs, because more than half of school administrators and head teachers won’t consider your CV without it. 

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Key Points

Let’s review— 

Here’s how to write a perfect primary school teacher CV:

• Format your primary teacher CV template before you start writing.
• Open with a compelling primary teacher CV objective or summary statement to intrigue them into reading further.
• Detail your past teaching experience or other employment history in your job description area.
• Give an achievement or two, with numbers, to verify your teaching abilities.
• Document the primary teacher CV skills most relevant to the job description.
• Include an education section which includes related coursework.
• Add an extra section, such as certifications or languages, to round out your primary school teacher CV.
• Don’t forget to attach a Teacher Cover Letter or a Primary Teacher Cover Letter before you send it off.

Got any questions on how to add accomplishments to your primary teacher CV? Need more sample primary teacher CVs? Let’s chat below in the comments, and thanks for reading!

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