Our essential guide to what you need to do before travelling to the UK and how to prepare. For simplification, we will call all schools and colleges ‘schools’ and all Local Authorities or Library Boards (regional education offices), ‘LAs’
You should receive a letter from the British Council in May or June informing you of the region to which you have been allocated and also a copy of our Information booklet for foreign language assistants and their employers in the UK (pdf 1MB). You will then receive a letter or phone call from the school or LA shortly afterwards. You should reply immediately with the following information:
 |
 |
|
your contact details for the summer |
|
|
|
whether you need help to find accommodation |
If you are appointed late or from a waiting list, you may get a call or an e-mail from the school or LA before our letter.
Your school or LA should write or telephone you to tell you the following:
|
|
|
your exact role in the school(s) |
|
|
|
the age range/language level of the students |
|
|
|
the school(s) contact details |
|
|
|
the contact details of the previous assistant, if applicable |
|
|
|
your mentor teacher’s contact details |
|
|
|
how many schools you will be working at |
|
|
|
what type of clothes you will have to wear |
|
|
|
whether you need to bring any photographs, maps, tourist brochures, magazines etc. |
|
|
|
how to get to your school or accommodation on arrival |
If you do not receive the answer to this questions in the school's first letter, then ask them in your reply.
You will have to provide a police clearance certificate with your application, unless you are from Germany or Spain, in which case you will have to send it directly to your school once known. If you are from Germany, you should get a ‘Polizeiliches Führungszeugnis’ from your local ‘Landeseinwohneramt’.
If you are from Spain, you should get a ‘Certificado Negativo de Antecedentes Penales’ from your local ‘Gerencia Territoriales’ of the ‘Ministerio Justicia’ If you don’t know the procedure needed to obtain the document, you should check at the office where you made your application.
It is often difficult for non-UK citizens to open a UK bank account when staying here on a temporary basis. It might be useful to get a ‘letter of introduction’ from your bank to prove that you are credit-worthy. This should include your address in your home country.
If you are a French Language Assistant, we recommend you take a look at the 'Malette Pedagogique' provided by the Institut Francais which includes a summary of the UK education system as well as ideas for lessons.
If you are from Austria, Germany or Switzerland, you should take a look at the 'Steps' website provided by the Goethe Institut in the UK to help you prepare.
If you are from Spain or Latin America, we recommend you take a look at the website of the Spanish Consejeria de Educacion to help you prepare.
If you are from Canada, China, Latin America, Oman, Russia or Japan you will need to obtain a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’ and a 'T5 Confirmation of Maintenance Form' from us. This can be done once the school has received your application form and agrees to accept you.
You will need these in order to apply for your UK visa, firstly online and then at the British Embassy in your home country. If you are not sure about the procedure, check at the office where you made your application.
| 
