14th June 2023

The United Kingdom is currently running a pilot scheme for the fiscal year of 2023-2024 to welcome more and more teachers from overseas. An International Relocation Payment (IRP) of 10,000 Pounds is announced by the British government for non-UK trainees and teachers of physics and languages. This will be a single-time payment and the minimum salary to be offered under this scheme would be GBP 27,000 annually and it will vary greatly depending on the experience of the applicant.

What Is An International Relocation Payment (IRP)?

IRP is a type of grant designed by the UK government to repay some of the costs of moving to the country. It aims to magnify the influx of overseas teaching staff in the nation and it includes:
 

• Qualified trainees from outside the UK
• Foreign languages educators
• Physics teachers

The Department of Education said that the pilot scheme could support 400 qualified teachers to relocate. The plan was initially announced last year by Nadhim Zahawi, the then-education secretary. He exclaims that this will make teaching even more attractive for the best teachers all around the world. The country missed secondary teacher recruitment for the past 10 years and last year alone there was a shortage of teachers by about 40%.

To counter this effect the plan for the trail scheme was scheduled to be set in motion for the next academic year and will launch in autumn. "I want to attract the very best teachers from all across the globe," Zahawi said.

What Will Be Covered Under This Grant?

The payment is designed to cover:
 

• Visa expenses
• Health surcharges while immigration
• All other relocation expenses

This grant acts as financial support for trainees and teachers globally who wish to come to train and work in English schools. The grant will be issued around the end of the trainee's or the teacher's first term and it is not subjected to repayment. Eligible teachers are also entitled to receive both the IRP grant and a scholarship or bursary.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the grant, candidates must:
 

• Have a recognized degree from a recognized institution
• Posses valid teacher-training qualifications from an accredited organization
• Speak English at the undergraduate level
• Be willing to work and live in the UK for the academic year 2023-2024

How Will The Scheme Work?

The scheme is meant to work differently for fee-paying trainees, teachers, and salaried trainees. Here is a detailed breakdown of all the three types:
 

• Fee-Paying Trainees

Trainees for fee-paying courses are not required to apply for the IRP grant as the course providers will automatically pay the IRP to them at the end of the first along with any bursaries the candidate is entitled to.

The government of the UK works with different bodies to provide a limited number of bursaries worth:
 

• £27,000 for trainees of physics, mathematics, chemistry, and computing courses
• £25,000 for trainees of German, French, and Spanish courses (no other languages)
• £15,000 for trainees of English language courses

The training bursaries are based on the subject they are trained to teach rather than the subject of the academic qualification. Furthermore, these awards are fixed for the duration of the program and are not affected by the length of training.
 

• Salaried Trainees

Trainees for salaried courses will need to apply for the relocation grant themselves. They can direct apply to the Department of Education (DfE) for the IRP from autumn 2023. This can be done after they have come to the UK on a skilled worker visa, student visa, family visa, etc, and taken up a teacher training course in the UK leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) for the academic year 2023-2024.

The salaried trainees must be trained to teach one of the following subjects at a secondary level:
 

• Any language except English including courses that combines languages with another subject as long as they take up at least 50% of the course content
• Secondary-level courses combining English language as long as the non-English language courses make up at least 50% of the course content
• Physics including Engineers teach physics and any courses that involve 50% of physics course content

Upon successful application, the Department of Education will directly pay the IRP to the eligible salaried trainees around the end of the first term.
 

• Teachers

Teachers will also need to apply to the Department of Education for the IRP from 2023 autumn. They can do this after they have accepted a job as a teacher of languages or physics in a secondary school in the English states. They can enter the country on a skilled worker visa, youth mobility scheme visa, or British National (Overseas) visa and their contract length should be valid for at least one year.

The qualified teachers must be trained to teach any of the following subjects:
 

• Languages (except the English language) can be combined with other subjects provided that it must take 50% of their teaching time
• The English language can be combined with other languages like Spanish, German, etc and the non-English language courses must take up 50% of the teaching time
• Physics with any other subject as long as Physics takes up 50% of the teaching time

If the teacher fits the above criteria, upon successful completion, the Department of Education will pay the eligible teachers directly by the end of the first term.

Who CAN NOT Apply

Any candidate will not be eligible for the grant if:
 

• You are a citizen of the UK including Scotland, Wales, And Northern Ireland
• You are an Irish citizen
• You moved to the UK as a non-UK citizen 3 months before the start of the course
• You are trained to teach only English language and literature
• You are employed for a contract valid for less than 1 academic year
• You are employed by a recruitment agency

How Can You Apply?

If you are willing to express an interest in the IRP scheme, all you need to do is email DfE at IRP.ExpressInterest@education.gov.uk so that you can get updates about the scheme including when and how will you be able to apply for the payments.

Immigration And Employment Checks

Before any IRP payments are released by the IEP, they will:
 

• Contact the home office to check all immigration and visa requirements
• Work with the employing school of the applicant to check their teaching subject and employment status

Find Your Eligibility And Apply

Reports reveal that the UK is looking to hire hundreds of teachers for science and language subjects from countries like Nigeria and India. In the current academic year of 2023-2024, UK officials expect 300-400 qualified teachers under this scheme and if it proves to be a success, it could be extended to other subjects in the future.

Find the right course for you and try out the course. Whatsapp us at - +1 213 233 9490. You can also mail us at act@asiancollegeofteachers.com.

Written By: Sanjana Chowdhury