Teaching in Fife

Our vision in Fife Education and Children’s Services is “Improving Life Chances for All” and we believe that our children should be encouraged and supported to maximise their potential.

We place children and families at the centre of everything we do, seeking to provide the space and opportunity for learning, nurture, creativity and the development of skills. Fife is committed to ensuring our learners, regardless of background, leave school with the literacy and numeracy skills required to access the wider world.

Fife is Scotland’s second largest education authority and provides a broad and balanced education to over 55,000 children and young people in establishments ranging from small rural schools to state-of-the-art, purpose-built schools in urban areas. We have more highly skilled literate children than ever in Fife and literacy is rising and has increased in all levels from the early stages through to post 16 education. Our educational attainment and achievement have been rising year on year, and our schools perform highly in school inspections.

Could you help us on our journey to excellence?

Our ambition is to create schools for the 21st century and beyond. Our new buildings feature high quality design; are highly functional; sustainable in all senses; fit for a modern curriculum; adaptable to future needs; promote a culture of lifelong learning within communities and are a source of pride for future generations.

In recent years 14 new primary schools and seven secondary schools have been built, with our most recent, Waid Academy opening its doors to pupils in June 2017.

In Fife we recognise that the most important resource is the teacher. That is why we take our responsibilities for staff learning and development very seriously and make training accessible. We will provide opportunities for you to engage in leadership courses and programmes throughout your career progression and we enjoy strong partnership working with universities providing opportunities for engagement in Masters level learning.

High quality CPD opportunities have been established in the key areas of literacy, numeracy and nurturing relationships. We have an established network of experienced practitioners who support colleagues through professional dialogue, classroom observations and sharing of best practice, helping our teachers adopt principles of an inclusive approach. Headteachers report a ‘real buzz’ around schools as a result of this engagement.

If you are considering Fife as one of your preferences for your probationer year: if you begin here you will be included in, and receive the benefits of, the excellent Teaching Induction Scheme which we operate.

The probationer experience in Fife is very highly regarded, with Fife receiving 200 probationers for session 2016/17 and over 230 for session 2017/18.

As a probationer you will receive the full support of our probationer manager, a designated mentor in your school, a structured and intensive suite of support with formal training opportunities throughout the year.

Probationer teachers attend ‘core’ support days allowing you to network with fellow probationer teachers across Fife. In addition there are numerous supplementary training courses and experiences for you to take advantage of.

Fife lies on the east coast of Scotland, between the cities of Edinburgh and Dundee. We offer great education, superb transport links, a growing economy and a wide range of leisure and housing choices.

Fife is historically ‘the home of golf’, and the burial place of kings, queens and saints. But we are a forward looking, diverse population with a proud spirit and a positive attitude.

We celebrate our history in our many festivals, embrace our cultural diversity and take pride in the numerous opportunities for sport, the arts and leisure that Fife has to offer.

To discover more about Fife visit www.welcometofife.com.

With Edinburgh just to the south, Dundee and Perth to the north and Glasgow to the south west, Fife is in a great location in Scotland.

Road

Connected to the rest of Scotland by A-roads and the M90 motorway, the peninsula of Fife also connects to the mainland via several bridges: the Queensferry Crossing, the Forth Road Bridge, the Kincardine Bridge, the Clackmannanshire Bridge and the Tay Road Bridge.

Bus

For those looking to get around without a car, the bus is a great option. With stations in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Dunfermline, St Andrews and Cupar, you can hop on a bus for convenient, reliable and cost-effective travel options to the wider Fife community, and enjoy not having to drive.

Rail

There are 19 train stations in Fife both on the local and national network. You’ll be able to hop on and off throughout Fife, visiting towns, the countryside and the coast as you choose. Several stations link Fife with Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness to the north, Glasgow to the west and Edinburgh and London to the south.

Air

If you’re flying in, you can choose from airports at Edinburgh to the south, Glasgow to the west or Dundee to the north.

Edinburgh Airport is Scotland’s capital airport. With more than 40 airlines serving over 100 worldwide destinations, an impressive nine million passengers pass through the airport every year.

Five minutes from Dundee, open for scheduled, private and charter operators. There are regular flights to London Stansted and Jersey.

Glasgow Airport is approximately one-hour drive away. It has around 30 airlines serving around 90 destinations around the world.

Cycle

Enjoy cycling? Then you’ll love Fife. With over 300 miles of dedicated cycle routes, Fife is the place to go if you’re at home on a bike.

There are routes that are perfect for family days out, others more challenging and some simply designed to help you enjoy the view.

The Fife Coastal Path stretches over 150 km from Kincardine to Newburgh, with sections doubling as cycle paths. The clearly marked path passes through villages, towns and the countryside taking in coastal views of the beaches, cliffs and wildlife reserves.

The Kingdom of Fife Millenium Cycle Ways also offers a comprehensive network of quiet country lanes, disused railway lines and forest tracks as well as commuter routes in town.

Application forms for our current vacancies are available on www.fife.gov.uk/jobs. Here you’ll find more information about working with Fife Council, as well as discovering more about living and working in Fife.