An education cover letter should convey your passion for sharing knowledge and challenging the minds of your students. While your CV focuses on your educational results, the cover letter details the nuances of how you get there.
It would be easy to write a cover letter that reads like a copy of the job description. You should include your personality, educational philosophy, and a smattering of classroom stories that you wish to expand on during an interview.
How can an education cover letter achieve this? Think of it like a lesson – persuasive, informative, and memorable.
Education full text-only cover letter example
Dear Mr. Green
I wish to be considered for the position of Primary School Teacher as advertised on the Dayjob website. I hold a PGCE in Primary Education and have experience teaching across Key Stages 1 and 2.
As a newly qualified teacher, I have a passion for creating inspirational and enriching learning environments. My PGCE placements at high-performing schools allowed me to deliver creative lessons in literacy, maths, science and more. Whether using differentiated teaching strategies tailored to individual learning needs or implementing new technology to aid understanding, I ensure all students make excellent progress.
In addition to lesson delivery expertise, I actively participate in assessments, parent-teacher meetings and extracurricular activities. Combining patient and effective behaviour management approaches with robust safeguarding knowledge helps me support student welfare. I also create trusting relationships with parents/carers to improve engagement.
As a teacher with a track record of going above-and-beyond for students, I am well prepared to positively impact children’s lives. I am able to plan cross-curricular topics, promote your school ethos through projects and create displays to make learning interactive. My strong written and verbal communication skills also help me collaborate with staff to improve best practices.
I welcome the chance to bring new perspectives as a newly qualified teacher while applying student-centred methodologies picked up during my studies and placements. Please find my CV attached. I can be available for interview at your earliest convenience and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
James McAdams
Sections of an education cover letter
Every education cover letter should follow a carefully constructed plan. Craft your educational career story with care – this is just the start of your job search conversation.
- Cover Letter Header: List your full name, email, and mobile number. This section should be repeated from your CV. You never know when that interview invite might come.
- Greeting: Connect with the hiring manager by addressing them by name. A cover letter that starts “to whom it may concern” will not create the best impression.
- Introduction: Share why you want the job and give your most relevant example of why you would be a great choice. If this is compelling, they will read more.
- Body: After careful study of the job description, which educational career stories will hit hardest? What do you want to talk about during an interview? Make sure that your students are at the very heart of your application.
- Conclusion: Share one last education story and share that you are keen to find out more with a call-to-action. You want them to think that you are in demand.
- Signature: End with a professional goodbye.
Every section of the cover letter should centre around your motivations and suitability for this specific role. Don’t tell your best classroom stories – tell the stories that are best for the role.
Aim for a concise, one-page cover letter that goes far beyond just listing your skills and experiences. Open up to the hiring manager and speak from the heart. You will only find a dream job if the hiring manager is hiring you based on who you really are.
Need more inspiration? View our other related cover letter examples from the education sector:
For more general information and details that cover every section, view our article on how to write a cover letter.
After the formality of the header and greeting, the educational sales pitch starts with the introduction. Now, stand up in front of the class and tell your story.
Introduction of an education cover letter
When you start a cover letter for an education position, begin with one of your key achievements that will illustrate your potential for the role in question.
While it is tempting to share details about the success of your students, make sure to tell the employer the specifics of how you made the difference to them. What exactly did you do to elevate their learning outcomes?
Dear Dr. Overton,
As an English teacher who specialises in GCSE English Literature, I enjoy inspiring the young minds of tomorrow. My self-created lesson plans have millions of online views, and I love taking my students on a journey of discovery in class. Our average GCSE English Lit grade improved from a 6 to an 8 over five years during my tenure. I am sure that I can achieve similar results for you.
Hi, I am Gill. I have been teaching English in a school and would like a job at your school. I like books and enjoy helping students to read and write. I really want the job and think that the students would like me. Most people do.
Your introduction should contain a hint of why you love the job with some facts to back up your confidence in your candidature. Quantify your successes – put something down on paper that will stick in the mind of the interviewer. This will then form a hook to lead into an interesting interview conversation.
If your introduction is aligned with the requirements of the job description, the hiring manager will be keen to learn more and read on. That is not a given. If the intro is generic and uninspiring, they will lose interest. They have better things to do than read a cover letter that has likely been copy pasted for multiple employers. Make them feel special.
Dear Mr. Green
I wish to be considered for the position of Primary School Teacher as advertised on the Dayjob website. I hold a PGCE in Primary Education and have experience teaching across Key Stages 1 and 2.
Education cover letter body
In the body of your cover letter, follow this formula:
- Highlight your skills and experience.
- Show how you're a perfect fit for the school.
- Finish with a conclusion that ends with one last compelling example.
- Include a call to action that instills a sense of urgency in the hiring manager.
First body paragraph - Your suitability for the role (skills & experience)
Showcase your key skills, embedding them into stories of your accomplishments.
Here’s how you can Here’s how you can create a job winning narrative:
- Highlight your education: Educators should be on a constant journey of discovery.
- Emphasise your focus on students: Student achievement should be at the heart of your education cover letter.
- Technology awareness: Technology is becoming increasingly important in the classroom. Show that you are an adopter of new teaching methods such as interactive whiteboards, Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom.
- Communication: Effective teachers are great communicators – make sure that your education cover letter is clear in its arguments.
- Subject matter expert: Give some details about how the depth of your knowledge makes a difference to your students.
- Pastoral care: Teachers do far more than stand in the classroom and teach. Do you get involved in extracurricular activities? How do you care for the students over and above the lessons that you teach?
- Managerial ambition: Do you have ambitions to become a head of department or maybe even a senior member of the school management?
“Check out the school by visiting their website and get an idea of their ethos. This website is usually for parents, so there should be plenty of information there to inform you of their culture. Try to use some of the vocabulary during your interview.”
Second body paragraph(s) - Alignment with the organisation
Align your application with the school and how they teach the subject. Be aware of the exam boards for your subject and show that you are truly a subject matter expert.
You might wish to write about the curriculum that you are teaching, details of experience with particular exam boards, or your approach to managing coursework assignments. Show that you understand how the school approaches the curriculum and demonstrate that you have taught the subject in a similar way previously.
Use the cover letter format to show how your values and experiences align with these aspects, demonstrating you're not just a fit for the role but also for the culture.
Incorporate aspects of the school’s mission statement into your cover letter. Tell some personal stories about how you have worked in a similar environment.
As a newly qualified teacher, I have a passion for creating inspirational and enriching learning environments. My PGCE placements at high-performing schools allowed me to deliver creative lessons in literacy, maths, science and more. Whether using differentiated teaching strategies tailored to individual learning needs or implementing new technology to aid understanding, I ensure all students make excellent progress.
In addition to lesson delivery expertise, I actively participate in assessments, parent-teacher meetings and extracurricular activities. Combining patient and effective behaviour management approaches with robust safeguarding knowledge helps me support student welfare. I also create trusting relationships with parents/carers to improve engagement.
As a teacher with a track record of going above-and-beyond for students, I am well prepared to positively impact children’s lives. I am able to plan cross-curricular topics, promote your school ethos through projects and create displays to make learning interactive. My strong written and verbal communication skills also help me collaborate with staff to improve best practices.
Call to action & conclusion - Finish off strong
The call to action is the final part of your cover letter magic. Any hiring manager would expect you to be keen on the role, but saying that you want to find out more in the final lines of the letter has another effect. It creates a sense of urgency that may compel a hiring manager to invite you to interview – they won’t want to lose a good candidate, after all.
Don’t forget to express your gratitude to the recruiter for considering your application. This not only demonstrates good manners but also reaffirms your keen interest in the role.
Conclude by signing your name. Ideally, add an electronic signature if you are sending a PDF of the letter. This personal touch should not be underestimated.
I welcome the chance to bring new perspectives as a newly qualified teacher while applying student-centred methodologies picked up during my studies and placements. Please find my CV attached. I can be available for interview at your earliest convenience and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
James McAdams
How to write an education cover letter with no experience
If you are entering the education industry, it may be the case that you have minimal experience. While teachers will require a PGCE and teaching work experience, it may be possible to secure work as a teaching assistant without having worked at a school previously.
Consider these points:
- Highlight transferable skills: Educators need to be effective communicators, able to ensure optimal outcomes for a diverse student body.
- Showcase organisational abilities: A successful classroom is an organised classroom. Have you organised other people during events or projects?
- Express your passion for teaching: You may not have any experience, but your cover letter should be full of passion for the career that lies ahead.
- Include academic background: It is unlikely that you will choose to work in academia without a track record of success in your own academics. Share with pride.
These points will help balance out the lack of experience in your cover letter and pave the way to a creative and open-minded career discussion during an interview.
Consider ATS
The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is an electronic method for filtering applications.
The ATS algorithm sorts through candidates’ applications by scanning for specific keywords. Don’t stuff the cover letter with keywords, but try to include the most relevant ones from the job description.
Example (for a physics teacher):
- Advanced laboratory techniques
- Computational physics
- Interdisciplinary curriculum design
- Nanotechnology
Key takeaway
A well-crafted education cover letter highlights your relevant skills and experiences.
Demonstrate your passion for the subject from the first line. Make every effort to showcase your unique strengths and care for your students.
Try our cover letter builder to help inspire your writing. It will make it easy to weave the best possible application for each specific role.
