Able to survive?

I think that you will struggle.

I also think that your employers will struggle to get a work permit for an unqualified teacher, if that is the route you are taking.

Vicky

I also think that your employers will struggle to get a work permit for an unqualified teacher, if that is the route you are taking.

This might be the biggest issue right now because the government is tightening its borders right regarding work permits and doesn't want any jobs going to foreigners unless nobody in the UK can do the job.
Like some other said, Scotland might be better regarding the financial aspect.  However, I suggest getting in touch with one of the organisations that bring teachers over from elsewhere (Bluewave is an example) and try to get fully qualified in the UK before coming over.  Note that if you go to Scotland, you'll have to be registered with GTC Scotland before you can teach anything anywhere...and they can be pretty strict on what they accept (i.e. your bachelor's degree must be in primary or secondary education, you must have a teaching license, FBI background check, etc).

Thank you all for your advice. I agree that it would probably be better to live outside of London, which I am okay with teaching pretty much anywhere in the UK. I think I should clarify one thing though about the qualified and unqualified teacher status. I do have a a degree, two in fact one in English and one in Theatre. I also have my teaching license and went through an approved NACTE program so as far as that I am qualified to teach both subjects. I am going to start working on my QTS, as soon as I get there, with my degrees and everything I should have no problem getting a Tier 2 work Permit. I would qualify for a Tier 1 work permit if I had more money. The whole qualified and unqualified teacher status is really only in regards to the pay scale, not  getting into the country. I am registered with Bluewave and with Uteach and will probably find a few other agencies.

I am going to start working on my QTS, as soon as I get there, with my degrees and everything I should have no problem getting a Tier 2 work Permit.

The issue with getting a Tier 2 is that the employer must demonstrate that no other UK/EU applicants for the position meet the position requirements. You can't throw a stick without hitting a qualified English/theatre teacher in the UK.

Until last fall, teachers enjoyed status as a "shortage profession," meaning that schools could bypass the requirement of proving that no other candidate with the existing right to work in the UK/EU was suitable. Now, only math and science teachers are shortage professions. Agencies should be explaining this to you, otherwise they aren't doing their job.

If you do not qualify for Tier 1 and have no other way to legally be able to work in the UK, then I am afraid you are out of luck.

Now I am really confused and a bit upset too. The agencies never made any mention of the shortage list or anything else. They are also still placing candidates from their pool on their website in positions in the UK. So, I guess now I will have a talk with them and see what is really going on.

Now I am really confused and a bit upset too. The agencies never made any mention of the shortage list or anything else. They are also still placing candidates from their pool on their website in positions in the UK. So, I guess now I will have a talk with them and see what is really going on.

If I understand it right, you need 50 points to qualify for the Tier 2 visa. If your job is listed on the shortages list, then you can automatically get the 50 points. However, as loveaturtle mentioned, English/Drama teachers are not on the shortages list, only Science and Maths teachers are. So you cannot get a Tier 2 visa that way.

Your other option is to get 50 points from your qualifications, expected earnings and company sponsorship. You will get 10 points for your degrees, either 0 or 5 points for expected earnings (if you are not likely to be able to earn more than £19,999) and then 30 points for company sponsorship... which is still only 45 points, even if you manage to find a job.

Unfortunately though, it is probably going to be almost impossible to get company sponsorship, because there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of newly qualified English and/or Theatre teachers graduating every summer, already in the UK and looking for these jobs ... and due to the recession, not even British teachers (non-Science/Maths subjects) are able to get jobs that easily (one of my friends (who is British) is a newly qualified primary school teacher and applied for 60 teaching jobs last year before being offered one). Plus, even if a school can't find a suitable teacher from within the UK, they then have to prove that they couldn't find anyone in the other 26 EU countries either before they can hire you (and there are a lot of people in the EU - 500 million).

Sorry for the delay in replying, I'm away for the weekend and not checking online as frequently. I live in Cupar, in Fife. My rent is probably a bit lower than average because our landlord doesn't really need the money, but there are plenty of 2 and 3 bedroom places around here for under £500 a month. As for the difficulty in getting a position/work permit, I think that if you are willing to go to very rural areas, even the non-shortage positions might still be easier to get. Parts of Aberdeenshire and the isles for instance seem to be needing teachers for all subjects, but they are still having trouble filling the positions because everyone wants to live in cities and towns.

Now I am really confused and a bit upset too. The agencies never made any mention of the shortage list or anything else. They are also still placing candidates from their pool on their website in positions in the UK. So, I guess now I will have a talk with them and see what is really going on.

I have been working with Bluewave, and they have been encouraging American applicants to pursue Tier 1 in light of the immigration policy changes. The people who are getting placed have Tier 1, or have another way of being able to work, such as a spousal visa or YMS (a visa for young people that is not open to Americans), or are math and science teachers.