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Cover letter example

High School Teacher Cover Letter Example

Schools hiring a head of department read for results, a repeatable method and care for learners who struggle. This letter opens on a rising pass rate, then shows the weekly routine and department work behind it and ties the catch-up class and mentoring to the school's study center.

Mid career · 295 words · Last reviewed 4 November 2026 · 3 min read · How we write these

The job this letter answers

Head of Mathematics, Constantia Ridge High School

Constantia Ridge High School is a public school in Cape Town with about 1,100 learners. Its after-school study center opened in 2025 and runs four afternoons a week, staffed by teachers and volunteers.

  • Lead a mathematics department of five teachers
  • Raise pass rates in grade 12 mathematics
  • Support learners who need extra help outside lessons
  • Mentor student teachers and newly qualified staff
Template

The letter takes the colors of the resume template, the same way a downloaded cover letter matches your resume.

Thandiwe Nkosi

Cape Town · thandiwe.nkosi@example.com

4 November 2026

Mr Sipho Dlamini

Principal

Constantia Ridge High School

Subject: Application for Head of Mathematics

Dear Mr Dlamini,

Grade 12 mathematics passes at my school rose from 71% to 84% over three years, and the routine behind that rise is simple enough for a whole department to share. I am applying for the post of Head of Mathematics at Constantia Ridge High School.

Every week my grade 12 classes sit a past paper, and I use the marks to decide who needs targeted support before the next test. I already lead a department of five teachers at Rooikrans Ridge High School, where I set the term plan and moderate every grade 12 test so that marking is consistent across classes. I teach grades 10 to 12, about 150 students a week, meet parents each term and send progress reports within a week of each test. The school named me teacher of the year in 2024.

Constantia Ridge's study center is what made me apply this year. My free Thursday catch-up class, which about 30 learners attend, has taught me that support for learners who need extra help outside lessons works best when it is regular and follows the latest test marks. A center open four afternoons a week could give mathematics a fixed place, run on the same past-paper results we use in class. It would also suit mentoring: I take two student teachers through their teaching practice each year, and explaining a method to one learner is where newly qualified staff learn fastest. Peer tutoring I introduced in grade 9 at my previous school raised the average test mark by seven points.

My weekly past-paper routine and a sample term plan are ready to share with you and the department before an interview. It would help me prepare to know which mathematics results your governing body looks at most closely each year.

Yours sincerely,

Thandiwe Nkosi

A made-up letter. The person, the employers and every number are invented, and any resemblance to a real one is chance. Sending it by email? Put the subject line in the email’s subject box, add your name to it, and attach the letter as a PDF.

Paragraph by paragraph

  1. The opening

    Starts: “Grade 12 mathematics passes at my school…”

    Leads with the pass rate before and after, the first figure a principal looks for, and promises a method rather than luck.

  2. Your strongest evidence

    Starts: “Every week my grade 12 classes sit…”

    Shows the weekly routine behind the result and the department the writer already leads, which answers the first two lines of the advert.

  3. Why this employer

    Starts: “Constantia Ridge's study center is what made…”

    Starts with the school's own study center, answers the extra-help and mentoring lines in the advert's words, and adds an earlier result that shows the writer tests ideas.

  4. The close

    Starts: “My weekly past-paper routine and a sample…”

    Offers two working documents and asks a respectful question about the school's priorities.

Why this letter works

  • The pass rate comes with its starting point, end point and period, so the principal can judge it.
  • The evidence shows a routine and a department already led, not just a result.
  • The why-them paragraph is built on the school's own study center and answers both the extra-help and mentoring lines.
  • The close offers documents and asks a question, without telling the principal what to do.

How to write your own high school teacher cover letter

  1. Give a learner result with the figure before, the figure after and the years it covers.
  2. Name the weekly habit that produced the result, such as a past paper every week.
  3. If you already lead other teachers, say how many and what you do for them.
  4. Link your extra classes to something the school already runs, such as a study center or homework club.
  5. Describe mentoring with numbers and the stage the teachers are at, such as student or newly qualified.
  6. Ask which results the school reviews most closely, phrased as a question rather than a request.

Common questions

Can I quote my school's pass rates in a teaching letter?

Use figures for your own classes or department that the school already shares with staff and parents, and give the years they cover. Leave out any learner's name or mark.

How do I apply for head of department without the title?

Show the work you already do: planning terms, moderating tests and mentoring. Say how many teachers it involves.

Is an unpaid catch-up class worth mentioning?

Yes. Give the day and how many learners come, and link it to the support the school offers outside lessons.

What should a head of department letter offer to bring to an interview?

A term plan or a short description of your weekly routine works well. Remove learner names first.

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