Wanting to go into Teaching - advice please?

[Delinquent]

Thank you x

[Suffragette1]

I hope that you don't live up to your username!

 

You need to approach some primary schools and ask if you help out in class to get the experience as well as a reference, so my first advice would be to phone, speak to the admin team and ask whom is the best person to contact about doing some voluntary work. Presumably, as a nurse, you will already be CRB checked?

 

Are you looking to do early years, KS1 or KS2? I would expect that most schools would put you in touch with the member of staff responsible for the relevant level. If your children are in primary school, I would approach them first.

 

Good luck. You need to get a move on as don't applications have to be in by December 1st? I considered changing professions and retraining as a primary school teacher (early years) a few years ago then changed my mind, for personal reasons.

[Binster]

Hi,

 

Look on the Teacher Development Agency web site for all you need to know;

 

http://www.tda.gov.uk/

 

There's not a lot I can add over what is on the site. They are very helpful and have plenty of dedicated people to talk to.

 

Remember you will need either a PGCE (one year full time course) or undertake the GTP (on the job training). Pay is rubbish whilst you're training so you'll need to consider this.

 

If your degree is a 1st then you may be able to get on the 'teach first' programme, but againt he TDA will tell you all you need to know.

 

GOOD LUCK!

[Archi3]

I would definitely echo what Binster has said and look into doing a PGCE, especially as you have a degree already.

 

http://www.tda.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/teacher-training-options/pgce.aspx

[Mecky]

I would look into being a classroom assistant first, just to get a little experience; you never know, you might find out that teaching is not for you, so you could save money by not paying for PGCE or CertEd training. That said, I believe some universities offer contact training (placement) whilst studying for the PGCE and you also gain your QTS. Why not pop into the reception of one of the universities and ask for a prospectus? I believe these course offer flexible learning.

[Suffragette1]

I would definitely echo what Binster has said and look into doing a PGCE, especially as you have a degree already.

 

http://www.tda.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/teacher-training-options/pgce.aspx

 

I think that eligibility to do the PGCE route depends on the subject of the 1st degree as well as the classification which is a 2:1 minimum. You obviously have to have Maths and English O Level/GCSE as well as one science one. Those were the requirements when I looked into doing a PGCE a couple of years ago.

[LeMaquis]

Hi all,

 

I am a qualified adult Nurse educated to degree level. I am however wanting to go into teaching primary children. There is a course at Sheffield Hallam which i could take next year however it requires experience of working with children in a classroom setting. Apart from being a mother i have no other experience.

 

Ask to volunteer at the school your kid(s) are at if they're at a Primary school. You'd be classed as a classroom helper and if all goes well and you get on the course you could ask to have part of your teaching practice at that school. However are you sure about the course requiring experience in a classroom setting? A lot of PGCE students I've talked to have gone from school to degree to PGCE and have only worked in bars or shops or such places.

[SiSiSi]

If you already have a job then you ought to think hard and long about changing professions. Like most graduate-entry professions these days, teaching is massively over subscribed. On top of that teaching supply agencies have far more teachers (including NQTs) on their books than there are positions available, despite what they might tell you.

[Lucy-Lastic]

PGCE Primary is a really competitive course and you will definitely need to have some experience in a classroom or they won't even look at your application form (in the year I did it there were something like 40 applicants for each place). I got this by asking the school that my kids went to if I could volunteer for a couple of afternoons a week. As someone else has said, you will need to get going on this really quickly though as the closing date is December and unless it has changed you can not submit your application before your referees have submitted their parts which can take up to 2 weeks. Good luck

[Shef_Fitness]

There were lots of vacancies for teaching a few years back, in fact they were crying out for teachers to get trained up.

 

Not sure if the situation is the same now.