The 'I'm applying for a PGCE' thread

Hi i am starting an undergraduate degree in september and after that am pretty sure i want to be a teacher, i would quite like some experience in teaching, is it possible to help out in secondary schools whilst i do my degree ? or do schools not really like that. (btw i want to be an IT teacher) Thanks

Check what systems are in place at your university. Lancaster have a volunteering unit [now called LUSU Involve], which has strong links with a range of local schools. Every year, they run a school partnership programme; with their help, I was able to spend two years helping at a school as a 1 day a week TA.
So, I would check out what is on offer first. After that, you'll have to start approaching secondary schools yourself. Most will want a CRB and you might find it easier to 'get a foot in the door' at schools you have some connection with.

If you do apply to Institute of Education, put it down as your first choice. I had it down as my third choice (after Kings and Goldsmiths) and by the time it got to them, in early February, they weren't considering further applications. Kings and I of E seem to be the speediest of the London colleges for filling up their places.

In fact, if I were to do it all again from scratch, I don't think I'd have applied to I of E: I'd probably have applied to one of the less competitive colleges, like Brunel or Roehampton.

Come to think of it, if I had the option to, I would apply anywhere but London for secondary English. You have about 1000 people applying for about 180 places. Not good odds.

Well, the main reason I am applying to IoE is because they had like 140 places for my course last year (secondary English). Brunel only had 28 and Roehampton 26, so I would assume that those 2 would be most competitive?

I am also thinking of applying to Manchester Met, based purely on the amount of places available. I see posts here and on tes about people who have worked years in a school being rejected because there not being enough places/candidates with more experience. So I wanna max my chances as much as possible.

It would be interesting to see how many applicants there are per PGCE Englsih placement at each uni though.

I did look at Brunel and had my heart set on it for a while, but it is just a bit too far from where I am at the moment and I would have to move into London, really. Whereas for IoE I can just take the train to Kings Cross and IoE have school placements in Herts, so it would be ideal (or of course, staying at Herts).

I of E has that many places for secondary English?!! I had no idea!! Feel very, very, very stupid now. If I'd known that, it would have been my first choice, without a doubt. That's more places than all the other London colleges combined. All the other London colleges have around 20/25 places. London Met said they had 700 applicants for 25 places last year.

Hello

I was just wondering how people went about getting experience prior to applying for their PGCE secondary course?

I am currently a second year student at King's College London and would like to apply for my PGCE in Septemer...do I have enough time to get sufficient work experience? How should I go about asking schools for it? I e-mailed some but they seemed to think that the summer term, because of exams, wasn't the ideal time to do work expwerience?

Any tips would be great!!

Many Thanks

Bex

Hello

I was just wondering how people went about getting experience prior to applying for their PGCE secondary course?

I am currently a second year student at King's College London and would like to apply for my PGCE in Septemer...do I have enough time to get sufficient work experience? How should I go about asking schools for it? I e-mailed some but they seemed to think that the summer term, because of exams, wasn't the ideal time to do work expwerience?

Any tips would be great!!

Many Thanks

Bex

Hello

I was just wondering how people went about getting experience prior to applying for their PGCE secondary course?

I am currently a second year student at King's College London and would like to apply for my PGCE in Septemer...do I have enough time to get sufficient work experience? How should I go about asking schools for it? I e-mailed some but they seemed to think that the summer term, because of exams, wasn't the ideal time to do work expwerience?

Any tips would be great!!

Many Thanks

Bex

I just got notification on GTTR - I got me a PGCE Primary place at University of Exeter. BAM!!

So incredibly pleased, I worked so hard for this.

If anyone wants to know about interviews with Exeter, or IoE (which was my first choice, but got rejected from) just quote me.

Feeling over the moon doesn't even cover it.

Hi, I wrote a post a while ago to say I was applying for the PGCE post 16 lifelong learning pre-service.. well I have good news! I have been offered a place at The University of Huddersfield starting in September, and I'm over the moon! )

Hi, I've got an interview at IoE next week- I'm particularly interested in finding out about the maths test and the individual interview. I had a maths test at another institution and it was only simple sums and percentages (10 questions) yet some people seem to suggest other tests have included questions on conversions, graphs etc. (Also if you got an excel spreadsheet thing to find out which group you were in- how did you get it to work? I typed my name in the space and nothing changes)!
Thanks