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Original post by tamiic
Hi everyone

I'm due to graduate in 2014 with combined subjects (media major/English minor) and I'm hoping to teach secondary English. Will the fact that I study English minor affect my application to the PGCE course?




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To teach secondary English your degree needs to be at least 50% English. If this isn't the case for you then I believe you have to do some kind of conversion course? I could be wrong though'.
Reply 401
Hey, I'm thinking of doing a primary pgce following a sociology degree, I'm starting my degree this month. Is this possible, if so can anyone give me advise on what sort of things I should do during the three years of my degree. Voluntary work? Much appreciated. :smile:


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Original post by neskisan
Hey, I'm thinking of doing a primary pgce following a sociology degree, I'm starting my degree this month. Is this possible, if so can anyone give me advise on what sort of things I should do during the three years of my degree. Voluntary work? Much appreciated. :smile:


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Work experience in state schools is the most vital, and writing down at the time what you're getting out of your experiences :smile:
Reply 403
Original post by swarfliam
Work experience in state schools is the most vital, and writing down at the time what you're getting out of your experiences :smile:


Thank you :smile:


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Reply 404
Original post by Sam89
Hi guys,

I graduated with a degree in information systems but having observed both I decided I wanted to do primary. . It seems like your degree has to link with it somehow my degree has nothing to do with children or studying their behaviour although I did a separate course online which taught be about teaching methods, learning styles and behaviour management... am I doomed?


Only about half, if that, of the people on my Primary PGCE had done education type degrees beforehand. There is a mix of everything. Your undergrad degree doesn't have to be linked to primary teaching (I did maths!), just as long as you still have the passion and put in the effort to find out a bit more.

And remember it's about knowing the ideas and theory of it, not knowing all the right things to do. They want potential to be a good teacher (which could be someone very experienced or not), not someone who thinks they already know everything who may have picked up bad habits!

xxx
Original post by neskisan
Hey, I'm thinking of doing a primary pgce following a sociology degree, I'm starting my degree this month. Is this possible, if so can anyone give me advise on what sort of things I should do during the three years of my degree. Voluntary work? Much appreciated. :smile:


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Hi :smile:

It's good that you're thinking about it in advance. Try and get as much experience in a primary school/with children as you can throughout your degree.

Does your uni have a volunteering department? Mine did and had links with schools and other projects and got me a volunteering placement at a school helping kids with their work and assisting the teacher.

Also extra curriculur activities such as Scouts/Guides and after school or sports clubs could be good places to volunteer at.

Just make sure that in your final year (in the 12 months before you apply for the PGCE) you have 10 days experience because most courses require you to have been in a primary school for 10 days in the 12 months prior to interview. Would be good if you could spend just a few hours each week in your final year.
Original post by Louzilla
Are most people staying home to do their PGCEs? I'm wanting to move somewhere far away for a change but by the sounds of it most people are staying at home, am I missing something?


Part of me wants to do the PGCE at my local uni because it means I'm more likely to get a job around here especially since it's Wales and the Welsh PGCE.

On the other hand I want to move back to the city where I went to uni and do it there, I wouldn't mind living there either. But I'm worried that if I ever want to return to Wales to teach I won't be able to if I've not done a PGCE through Welsh.

I don't want to live at home because it's cramped etc and can't imagine trying to study from this house - I would at least need a room in a house that was closer to the uni and easier to work from.
Original post by BabyGirl92
Part of me wants to do the PGCE at my local uni because it means I'm more likely to get a job around here especially since it's Wales and the Welsh PGCE.

On the other hand I want to move back to the city where I went to uni and do it there, I wouldn't mind living there either. But I'm worried that if I ever want to return to Wales to teach I won't be able to if I've not done a PGCE through Welsh.

I don't want to live at home because it's cramped etc and can't imagine trying to study from this house - I would at least need a room in a house that was closer to the uni and easier to work from.


Plus if you did your PGCE in Wales you wouldn't need to the QTS tests and you'd still be able to work in England. It's a MAJOR advantage, seeing as they are making them harder too.
Reply 408
After attempting so many practice tests of the QTS tests and not getting very far I've just realised in Wales they do not need to be taken. I'm so relieved but does anyone know if we have to prepare anything for the interview stages? Presentations or anything like that?
I'm trying to prepare myself because going into my third year in a few weeks time, I'd rather be organised than rushing at the last minute with a tonne of other stuff to do as well!
Reply 409
Think I've got my work experience sorted out *crosses fingers* Two weeks in an infant school, and volunteer work with Rainbow guides for the last year. Just need to get the CRB stuff done and finalise dates.

Does anyone know when we can start seeing details for 2014 course applications, or particularly the School Direct route? Everywhere I look still seems to have 2013 entry details. I want to find out more about Schools Direct, but it's rather hazy online.
I had my first day of 'work experience' today as the headmaster put it.

Was in the key stage 1 class which had 19 children in. The whole class read Little Red Riding Hood first. I was helping Year 2 kids (there's only 4 of them) do a 'story map' about Little Red Riding Hood all morning, then they coloured it in in the afternoon and then watched a film for the last half an hour before home time.

Reception were mainly playing all day and Year 1 were doing a big story map of Little Red Riding Hood with the teacher.

It seemed very.. different. Even though I was only with Year 3 before, they seemed to be constantly doing work whereas there was a lot of play time in Key Stage 1. It felt a bit unorganised. I sometimes wonder how teachers manage because I was only helping 4 kids and that was challenging enough because 2 girls were really good at writing and could write whole sentences, but the 2 boys weren't very good at writing and were finding it difficult to write words.

I'm with the Key Stage 2 class all day tomorrow. Looking forward to it more because it's more learning and not playing! But it's good that I have seen what the younger children are like. I definitely think Key Stage 2/Upper Primary is best for me though because I loved being with year 3 kids before, and I found Key Stage 1 a bit boring to be honest.

I did get a lot of observation in though between helping so going to note all that down. I forgot how tiring it is as well!
Original post by Denu
Think I've got my work experience sorted out *crosses fingers* Two weeks in an infant school, and volunteer work with Rainbow guides for the last year. Just need to get the CRB stuff done and finalise dates.

Does anyone know when we can start seeing details for 2014 course applications, or particularly the School Direct route? Everywhere I look still seems to have 2013 entry details. I want to find out more about Schools Direct, but it's rather hazy online.


It's annoying isn't it. Uni websites are still directing to the GTTR and UCAS doesn't have a course search yet :/ hopefully in the next few weeks when all the PGCE courses have started so they'll update it for this year.
Original post by BabyGirl92
I had my first day of 'work experience' today as the headmaster put it.

Was in the key stage 1 class which had 19 children in. The whole class read Little Red Riding Hood first. I was helping Year 2 kids (there's only 4 of them) do a 'story map' about Little Red Riding Hood all morning, then they coloured it in in the afternoon and then watched a film for the last half an hour before home time.

Reception were mainly playing all day and Year 1 were doing a big story map of Little Red Riding Hood with the teacher.

It seemed very.. different. Even though I was only with Year 3 before, they seemed to be constantly doing work whereas there was a lot of play time in Key Stage 1. It felt a bit unorganised. I sometimes wonder how teachers manage because I was only helping 4 kids and that was challenging enough because 2 girls were really good at writing and could write whole sentences, but the 2 boys weren't very good at writing and were finding it difficult to write words.

I'm with the Key Stage 2 class all day tomorrow. Looking forward to it more because it's more learning and not playing! But it's good that I have seen what the younger children are like. I definitely think Key Stage 2/Upper Primary is best for me though because I loved being with year 3 kids before, and I found Key Stage 1 a bit boring to be honest.

I did get a lot of observation in though between helping so going to note all that down. I forgot how tiring it is as well!


The lack of structure is a bit weird isn't it! I volunteered on a weekly basis in a reception class a couple of years ago and they were mainly playing, but I suppose that's how kids that age learn best :smile:. Think some teachers will prefer the more structured approach of Y3-6 but I enjoyed Y1 the most! I wonder how much choice we get over which year to teach? Every teacher kept asking me what year I intended to teach but I'd always assumed you get what you're given.
Reply 413
Good morning everyone, hope you guys can help me out!

Basically I want to apply for pgce this year (hopefully) . I want to teach KS2 and although i have previous experience of teaching ks2, this year i got a job of being teaching assistant for ks1

My question is; will the interviewers be bothered about me helping ks1 but wanting to be a ks2 teacher? I'm really worried! Thanks
Original post by Angel_x
Good morning everyone, hope you guys can help me out!

Basically I want to apply for pgce this year (hopefully) . I want to teach KS2 and although i have previous experience of teaching ks2, this year i got a job of being teaching assistant for ks1

My question is; will the interviewers be bothered about me helping ks1 but wanting to be a ks2 teacher? I'm really worried! Thanks


I have similar worries! I worked as a 1:1 in a year 3 class last year and I am now working with the same individual in a year 4 class.
I want to apply for infants though! It's hard when you're working though to arrange the experience you want with that age range!
Reply 415
I imagine if you want to do the Primary PGCE it would be better than you have experience in both KS areas. You might not be able to get a placement in the KS you're wanting, but I think it also shows in your application that you've had experience in both and made a well informed decision on which one you prefer.
In my interviews last year the feedback I got told me it was good that I'd done experience in both Secondary and Primary, so that my decision to teach Secondary was an informed one and it made it easier for me to explain why I wnated to teach Secondary Drama.
Original post by neonlj
I imagine if you want to do the Primary PGCE it would be better than you have experience in both KS areas. You might not be able to get a placement in the KS you're wanting, but I think it also shows in your application that you've had experience in both and made a well informed decision on which one you prefer.
In my interviews last year the feedback I got told me it was good that I'd done experience in both Secondary and Primary, so that my decision to teach Secondary was an informed one and it made it easier for me to explain why I wnated to teach Secondary Drama.



Yeah that makes sense!! I have experience in secondary (only a few days of work experience) and I have worked in a year 3 class and now year 4!
Absolutely no experience of foundation phase thought, any ideas how I could get some experience in this?
I work Monday to Friday all day! :frown:
Reply 417
Original post by Angel_x
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Add long as you have some of both I'm sure they won't hold it against you... You have to work and they will understand that. But be prepared to answer questions about why you are passionate about ks2 and what you have gained from working in KS1.
Original post by xxvegieexx
Yeah that makes sense!! I have experience in secondary (only a few days of work experience) and I have worked in a year 3 class and now year 4!
Absolutely no experience of foundation phase thought, any ideas how I could get some experience in this?
I work Monday to Friday all day! :frown:


You could use a days holiday, or two, to go in to the foundation stage in your school or another local one/the feeder infant. Or what time does the nursery run at your school/infant feeder school... Maybe you could visit there if the times differ. Or see if there's a local nursery which has 3-4s in half term. Lastly, it obviously depends on how much your 1:1 child needs you there, but I would definitely approach the head to ask about switching and helping in foundation stage in your school for a day etc if it has infant. Hopefully the head will be supportive of your ambitions and work this out for you.

Oh also training days and edges of term- if you live near the edge of a county see if you can get some time when the schools in the neighbouring county are in but not you, or perhaps your school has a training day which TAs don't have to attend?

Overall you don't have to have loads of experience in the precise age range, just enough to make an informed decision.


________
On the topic people mentioned above, the way of doing it is very different. I am a huge lover of early years methodology, it just makes so much sense to me. I wish there was time to explain the ideas fully to all trainees even upper primary but unfortunately time is tight in all pgces. I have even early years trained teachers who found the lack of structure hard to deal with at first after being in a KS1 placement first. But once you really look in to it you see how much learning they are doing all the time naturally- and skilled early years teachers become very good at recording this. Plus when your remember that the focus is on communication and language, personal social and emotional development and physical development at that age. In some countries they continue this until 7. Humans naturally learn through play, but it is often trained in to us to see it as distinct from work and learning. But in reality play lets us try things and figure things out. It's awesome!

Original post by BabyGirl92
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Having said that the y2 activity you described above does sound very unusual. It sounds like they aren't being set much to do but also aren't being given a choice in what they do (I'd expect it to go one way or the other). Was it very near the end of term? Not that I'm against then being given time to follow through a task completely but it sounds like a really long time lol.

Not trying to convince you by the way, as much as I love early years I think people should go with their preference :smile:



Xxx

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Original post by sd1571
After attempting so many practice tests of the QTS tests and not getting very far I've just realised in Wales they do not need to be taken. I'm so relieved but does anyone know if we have to prepare anything for the interview stages? Presentations or anything like that?
I'm trying to prepare myself because going into my third year in a few weeks time, I'd rather be organised than rushing at the last minute with a tonne of other stuff to do as well!


Most interview processes have some sort of presentation component to them. However you won't be informed of what you have to do until they contact you if they decide to invite you to interview unfortunately.
Original post by kpwxx
Add long as you have some of both I'm sure they won't hold it against you... You have to work and they will understand that. But be prepared to answer questions about why you are passionate about ks2 and what you have gained from working in KS1.


You could use a days holiday, or two, to go in to the foundation stage in your school or another local one/the feeder infant. Or what time does the nursery run at your school/infant feeder school... Maybe you could visit there if the times differ. Or see if there's a local nursery which has 3-4s in half term. Lastly, it obviously depends on how much your 1:1 child needs you there, but I would definitely approach the head to ask about switching and helping in foundation stage in your school for a day etc if it has infant. Hopefully the head will be supportive of your ambitions and work this out for you.

Oh also training days and edges of term- if you live near the edge of a county see if you can get some time when the schools in the neighbouring county are in but not you, or perhaps your school has a training day which TAs don't have to attend?

Overall you don't have to have loads of experience in the precise age range, just enough to make an informed decision.


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Thanks for the suggestions! ! :smile: the problem is my 1:1 child does really need me there all of the time. My head is lovely though and I think will be understanding so I will speak to her. I will also look into going into another school on a training day or if they have a different half term!
I can only seeing me being able to get a few days experience in early years if that though! Won't this put me at a major disadvantage applying for early years?
I've thought about applying for upper primary for my PGCE since I will be more likely to get a place! :s-smilie:
I love the class I work in now but have always imagned myself teaching infants!