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PGCE Applications 2016

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Original post by Lambert87
Oh no :-( did you have any interviews?

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Yeah, I had one, but they got back to me saying my language wasn't good enough and they wanted native speakers on their course. I was the only non native speaker at the interview.
Original post by melinae
Oh no, sorry to hear that! Where have you applied to? :frown:


I applied twice to Sheffield (where I'm currently doing my undergrad) and once to UCL.

I got rejected from both Sheffield courses because schools in the area only offer placements for French and Spanish which I'm not qualified to teach.

I got rejected from UCL because they would rather have a native speaker of Mandarin who can only speak Mandarin and English over me (I am proficient in English, French, German, Mandarin and Japanese, hoping to add Spanish and Cantonese to that list in the near future)
Original post by TunaTunnel
Hey guys, its about time we got a thread going for prospective PGCE applicants applying for 2016 entry.

Has anyone else started gaining experience or written their personal statement?
What subject are you looking to study?
Where are you applying?


Hey! I've applied for Maths Secondary PGCE for sept 2016. I've got interviews with Canterbury & IOE.

How're your applications going?

M
Original post by TunaTunnel
If anyone wants help/advice with maths QTS I've already done it so I'm willing to help :smile:


Hi!!

Congrats on your Maths QTS! Which uni did you do your PGCE at? Here's a silly question; I read Sue Cowley's book and she says take a holiday in Feb. Does it really get hectic after? Just wondering because there is a 2 week holiday in April and I wonder if I'm gonna be buried under books, coursework and marking around then! :s-smilie:

I've tutored Maths for just under six years and I think the books and grading system has changed this year. What's it like? Anything I can do to prepare?

I've applied and am hoping to get into Canterbury. Can't seem to find any threads on anyone who has been to this uni for secondary PGCE. Have you heard any reviews?

Thanks in advance!
Original post by mandyarthur
Hi!!

Congrats on your Maths QTS! Which uni did you do your PGCE at? Here's a silly question; I read Sue Cowley's book and she says take a holiday in Feb. Does it really get hectic after? Just wondering because there is a 2 week holiday in April and I wonder if I'm gonna be buried under books, coursework and marking around then! :s-smilie:

I've tutored Maths for just under six years and I think the books and grading system has changed this year. What's it like? Anything I can do to prepare?

I've applied and am hoping to get into Canterbury. Can't seem to find any threads on anyone who has been to this uni for secondary PGCE. Have you heard any reviews?

Thanks in advance!


Original post by mandyarthur
Hey! I've applied for Maths Secondary PGCE for sept 2016. I've got interviews with Canterbury & IOE.

How're your applications going?

M


OP is banned, so you won't get any replies from him.
Original post by mandyarthur
Hi!!

Congrats on your Maths QTS! Which uni did you do your PGCE at? Here's a silly question; I read Sue Cowley's book and she says take a holiday in Feb. Does it really get hectic after? Just wondering because there is a 2 week holiday in April and I wonder if I'm gonna be buried under books, coursework and marking around then! :s-smilie:

I've tutored Maths for just under six years and I think the books and grading system has changed this year. What's it like? Anything I can do to prepare?

I've applied and am hoping to get into Canterbury. Can't seem to find any threads on anyone who has been to this uni for secondary PGCE. Have you heard any reviews?

Thanks in advance!


I've done one placement of my maths PGCE at Manchester and may be of some help. I've deferred my course and will be going back in Jan to complete it. The GCSE grading system has changed pupils are graded 1-9 for their GCSES instead of A*-E, I don't think you will need to prepare as you will receive all the training necessary when you start. In university we had lectures on the new national curriculum, changes to A levels etc. As far as the subject content I would say the content is pretty much the same.

I've not applied to any of the unis you mentioned so I'm afraid I can't help on that.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by super_kawaii
Received 3 rejections, feeling so dejected


Sorry to hear you would you like to tell us about the reason
Original post by coolchem
Sorry to hear you would you like to tell us about the reason


I mentioned the reasons in my previous posts

There are no MFL placements for graduates who didn't study French and/or Spanish at degree level in Sheffield (my absolute first choice) and UCL would rather a bilingual native speaker of Mandarin over myself, a pentalingual individual (French, German, Mandarin and Japanese on top of my native English)
Original post by super_kawaii
I mentioned the reasons in my previous posts

There are no MFL placements for graduates who didn't study French and/or Spanish at degree level in Sheffield (my absolute first choice) and UCL would rather a bilingual native speaker of Mandarin over myself, a pentalingual individual (French, German, Mandarin and Japanese on top of my native English)


Sorry to hear this, such a shame. What are your plans now?
Original post by sabana
Sorry to hear this, such a shame. What are your plans now?


Hopefully I'll get a graduate placement in a private school, but I really want to do a PCGE, but I chose completely the wrong degree programme (Chinese with Japanese) so I've denied myself the opportunity to fulfil my life goal
Hello everyone,

I've just passed my skills tests and so I'm all set to start my early years PGCE in September :smile:

I was just wondering, what sort of experience do people who have been accepted onto a course generally have? I work in a breakfast/after school club, worked in a pre-school 2 days a week for a couple of months and also volunteered in a KS1 class for about 3 weeks. I'm a bit worried that I'm going to be on a course with a lot of ex-teaching assistants etc. who will be far more experienced than me. I think my anxiety also also heightened because I don't come from a childcare/core curriculum background (I did a sociology undergraduate degree) so I'm panicking that I'm going to struggle with both theory and practise a lot more than my peers :/
Original post by emilyyou
Hello everyone,

I've just passed my skills tests and so I'm all set to start my early years PGCE in September :smile:

I was just wondering, what sort of experience do people who have been accepted onto a course generally have? I work in a breakfast/after school club, worked in a pre-school 2 days a week for a couple of months and also volunteered in a KS1 class for about 3 weeks. I'm a bit worried that I'm going to be on a course with a lot of ex-teaching assistants etc. who will be far more experienced than me. I think my anxiety also also heightened because I don't come from a childcare/core curriculum background (I did a sociology undergraduate degree) so I'm panicking that I'm going to struggle with both theory and practise a lot more than my peers :/


Congratulations on passing your skills tests :smile: I've been feeling exactly the same about whether i might struggle compared to my ex-TA peers and posted about it on here a few months ago, so rest assured you are not alone with this worry! I'm doing School Direct (Primary 5-11) which I get the feeling throws you in at the deep end a bit more. I'm quite an anxious person generally so tend to worry about anything I can think of!

With regards to school experience, last academic year I volunteered at a primary school once a week from January until June, then went in every day until the end of term. This year I went in for a week to my host school a few months ago and am now going in once a fortnight or so until the end of term. I've had a chat with a lot of teachers, PGCE students and prospective students and they came from a range of degrees (Sociology seemed to be a popular one!). Mine was English and Childhood Studies but I'm not sure how much this will help me with the PGCE content.

The way I see it, places are in high demand - we wouldn't have got in if they didn't think we could cope with the demands of the course. It's so hard too - you want to get school experience but you also need to save money for the £9000 course! Unfortunately I haven't seen any full time TA vacancies near me.

Mammoth reply! Good luck anyway :smile: where are you doing your course?
Original post by alymau
Congratulations on passing your skills tests :smile: I've been feeling exactly the same about whether i might struggle compared to my ex-TA peers and posted about it on here a few months ago, so rest assured you are not alone with this worry! I'm doing School Direct (Primary 5-11) which I get the feeling throws you in at the deep end a bit more. I'm quite an anxious person generally so tend to worry about anything I can think of!

With regards to school experience, last academic year I volunteered at a primary school once a week from January until June, then went in every day until the end of term. This year I went in for a week to my host school a few months ago and am now going in once a fortnight or so until the end of term. I've had a chat with a lot of teachers, PGCE students and prospective students and they came from a range of degrees (Sociology seemed to be a popular one!). Mine was English and Childhood Studies but I'm not sure how much this will help me with the PGCE content.

The way I see it, places are in high demand - we wouldn't have got in if they didn't think we could cope with the demands of the course. It's so hard too - you want to get school experience but you also need to save money for the £9000 course! Unfortunately I haven't seen any full time TA vacancies near me.

Mammoth reply! Good luck anyway :smile: where are you doing your course?


I'm also very anxious and a full time worrier 😂 You seem to have a similar level of experience to me! I struggled to find anybody who wasn't a TA on all my interview days so that definitely started my anxiety over my level of experience. I'm going to Chester Uni :smile: you?
Original post by emilyyou


I am doing a primary 5-11 PGCE too. My experience is literally just 2 weeks in school when I applied. I also have worked at a summer camp in the USA and used to coach football to primary age children but that was it. I probably have the least experience of anyone on my course!


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leb951
Hey everyone!

I sent in my application last week (maths) and was contacted by a school direct course in leeds yesterday about a cancellation for an interview on thursday (tomorrow!) if I wanted to take it.

With very little time to prepare I am starting to stress!

I have to do a short presentation to a class of yr 9s about why I want to be a teacher. Anybody have any ideas on how I could make it slightly more interesting than just standing up and speaking?

Or has anyone done anything similar?
Original post by leb951
Hey everyone!

I sent in my application last week (maths) and was contacted by a school direct course in leeds yesterday about a cancellation for an interview on thursday (tomorrow!) if I wanted to take it.

With very little time to prepare I am starting to stress!

I have to do a short presentation to a class of yr 9s about why I want to be a teacher. Anybody have any ideas on how I could make it slightly more interesting than just standing up and speaking?

Or has anyone done anything similar?


How long is the presentation exactly? Maybe you could give a short mock lesson? Get the interviewers doing something as if they were a student?
Anyone know what the minimum maintenance loan is for somebody under 25, living outside London with their parents? I know it's based on household income, but I'm having issues with my parents financial details and have been told that if they don't provide them, I'll receive the basic loan.
Original post by leb951
Hey everyone!

I sent in my application last week (maths) and was contacted by a school direct course in leeds yesterday about a cancellation for an interview on thursday (tomorrow!) if I wanted to take it.

With very little time to prepare I am starting to stress!

I have to do a short presentation to a class of yr 9s about why I want to be a teacher. Anybody have any ideas on how I could make it slightly more interesting than just standing up and speaking?

Or has anyone done anything similar?


Well done on getting an interview! Less notice can be better in a way as you don't have days on end to work up anxiety and concerns.

It may sound obvious but remember to engage with the students. Don't just talk at them - prompt and question them. The interviewers will want to see that you can encourage them and make them think.

Good luck!
Finally got an offer for a teaching assistant placement. Will be researching possibilities for 2017 entry PGCE programmes
Well done you! Just think of all that lovely classroom experience you will have. Good luck!

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