[Nellyw81]

Hi everyone,
After 14 years of work and being mummy i've decided I would love to study towards becoming a primary teacher. I didn't go on to college after taking GCSE's so don't have any a-levels.
Having contacted my nearest uni (edge hill) they have said to take an access course at my local college (Southport) which is great because they have one in Education.
So all I need to know from you wise people is will the access course be enough for me to apply for the teaching course next year?
Any help and advice on this would be much appreciated!

Thanks x

[Zottula]

Yes I would think so. My mum did an access course last year, and several of her friends from this course who got good marks (merits and distinctions) went on to teacher training. My mum got a place at university to study physiotherapy with her access course. So it can be done!

It may be worth looking up any universities you are interested in and seeing what their requirements are. Some specify the access course, some don't. If they don't, you may want to email them. By the sounds of it, your local uni will accept the access course. So go for it!

[Nellyw81]

Thanks for your reply, i emailed the uni and it was them who put me onto the access course so I'm guessing from your experience it would be enough (if i pass!!), it just seemed to good to be true!
Nothings going to get in my way this year its time to make a change for the future.

Thanks again x

[Zottula]

(Original post by Nellyw81)
Thanks for your reply, i emailed the uni and it was them who put me onto the access course so I'm guessing from your experience it would be enough (if i pass!!), it just seemed to good to be true!
Nothings going to get in my way this year its time to make a change for the future.

Thanks again x

If they put you on the course then it certainly sounds like they would be happy to take on access students! I think my mum felt like it was too good to be true when she got an offer to study Physiotherapy at uni with her access course!

Good luck with everything .

[BryBee]

When my mum did her access course 8 years ago it was set up with the local uni so that you would automatically get a place on the degree on completion of the.access course. If Edge Hill have recommended a specific college this may be the case. X

[posietoes]

Absoloutely! There are people on my access course right now who are doing primary teaching at uni this year.
Good luck
x

[rocket0612]

I had my primary teaching interview today and am doing an access course. Just be careful of what subjects you are studying, I am doing a humanities access course and studying English & History so these are the subjects I have applied for for my teaching subjects for a primary BEd. So you wouldn't be able to apply for a Geography place for example.

Also, I would also make sure you research what the uni requirements are for an access course. I'm in Belfast and my local unis have set quite challenging entry requirements, one says u need 75% (as a minimum but they want youo really to score in the 80s) and the other 85%. I know a few in my class who have applied to some unis in England when the entry requirment is much lower so look around. Also, think about a plan B, if you don't get in consider doing a degree in say history for example and doing a PGCE for secondary teaching.

Hope this helps

[Nellyw81]

Thanks for all your replies, certainly sounding a positive way forward by doing the access course!!

[TomU]

I've had offers from 3 top universities, including Cambridge, to study law... And that's off the back of me doing an access course.

There are plenty of people on my course who wish to get into teaching and they're also getting offers. Access will be sufficient to get you into uni, no doubt

[Roodie]

An access course may be enough academiaclly, however I would think that it would be a very popular and therefore competitive degree to gain a place on. To make your application stand out you must try and get as much work experience as you can.

I could imagine it not being easy to get volunteering with children these days, however if it is possible it would be a lengthy process due to CRB checks and all that, so I'd recommend trying to get something sorted as soon as you can.

I'm training in health care but after being out of education for many years I absolutely loved doing my access course. It's hard work though, studying and being a mum but it will be worth it in the end. Good luck x

[stephyt23]

Yes the Access course is enough. I did that full time just over 2 years ago before starting at Wolverhampton university. You do need experience in a school as well though so don't just rely on the course. Saying that if you are doing an Education Access course you do have to do a placement as part of it anyway. Just make sure your experience covers both Key Stages.

I'm waiting for an interview in May to start with Edge Hill as after a year and 3 months of Wolverhampton I didn't like it

[sam8472]

(Original post by Nellyw81)
Hi everyone,
After 14 years of work and being mummy i've decided I would love to study towards becoming a primary teacher. I didn't go on to college after taking GCSE's so don't have any a-levels.
Having contacted my nearest uni (edge hill) they have said to take an access course at my local college (Southport) which is great because they have one in Education.
So all I need to know from you wise people is will the access course be enough for me to apply for the teaching course next year?
Any help and advice on this would be much appreciated!

Thanks x

Yes it should be but if you deffintly want to be a teacher you need gcse grade c in english and maths plus whatever subject you wish to teach =)

[rocket0612]

(Original post by sam8472)
you need gcse grade c in english and maths plus whatever subject you wish to teach =)

If its primary school you won't be teaching a subject, but you do apply to study a subject - but check with the uni if in doubt. Also, the uni I applied to this year also requested a grade c in GCSE for a science subject also so it depends on the uni.

[stephyt23]

The Access course gives you the equivalent of A Levels in English and Science. As for Maths if you already have a C or above you can do the higher level maths to give you an A Level equivalent, or do the lower maths which is the equivalent of a GCSE C grade or above. That's how I got mine as I didn't have the right GCSE grades for Maths and Science

[AaronG]

I'm getting confused here as reading through the handbook we have, it says that in order to pass the course we must obtain 60 level 3 credits. But it also says that units can be awarded at level 2.

Is level 2 'pass' with level 3 being merit or distinction?


I always assumed everything on the course was a level 3, level 2 never came into it for me, from what our tutor explained

[gtfo]

Pass/Merit/Distinction are all level 3, level 2 is GCSE equivalent. You get awarded a level 2 if you fail to meet one of the criteria of an assignment, although I think most of the boards let you resubmit level 2 work to get a level 3 pass.

Some courses include level 2 Maths/English if the student doesn't already have them at GCSE grade C or above, or if it's been more than 5 years since they got them.

[Nellyw81]

Thanks everyone, i currently volunteer in a reception class at my daughters school, which i love!! I have asked the teacher to be my main reference on the app for college, hoping this will help. I have a B & C in english but only a D for maths but to get on the access course will need to do a test for maths because i'm below a C. So looking forward to getting the ball rolling now. Thanks again.

[rocket0612]

(Original post by Nellyw81)
I have a B & C in english but only a D for maths but to get on the access course will need to do a test for maths because i'm below a C.

With the access course I am doing, and I would imagine this would be the same for them all, you can do maths as your optional module and it is equivalent to grade C at GCSE in terms of getting you into uni.

[candyflosspot]

i have been asked to attend an interview for an access course on 8th March for a health & social care course? Just wondered if anyone has any idea what i may get asked? I also have to do a skills test as well?

[AaronG]

It might just be a simple English test. Do you not have GCSE's? I don't have any and had to attend an interview and substantiate my ability to read and write English. I'm on a different access course to that but I'd guess that if you don't have the GCSE's or equivalent, they just want to make sure you can use the language and write.