PGCE (PCET) - Where to go, and is it worth it?

I'm thinking seriously about pursuing a PGCE at sixth-form college and FE level (the Post-compulsory education and training certificate).

Are there any University rankings for this qualification as I don't know anything about the quality of the courses offered by respective Universities.

Also, does anyone have any experience of this qualification. Is it worth doing?

The number of universities offering a PGCE PCE is getting smaller; Exeter dropped out this year, and Greenwich the year before - there may be others that year too. Reading the experiences of applicants this year, the impression is negative, especially about finance (i.e. being told they would get a training bursary and then not receiving it). I am going to wait and see the budget comes out to see whether to apply for a secondary or further education PGCE.

Thanks. You seem to be in a similar position to me regarding the PGCE dilemma.

My reservation about secondary is the thug factor (I have bitter experience of this) as I don't want to be spending more time offering crowd control to wasters rather than teaching my subject. But yes, FE colleges might not be so ubiquitous in 12 months time.

Most FE teachers start off training as a secondary school teacher. The above experience sounds very extreme forms of behaviour which you would not get in most schools, don't let scare stories like that put you off 11-18!

You should have seen one class I had on my student associate scheme placement; in three weeks, only one person in the class did any work - one person, in half a lesson, in three weeks... I felt sorry for that teacher. In my first lesson, a girl spat on the carpet, two people fought (others were 'play fighting'), one almost fell out the window (seriously), and the head/security had to be called in to take pupils out of the class - some of which I never saw again. I imagine a lot of FE teachers have to teach basic literacy to these types so the problem just gets pushed onto someone else.

I think my hand has been forced by external factors involving my girlfriend, which means I will have to do secondary... If there is a God - he will give me PhD funding.

Give me a break. If you do your PGCE anywhere near Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Manchester or Nottingham then there is a good chance you will get put in a school like the one I described, if not worse.

From your previous replies it seems you teach PE, which is probably one of the reasons you have an idealistic view of teaching; if you taught English, mathematics or a modern language then you would have a completely different opinion.

Idealistic view! hardly! I work in an inner London School and know what i see and hear every day! Yes i teach PE but that just means i teach in an unstructured setting, in all conditions (wind, rain, snow), where pupils are either so excited they find it hard to be quiet or they hate exercise so much they just want to sit there!
Classroom management is all about YOU, how you teach, what you do, the type of teacher you are.
Be a good, engaging teacher = minimal problems. I teach A-level and have as many problems with them as i do with KS3. [...]

It has nothing to do with how engaging a teacher is or how structured their setting may be; you simply cannot get around the fact that English, mathematics and modern foreign languages are the hardest subjects to teach. In science you can engage pupils' interest with practical experiments, but the former three unfortunately require a lot of 'manual learning', so to speak. Are you honestly suggesting that someone who does not enjoy PE (i.e. 'they just want to sit there') is as difficult to deal with as someone who deliberately disrupts a lesson time-after-time because they are forced to take a subject they have no interest in and, consequently, typically struggle with?

There is a rather morbid 'reason' as to why so much emphasis is placed on the ability of the teacher, consequently, this is why so many teachers struggle unnecessarily with stress etc.; they have been led to believe that if children do not learn then they are the ones to blame, which is a simply ridiculous suggestion in all honesty.

And pupils aren't forced to do PE against their will? of course they are!
Classroom management is all about the teacher, how you deal with the challenging situations. 'Hard to deal with' Pupils are disruptive in every lesson regardless! Yes some pupils may struggle with english or Maths and have to take it at KS4 that is why they are in SETS! they won't struggle if the teaching is pitched to the right level. All pupils are different and everyone has their favourite subject. I am not saying one subject is harder than another i am saying we all face the same problems, and i am sorry but when you become a teacher maybe you will understand!

I would strongly advise you to look at the employment prospects for your subject specialism before choosing the PCET route. Bear in mind that at the end of it, you will not have QTS and this will hinder you in moving into the maintained secondary sector later on. If, like me, you wish to teach a non-facilitating subject then your employment prospects are not great unless you are prepared to relocate around Britain. QTLS is an option for you but this is an additional cost burden on yourself and not all schools are aware of its status so, again, consider your future options first before committing.

I went down the PCET route and now teach Politics in an FE college.

I went down the PCET route and now teach Politics in an FE college.