Early years or general primary? PLEASE someone help me!

I applied for 3 Early and 2 general, I didn't think it really mattered I got an offer from one general and withdrew from another, but Early years is what I'm going for I just had those as a back up in case I changed my mind last minute!

I think the fact that my experience wasn't in the EYFS helped, as it was in Year 1/2 which also falls into the 5 - 11 category as well as 3 - 7.

I do agree if all of your experience is in Nursery and reception and you apply for general, you may be taking a bit of a risk!

For the questions I just said something like 'I would explain to the parents but also praise the child and say that their ability to read is very good, as it is a hard skill to pick up. I would suggest several activities to the parents in order to make the child understands the text. One way would be to write out cards about the story's plot and ask the child to put them in order or do some role play with child, getting them to act out the story.'

It was the only thing I could think of off the top of my head! Horrible Question!!!

I applied for 4 early years and 1 general primary. However it was not intentional to apply for the primary course, I only applied because I didn't know where else to apply and the university was quite close to home and I know the area it is in well. I got an interview for the general primary course I applied for, but I think it's taking a risk a bit because a personal statement should be focused for general primary or early years. I didn't expect an interview, let alone an offer for the general primary course, because my personal statement is all about early years and my experience in all in reception or year one. You might get away with applying for the two like I did, but it is taking a risk! You can only send one personal statement too unfortunately

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Bearing in mind that people can and do apply to completely different courses using the same personal statement, it shouldn't be a major issue to use the same one for upper and lower primary. Yes they are different, but not massively. Just talk about all your experiences, what you have learnt and why you want to become a primary teacher, rather than why you want to be specifically working with early years/later years.

In my interview for my current uni we were mixed early years/ later years and it was barely even touched upon why we had chosen either one. It's the same sort of attitude now, we are split into our age ranges for some subjects but we're always reminded that we are training to be primary teachers, not just to teach early years/ later years and once we enter teaching we could be placed in any age group, regardless of our chosen age range. The whole age range issue isn't really a big deal in my uni at least, so I doubt they would need to see your personal statement very individualised to either lower or upper primary. As long as they can see your passion for teaching children, it should be okay. Good luck!

and oh god im in a right pickle now! only 2 of the uni's near me (york st john and northumbria) offer the early years whilst the others are all general and i was starting to sway towards early years too i cant afford to take the risk though, so i think im going to have to focus the personal statement on general primary and send it to northumbria uni too and hope for an offer all i can do really, im not taking the risk!! it sucks that you can only do one personal statement like! xxx

the answer you said is very good though! i could never think something like that off the top of my head

and oh god im in a right pickle now! only 2 of the uni's near me (york st john and northumbria) offer the early years whilst the others are all general and i was starting to sway towards early years too i cant afford to take the risk though, so i think im going to have to focus the personal statement on general primary and send it to northumbria uni too and hope for an offer all i can do really, im not taking the risk!! it sucks that you can only do one personal statement like! xxx

Trust me, when you're under that amount of pressure and you know you have to say something, it will just come naturally to you! I first I thought omg how do I answer this, but then it clicked on me!

It can be done, writing a personal statement tailoring it to both. And yes people get offers for completely different courses with the same personal statement but teaching is different. Teaching courses are one of few courses which leads to an exact profession, so the passion and enthusiasm in your personal statement is what the unis will most probably look for because they want to know that you are definately sure that teaching is for you.

At all of my interviews, when early years and general primary have been mixed together the focus has been on 'Why specifically early years' or 'why specifically general primary'. And the answer that they want to hear for early years if different to that of general primary because an early years teacher has different responsibilites and a different job description in a sense to a year 6 teacher. I would recommend applying for either one or the other, just to give you the best chance because it's really not uncommon for admissions tutors to reject people because their personal statement does not focus on a particular age range. However unis can look at different things, some will interview just based on personal statements while some will look mostly at the academic side of your application.

If there's not some huge reason why you have to stay close to home, maybe you could look at unis further afield? I live in Warrington (a town inbetween Manchester and Liverpool), I applied to Edge Hill (45 minutes away), UWE (3 1/2 hours away), Manchester Met (45 minutes away), Chester (1 hour away) and YSJ (2 hours away). At first I was just going to apply to North West unis but then I looked further afield, and really liked UWE when I went for my interview and then decided to make it my insurance choice. The location is totally your decision though, some people are just comfortable with staying close to home and others have to for many reasons.

Ultimately, it is your decision. I would recommend applying to one course or the other. You may get away with getting offers on both courses (I somehow did and some people in this thread have), but it's up to you if you want to risk it, teaching is relatively hard to get into. For you best chance of success I would recommend having a very strong PS directed at either early years OR general primary. It can be done (applying to both) but make sure you personal statement stays focused!
xxx

I really wouldn't worry about it too much! Just get yourself a week or two in 3 - 7 and you'll be sorted. Like someone's said, you don't have to specify in your personal statement that you've only just done 2 weeks in the EYFS, or the fact you've done a year in Year 3. Just pop in your PS something like "During my A level studies, my enthusiasm towards teaching has increased, having experience working in a primary school." Which doesn't tell that what age you've worked with, but tells that that you've gained experience during your studies! Then if they ask you any questions on the day, hopefully because you've done some time in both Key Stages, you'll be able to fire you great answers at them and they'll love you!

Don't let your experience put you off applying for Early Years, if that's what you want to do! The last thing you want is for you to begin a 5 - 11 degree and regret not going for the 3 - 7. We only get one shot at it xxx

yep well i think im just gonna have to apply for general primary coz i do want to stay near to home tbh! i think i'll apply for 4 general primary and 1 early years (northumbria) will the other uni's see that ive applyed for 1 early years though?

and i know just how hard this course is to get onto and thats why i dont want anything to prevent me from getting in. i cant afford to risk it xxx

i know you are absolutely right with the whole work experience thing, and i could probs get away with it, it's just i cant afford to risk it! you are spot on but if i got declined i know i would be devistated and blame it on my personal statement

i know! god i just dont know whether to chance it.... no i cant! thanks soo much for your help though, i cant afford not getting a place xxxx

You can still apply to more than just one course though I withdrew from Durham but my friend applied to the exact same Uni's as me and attended her Durham interview....and she was the same as me and hadn't worked above Year 2 So are you not going to apply to any Early Years? xx

i know it worked for you, but knowing me it wouldnt! i just cant see how i could address both early years and general primary in the same personal statement

i want to apply for early years, but i think im going to apply for 4 general primary, and then 1 early years (northumbria) xxx

I am surprised, you seemed to be erring more in favour of the Early Years!

Hello, I know this question will have been asked lots of times, but I really need to decided which i want to do.

I really don't know if i want to do general or early years!? please can someone help me to decide! whats the difference between them?
Also people have been saying that I am more likely to get a job if i do the general primary, but then others are saying with early years i can teach every year?

I'm so confused and i really just want someone to help me decide?

Thanks for any help given xx

tbh i really dont know what i want! i like the idea of early years more i think, but at the end of the day both courses lead me to be a primary school teacher.

there are only 2 unis around me that do early years, everywhere else does general, and i dont fancy moving miles away.

i cant see how i could manage to incoporate both early years and general primary into the same personal statement

Sorry I didn't read this far down...

Apply for Early Years if that is what you think you would prefer I would still suggest getting more work experience to be totally sure though!

It'll be fine writing a personal statement for both of them, will be a little trickier than just the one but maybe focus on Year 1 and 2, your experience of them, as they overlap so could be used for both

thanks for the advice i really dont know if i would rather do early years, because i was in a school today in year 3 and i do really enjoy it and i looked in on year 4/5 and i do think i would enjoy it. i havent actually had any experience below year 3 (appart from 2 days in a nursery) so hopefully im going to get a week or something in year 1. but tbh i think im going to go with my gut feeling which is to do general, there is one uni which only does early years where i live, so im going to apply there too and see if i get anywhere and then the other 4 options for general. i think writing a personal statement directed at both will be too hard

what made you decide to go with the older ones? are you starting this year then?

and im applying next year, and im wanting to apply to: york st john, hull, sunderland, cumbria and northumbria any of these ones you applyed to? thanks for your help xxx

I think seeing as you are applying for next year, get some work experience with Reception/Year 1, and compare it against Year 3/4/5/6 (maybe pop into Year 6?) and think what you think you are more suited too Then even if you do prefer early years, you are likely to apply to general anyway, might as well to apply to 5

I have done work experience with Year 1 and Year 6, and loved them both so that is why I applied for general! I know that if I do Early Years I would miss Key Stage 2 - I love how responsible for their own learning they are, and how they have their own unique different interests and personalities by then! It just seems more appealing and fun to me! I loved Year 1 too, it seems so rewarding to teach them basic reading, writing and numeracy especially - but it was a lot of looking after their basic needs rather than teaching subjects. Plus doing 5 - 11 I can still teach them!

Yeah I have applied to start this September. I'm afraid I didn't apply to any of those universities! xx

yeah, im coming round to the idea of doing general now i think especially as with general i can still teach early years, but i ill learn how to deal with the older ones too! i think im going to get some work experience in year 1. when im writing my personal statement do i specify what years ive been in, for example would i say "ive had a years experience in year 3 and one week in year 1" ?

and oh what uni's have you applied to then? xxx

yeah, im coming round to the idea of doing general now i think especially as with general i can still teach early years, but i ill learn how to deal with the older ones too! i think im going to get some work experience in year 1. when im writing my personal statement do i specify what years ive been in, for example would i say "ive had a years experience in year 3 and one week in year 1" ?

and oh what uni's have you applied to then? xxx

If you do a general course you can't teach Nursery or Reception as far as I'm aware as you won't be experiencing the EYFS! x