[*Interrobang*]

Schools focus more on your feedback from placements. General league tables mean nothing for PGCEs, so ofsted would be your best bet from looking at unis

[victoria13]

Subject: Secondary Physics
Unis: Durham, Leeds, Cambridge, York
Sent: to reference 24/10/11

Just waiting now i guess....

[starshollow]

Hi everyone

I applied for:

Subject: PGCE Primary

Universities: Durham, Leeds

Date sent: 18 Oct 2011

Good luck! xx

Any fellow Durham applicants, please let me know!

[juicyfruit]

(Original post by victoria13)
Subject: Secondary Physics
Unis: Durham, Leeds, Cambridge, York
Sent: to reference 24/10/11

Just waiting now i guess....

We've both applied for Cambridge Good luck!

[mangorocket]

Secondary Science (Biology)

Cambridge, Oxford, York and Manchester.

Sent 11/10/2011...

[C4OShea]

(Original post by juicyfruit)
Anyone had any correspondence from universities yet? Anyone been offered an interview yet?

I love how you are just as inquisitive as I; checking for people who may have heard something regarding interviews. haha

[cat_2002_12]

(Original post by C4OShea)
finally who has taken my approach to applying to good and reputable universities for the PGCE course I'm sick of people saying it doesn't matter and the polytechnics are just as good as Oxbridge.

So glad you're hear to tell us all how it is. You really should educate the numerous headteachers and senior members of schools who I have spoken to about this issue since they seem to be tragically misinformed

[angel_night]

(Original post by cat_2002_12)
So glad you're hear to tell us all how it is. You really should educate the numerous headteachers and senior members of schools who I have spoken to about this issue since they seem to be tragically misinformed

I agree with this. My dad works with NQTs in Cardiff and emphasis is never placed upon their pgce uni. If any emphasis is placed on uni name it is that from which their undergrad degree has been attained from

[C4OShea]

What i am saying is more doors will open. For instance if you wish to work abroad - for instance in China in an International School the heads or rather principals love it as it can be said we have a teach who studied at Oxbridge. For some reason, and i don't know why, there still exists an anti Oxbridge bias by some, i really don't know why. Nick Gibb i believe said he would rather be taught by an Oxbridge graduate of physics than some polytechnic 2.2 graduate with a PGCE.

There is nothing wrong with going to the top universities, and i would much prefer to walk into any potential job interview with Oxford or Cambridge in by bag than Liverpool John Moores for instance. Yes i know doing a PGCE is NOT the same as undergrad but it DOES still carry it's own intellectual je ne se quois.


Btw my own background isn't from Oxbridge - I got a first from an average uni (Newcastle) in politics and spent 2 years teaching the SAT's and TOEFL in China. My wife now teaches Chinese and i am looking to get qualified. The fact that i can speak and teach Mandarin will be something i will be boasting about more so at any interview more than any other factors.

[cat_2002_12]

(Original post by C4OShea)
What i am saying is more doors will open. For instance if you wish to work abroad - for instance in China in an International School the heads or rather principals love it as it can be said we have a teach who studied at Oxbridge. For some reason, and i don't know why, there still exists an anti Oxbridge bias by some, i really don't know why. Nick Gibb i believe said he would rather be taught by an Oxbridge graduate of physics than some polytechnic 2.2 graduate with a PGCE.

There is nothing wrong with going to the top universities, and i would much prefer to walk into any potential job interview with Oxford or Cambridge in by bag than Liverpool John Moores for instance. Yes i know doing a PGCE is NOT the same as undergrad but it DOES still carry it's own intellectual je ne se quois.


Btw my own background isn't from Oxbridge - I got a first from an average uni (Newcastle) in politics and spent 2 years teaching the SAT's and TOEFL in China. My wife now teaches Chinese and i am looking to get qualified. The fact that i can speak and teach Mandarin will be something i will be boasting about more so at any interview more than any other factors.

As a retort to your quote - I'm sure you'll have realised through your university career - amazing qualifications DOES NOT equal amazing teacher (unless you were incredibly lucky with lecturers)

I have no anti-Oxbridge bias but IT DOES NOT MATTER!!! Schools do not care. And you pretending you know better and being very disparaging of people who are merely telling you the general opinion of the British school system irritates me no end.

[C4OShea]

(Original post by cat_2002_12)
As a retort to your quote - I'm sure you'll have realised through your university career - amazing qualifications DOES NOT equal amazing teacher (unless you were incredibly lucky with lecturers)

I have no anti-Oxbridge bias but IT DOES NOT MATTER!!! Schools do not care. And you pretending you know better and being very disparaging of people who are merely telling you the general opinion of the British school system irritates me no end.

You have more ammo walking into an interview having gone to Oxford or Cambridge for your PGCE than not (ceteris paribus)

[cat_2002_12]

(Original post by C4OShea)
You have more ammo walking into an interview having gone to Oxford or Cambridge for your PGCE than not (ceteris paribus)

As I said before can you please educate headteachers on this point since i have spoken to a fair few who are completely opposed to what you just said

[pansypotter]

Subject: PGCE Primary

Universities: Wandsworth SCITT, Roehampton

Date sent: 25th October 2011 (waiting for referee)

Thank god that's done now. Took me ages to choose courses. Good luck all, fingers crossed!

[buttons45]

(Original post by Jabawocci)
Dear all,

I am in the early stages of thinking about applying for the Primary PGCE. I am a graduate but for various reasons do not intend to apply till 2012 at the earliest.

I was wondering what factors motivated you to select particular universities/courses to study at?

I am aware that many of you will have chosen univerisities close to home, but how much did overall university league rankings matter? How much did course rankings matter? Do factors like whether it is a red-brick university matter in this kind of thing? Or is the Ofsted report given much more significant?

I suppose what I'm really asking is will where I studied be important to Primary Schools to whom I apply for jobs with? If someone could give me some indication of what Primary School would be looking for that would be fab.

There is 'The good teacher training guide 2011' by the University of Buckingham (search on google for PDF version).

It ranks all of the ITT providers and looks at primary/ secondary and universities/SCITT/EBITT (employment based) serperately and also compares the different routes. It also looks at factors like entry qualifications to get onto the courses, the providers' rating by Ofsted and the take up of teaching posts afterwards - these are used to form the ranking.

It is quite interesting and could be helpful if unsure which route to train on. I used it to compare universities in the area I knew I wanted to train in as they all sounded similar from the course information on their websites. But ovbiously there are lots of diferent factors to take into account when picking where to train also.

[RUAmbassador]

(Original post by Jabawocci)
Dear all,

I am in the early stages of thinking about applying for the Primary PGCE. I am a graduate but for various reasons do not intend to apply till 2012 at the earliest.

I was wondering what factors motivated you to select particular universities/courses to study at?

I am aware that many of you will have chosen univerisities close to home, but how much did overall university league rankings matter? How much did course rankings matter? Do factors like whether it is a red-brick university matter in this kind of thing? Or is the Ofsted report given much more significant?

I suppose what I'm really asking is will where I studied be important to Primary Schools to whom I apply for jobs with? If someone could give me some indication of what Primary School would be looking for that would be fab.

Cheers.

p.s. Best of luck with your applications!

I do BA Primary Education at Roehampton Uni. I went there because sixth form teachers told me it had a good reputation and because I came on an Open Day and fell in love with it.
I think they're looking at your teaching style, beliefs and values so perhaps pick somewhere you think will inspire and motivate you as well as support your professional development.
Let me know if you have any questions about the Uni.

[Opalfire]

In theory going to oxbridge holds weight, in reality - not alot! I did an exchange at oxford university and it hasnt helped me much at all with regard to jobs. If anything they think if your rich enough to go there (again another misconception) then you don't really need the job, someone from the outskirts of a big city who went to an average university may be given the upper hand instead!

Another thing to consider is, for my course only 6 universities offer it in the country which further narrows down my choices hence i cannot actively choose many old skool universities to study at for my pgce!

[*Boofle*]

Has anyone else applied for a PGCE Early Years? Seems a lot of you are focusing on the primary age range but not lower primary/early years.

[AwesomelyPsycho]

Subject: Early Years

Universitys: UWE, Middlesex

Date Sent: 28/10/11

I've had mine done since it first opened, but my tutor doing my reference went very slowly! Finally sent off though. Now to avoid checking track like I did when I applied through UCAS

(Original post by *Boofle*)
Has anyone else applied for a PGCE Early Years? Seems a lot of you are focusing on the primary age range but not lower primary/early years.

Me me me!

[*Boofle*]

(Original post by AwesomelyPsycho)
Subject: Early Years

Universitys: UWE, Middlesex

Date Sent: 28/10/11

I've had mine done since it first opened, but my tutor doing my reference went very slowly! Finally sent off though. Now to avoid checking track like I did when I applied through UCAS



Me me me!

Good luck! I'm at UWE too, but was put off applying there after a far from encouraging GDP lecture on applying to PGCEs so I'm applying to UCP Marjon and Plymouth.

[AwesomelyPsycho]

(Original post by *Boofle*)
Good luck! I'm at UWE too, but was put off applying there after a far from encouraging GDP lecture on applying to PGCEs so I'm applying to UCP Marjon and Plymouth.

Are you in your third year, then? What course are you on?

In theory it'd be easier for me to be at Middlesex as I wouldn't need a maintenance loan, but then I'd never see any of my Bristol friends. I do have a feeling I may have been in that lecture you're talking about