PGCE Applications 2015

Hi all,


I am just in the process of sending an email to primary schools seeking voluntary experience to support my application for PGCE courses starting in 2015. I am looking to hear from others who have experienced this or are in the process.


I have a few questions:
Should I keep the initial email short and sweet (just asking to find out about volunteer opportunities)?
Should I include a paragraph (brief) about what I have been up to in the last few years since graduating from my degree in 2010?
Should I attach CV at this early stage or is that best to be handed in if I meet with school members?
Should I request a meeting in email?




Sorry for all the questions, just would like to hear your ideas on what would be the best approach.




Thanks,


Lily

Hi Louise,
Thanks for the reply. There's a new course that's been introduced this year, the one I wish to do is mainly PE but you also learn to teach English, Maths and Science, but with the main emphasis on PE I would like to become a PE Teacher. I think with the Government investing the £150m into school sport I think more and more jobs are becoming available in primary schools which is great. I'm thinking that perhaps with learning about English, Maths and Science as well then classroom experience may be required. But I will contact them and ask thank you.

Hi Lily!

I have just done this, so thought I would tell you what I did. Keep the first email relatively short, because if they do have positions available you can then expand upon things. Briefly sum up why you want to go into teaching and when you are applying for. You can say how many days a week you are willing to volunteer for, but you can talk further about this when they offer you a meeting. I wouldn't attach a cv at this point because they will ask you for that in the later stages. And after recent experience of sending out over 20 emails to different schools I only received 3 positive replies.. So don't feel disheartened if you don't get many replies at first. Some schools have quotas of the amount of volunteers they can take on! If you don't hear back from any, I'd suggest giving them a ring as you are much more likely to get through to the right person

i hope this helps you! Good luck xx

Hello, I'm hoping to apply for PGCE primary next year. At the moment I am about to start my final year of my degree. I have relevant work experience and am currently waiting on a few other schools. I was just wondering whether other people are in the same position as me, finishing a degree and going straight on to do a PGCE, or are taking a year/s out? Thank-you

Hi all,


I am just in the process of sending an email to primary schools seeking voluntary experience to support my application for PGCE courses starting in 2015. I am looking to hear from others who have experienced this or are in the process.


I have a few questions:
Should I keep the initial email short and sweet (just asking to find out about volunteer opportunities)?
Should I include a paragraph (brief) about what I have been up to in the last few years since graduating from my degree in 2010?
Should I attach CV at this early stage or is that best to be handed in if I meet with school members?
Should I request a meeting in email?




Sorry for all the questions, just would like to hear your ideas on what would be the best approach.




Thanks,


Lily

It sounds like a great opportunity and I wish you all the best with it good luck and let us know what happens x

Good luck for your meeting! I'd definitely mention any experience you have but I think the recent experience will be more relevant and you have limited space in which to write it all. So my advice would be mention your past experience but try not to concentrate on this too much as your recent experience will be what they are looking for xx

Thanks, it went really well. He could not have been more accommodating in fact! He basically told me I could pick and choose when I wanted to come in - what a great guy yes, I think I'll do that. Mention what I've done but go into specifics about the most recent!x

Hiya, I'm currently going into my final year too! I already feel like I've got a lot on my plate even though I haven't started my school experience.

My plan this month (september) is to email schools and get at least 4 days of school experience under my belt. Unfortunately from October I'm only free monday mornings, thursday mornings, and friday all day, so altogether il be getting 2 days worth of experience every week. If I can try get 10 days before end of November I'm on track. Soon as I've got my experience sorted I will be booking my skills test for early December.
Whilst getting the school experience (september and october, I am also going to do as much of the background reading as possible for my dissertation, start writing my personal statement and start revising for the skills test.

I feel as though I'm going to be exhausted by the time it comes to my interview lol!

Good luck!

Hi,

Does anyone now if I can just sign up on UCAS now and add any details in before the 2015 application?

If I ask for a reference now how do I get my tutor to "add" the reference if I carnt even sign up yet? Have I got to wait until application 2015 is available or can they email me the reference and I add it when it's available ?

Thanks in advance

Hey. I think you have to wait until it opens Hopefully it will all open on time. Shame we can't add some details now like qualifications etc x

Ahh thanks. Yeah it's a real pain, just wanna add things to get ready.lol. Thanks for replying. x

If anyone (like me!) is worried about the numeracy skills test I can totally recommend the Passing the Numeracy Skills Test by Mark Patmore. I have read the chapter on fractions and % this morning and done the questions at the end of the chapter and got the all correct which is a total shock because I am horrendous at maths! It is very clearly explained, I feel a bit more confident. Has anybody booked their skills tests yet? I spoke to admissions at a local uni last week and they are expecting UCAS to open on Nov 1st, interviews start in Dec.