PGCE Applications 2015

Hi everyone,

I have an interview on Friday for a Teach Manchester School Direct place (accredited by Uni of Cumbria) for a Primary (General) with SEN specialism PGCE.

As part of the interview I am required to prepare an 8 minute mini teach for a group of KS3 children with severe learning difficulties but no additional needs.

I'm slightly confused by how to approach this as 1) they are secondary school age, and 2) I am unsure as to what their ability level will be?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should expect? I have a choice of Learning Objectives to choose from and have narrowed it down to the following two;

1) To be able to add two single digit numbers.
2) To be able to identify and use describing words in simple sentences.

Thanks!

Reply 4721

Study_addict

Original post by earthworm

I know people who have got on School Direct physics with no classroom experience but with uni demonstrating/training because physics is so undersubscribed. They might give you an offer conditional on getting more experience. I have a full time job and took holiday to do school experience...you could do that!

Thanks Earthworm that's super helpful. Were you still able to get a bursary even though you were working? I think taking holiday for it is my best option!

Thanks!

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Reply 4722

earthworm

17

Original post by Study_addict

Thanks Earthworm that's super helpful. Were you still able to get a bursary even though you were working? I think taking holiday for it is my best option!

Thanks!

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Yep the bursary isnt means tested in anyway. Also the bursary isnt taken into account when applying for extra grants e.g childcare or hardship! Crazy!

Reply 4723

earthworm

17

Obviously pgce is a full time course, I wouldn't work during it.

Reply 4724

jr18

8

Anyone doing Primary at Edge Hill?

Reply 4725

adoherty91

1

Original post by jr18

Anyone doing Primary at Edge Hill?

I'm doing Early Years at Edge Hill!

Reply 4726

Study_addict

Original post by earthworm

Obviously pgce is a full time course, I wouldn't work during it.

Thanks Earthworm super helpful! I plan on doing the part-time PGCE whilst working full time, I can't afford to not have a job sadly! But I'll get there fingers crossed!! :smile:

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Reply 4727

Mihaela10

2

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking about applying for a PGCE course in 2016, but I didn't know where else to ask, so here it goes.
This may sound silly, but does anyone know where can I find a ranking of PGCE courses? I can use the 'general' ranking of universities, but I'm pretty sure that that's not completely relevant when talking about a course in particular.
Also, how relevant is the prestige of the chosen university?

Thanks!

Reply 4728

Rew14

1

Original post by stephaniebuckley

Hi everyone,

I have an interview on Friday for a Teach Manchester School Direct place (accredited by Uni of Cumbria) for a Primary (General) with SEN specialism PGCE.

As part of the interview I am required to prepare an 8 minute mini teach for a group of KS3 children with severe learning difficulties but no additional needs.

I'm slightly confused by how to approach this as 1) they are secondary school age, and 2) I am unsure as to what their ability level will be?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should expect? I have a choice of Learning Objectives to choose from and have narrowed it down to the following two;

1) To be able to add two single digit numbers.
2) To be able to identify and use describing words in simple sentences.

Thanks!

Hey, Firstly good luck with the interview! This sounds very much like my interview process for ITT. I went in with a pretty basic activity but made sure I had a really simple version and a more tricky version. It is only 8 minutes but if you see a child struggling or getting it really easily then be prepared to fire either an easier or harder question at them. Using differentiation looks good to whoever is observing you (I was told this after my interview an they had offered me a place, would have been more helpful before like!)

Only difference with mine were they were younger (Yr 5 working at a much lower level)

Reply 4729

username892469

1

Original post by Mihaela10

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking about applying for a PGCE course in 2016, but I didn't know where else to ask, so here it goes.
This may sound silly, but does anyone know where can I find a ranking of PGCE courses? I can use the 'general' ranking of universities, but I'm pretty sure that that's not completely relevant when talking about a course in particular.
Also, how relevant is the prestige of the chosen university?

Thanks!

I don't know if there's an official ranking out there like you get for undergraduate courses, but at both my interviews they mentioned the NQT survey. I never got around to looking it up, but it seemed like it gave percentages for how trainees felt about different aspects of the course (both course content and pastoral support).

OFSTED assess (every?) PGCE provider and give them a ranking like they do schools. So while the courses aren't "ranked" in a big long list, you can find out which are Outstanding/Good etc.

I think with teacher training, the prestige of the university isn't a huge concern. Quite a few unis that are less prestigious for more academic undergrad courses have a great reputation for teacher training and other vocational courses. At Manchester, the interviewer who was a teacher said he liked to hire University of Manchester graduates in his school, but he did truly seem to be basing that on the quality of the course, not because it's Russell Group or anything like that.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 4730

Pineapple pie

2

Original post by stephaniebuckley

Hi everyone,

I have an interview on Friday for a Teach Manchester School Direct place (accredited by Uni of Cumbria) for a Primary (General) with SEN specialism PGCE.

As part of the interview I am required to prepare an 8 minute mini teach for a group of KS3 children with severe learning difficulties but no additional needs.

I'm slightly confused by how to approach this as 1) they are secondary school age, and 2) I am unsure as to what their ability level will be?

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should expect? I have a choice of Learning Objectives to choose from and have narrowed it down to the following two;

1) To be able to add two single digit numbers.
2) To be able to identify and use describing words in simple sentences.

Thanks!

I do this level of maths with the children I work with in reception and nursery. I know your pupils are older but considering their stage is the same I would advise making it really hands on with lots of repetition. You could use items to count. I am not sure what pupils of that age find interesting, in early years I would use teddies, dinosaurs, cars, animals etc.
One activity we do is to roll a large dice and count out that many items, roll it again and count out that many and then count them all together. We use number lines to help and I would suggest having some of these to help them to count on.

I can't help so much with the 2nd one but would probably use pictures or a book.
You could create a power point with a basic picture of a man. Ask them to tell you what the picture is. Use the same picture but add a new feature for the next powerpoint slide. So they might say in pic one "It is a man", on slide 2 they might say "He has a red hat" and you could model "the man is wearing a red hat" you could move on and add a big smile and say "the happy man is wearing a red hat" you could then give them a basic story and ask them to add descriptive words into it.
Not sure if I'm on the right tracks.....
With a book you could look for descriptive words in the text and get them to highlight words on a photocopy.
Maybe I'm looking at it from the wrong angle.....like I say: I am early years!

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Reply 4731

laurawinston

Heyyya guys! :smile:

Just been accepted to do a Secondary PGCE at the University of Nottingham! Although I'm a bit scared as I haven't been able to find anyone else on the course on Facebook or anything, is everyone hiding somewhere?!

Reply 4732

Cfroberts1

Hi

I have an interview for my pgce soon and was wondering if anyone could give me some info as to what questions they may ask? I also have a 2 min presentation to do and I will be basing mine around child's learning through play. And advice would be great. Thankyou

Reply 4733

Pineapple pie

2

Original post by Cfroberts1

Hi

I have an interview for my pgce soon and was wondering if anyone could give me some info as to what questions they may ask? I also have a 2 min presentation to do and I will be basing mine around child's learning through play. And advice would be great. Thankyou

The hardest question I had was to tell them a time when I'd faced adversity.
Adversity is not a word I use and I answered it without knowing if I fully understandood what they meant!

Apart from that it is just general questions. Try to have some scenarios in your head of particular children or incidents rather than second guessing the questions.
They also asked me what I knew about how early years is changing at the moment.

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Reply 4734

jellybears

1

Original post by laurawinston

Heyyya guys! :smile:

Just been accepted to do a Secondary PGCE at the University of Nottingham! Although I'm a bit scared as I haven't been able to find anyone else on the course on Facebook or anything, is everyone hiding somewhere?!

I have the same problem but with Sheffield Hallam haha, I'm sure they're out there somewhere

Reply 4735

vintagenpw

Hey all!

Don't suppose anyone is doing a Secondary English PGCE at Leicester University, or a Secondary English PGCE at all?!?!

Can't seem to find any english PGCE buddies at the moment!

:smile:

Reply 4736

shanzy_91

1

Original post by laurawinston

Heyyya guys! :smile:

Just been accepted to do a Secondary PGCE at the University of Nottingham! Although I'm a bit scared as I haven't been able to find anyone else on the course on Facebook or anything, is everyone hiding somewhere?!

I'm doing a SD with a PGCE from UoN. Can't find anyone else either! What subject are you specialising in?

Reply 4737

iloveunicorns

Original post by vintagenpw

Hey all!

Don't suppose anyone is doing a Secondary English PGCE at Leicester University, or a Secondary English PGCE at all?!?!

Can't seem to find any english PGCE buddies at the moment!

:smile:

I'm doing a Secondary English PGCE but SD! Ha, I don't know anyone off my course in Manchester either it feels as though I am the only one.

Reply 4738

Shootforthemoon

Original post by vintagenpw

Hey all!

Don't suppose anyone is doing a Secondary English PGCE at Leicester University, or a Secondary English PGCE at all?!?!

Can't seem to find any english PGCE buddies at the moment!

:smile:

I'll be at Leicester, but secondary maths