Schools Direct Applicants 2016

Hi everyone :smile:

Over the past 2 weeks I've had 3 interviews - one for secondary English and 2 for primary. If anyone has any questions about the interview process or anything let me know!

I accepted one of my primary offers this morning so now I've just got my skills tests to do. I'm really excited to get started but I'm sure I'll have a lot to do in the mean time! Does anyone have any tips on getting myself ready for September? Any recommended reading or anything I can get stuck into?

Reply 82

TraineeLynsey

7

Original post by gizmodo

She'd be worse off really. The bursary is 3k and she'd have a 9k debt to go with it.

If it's such a huge drop in salary there could be other financial help. Is she married? Because if you earn less than your tax threshold you can transfer £1000 of your tax allowance to your husband. So that's £200. She may be entitled to tax credits?

What about student loans? I know it's a debt, but if teaching is what she wants to do, then that's the price of doing the training.

I finished my training with an extra 12k ish added to an existing undergraduate student loan debt of about 9k, but that was the cost of changing career for me, and it is repaid in such small sums that frankly half of it will probably be written off before I repay it all.

ETA: Sorry, Just spotted Mumsy has already mentioned this!

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 83

VelmaStaplebot

[QUOTE=SophLamb;62346371]Hi everyone :smile:

Over the past 2 weeks I've had 3 interviews - one for secondary English and 2 for primary. If anyone has any questions about the interview process or anything let me know!

I accepted one of my primary offers this morning so now I've just got my skills tests to do. I'm really excited to get started but I'm sure I'll have a lot to do in the mean time! Does anyone have any tips on getting myself ready for September? Any recommended reading or anything I can get stuck into?

Well done Soph,
I know what I'm going to be doing - a subject knowledge enhancement course!
Do you want to get a bit more school experience under your belt? I think in May onwards you may find you get some precourse work to do?!

Reply 84

Original post by SophLamb

Hi everyone :smile:

Over the past 2 weeks I've had 3 interviews - one for secondary English and 2 for primary. If anyone has any questions about the interview process or anything let me know!

I accepted one of my primary offers this morning so now I've just got my skills tests to do. I'm really excited to get started but I'm sure I'll have a lot to do in the mean time! Does anyone have any tips on getting myself ready for September? Any recommended reading or anything I can get stuck into?

I'm interested in whether you had group activities, student panel or had to do a presentation? How much notice have people been getting for the interview day?

Reply 85

I believe my average notice was around 1-3 weeks. My interviews were pretty wierd, one was meant to be a half day interview with group discussion, presentation to a student panel with observation from members of the school direct programme, an informal interview and finally a formal interview. So not so wierd right, well firstly the student panel had no one doing anything relevant to computer science or ICT. The group discussion didn't happen because there wasnt enough people to interview. (2 people didnt turn up)
So all in all the half day was cut down to a presentation which failed miserably and believe me when I say this I did everything in my power to grab the interest of the panel but nothing. I would have better chance of getting a brickwall to respond and a formal interview.

My other interview was amazing a full day interview with student panel, formal and informal interview, 30minute lesson which turned into a full 50min lesson (i really loved that part) and a written task. I got an offer the following day which I accepted .

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 86

5aside

6

I have an interview on Friday which involves a formal interview and an activity with children apparently.

Does anyone know how often we are in schools once accepted? Is it all day every day?

Reply 87

Original post by 5aside

I have an interview on Friday which involves a formal interview and an activity with children apparently.

Does anyone know how often we are in schools once accepted? Is it all day every day?

I'm not sure if it differs across the country. But the ones im applying for consist of 4 days in school working and 1 day at the lead school getting theory training. Forget the proper term...professional studies i think it's called.

Eta good luck by the way :smile:

make sure you come and tell us how it went. Are you primary or secondary?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 88

Yeah from what I have been told and found out, I will be in uni on mondays and tues-fri in school.

Looks like I will be be having 1 very big placement at my school of choice then 1 at another. Though I do have a 3rd placement for a week to cover the transition of key stages so will likely be in a primary school just for observation.

Just waiting on this uni interview then I can say its a definate and I will be jumping around like a big kid :smile:

Reply 89

Original post by VelmaStaplebot

Well done Soph,
I know what I'm going to be doing - a subject knowledge enhancement course!
Do you want to get a bit more school experience under your belt? I think in May onwards you may find you get some precourse work to do?!

I did think I might try and get a bit more school experience, even though it wasn't a condition of my offer, just to ease myself back in. Only problem is that I work full time so I'll have to take annual leave in order to do it!

Reply 90

Original post by gizmodo

I'm interested in whether you had group activities, student panel or had to do a presentation? How much notice have people been getting for the interview day?

I had between 1 and 2 weeks notice for all of mine. All three have been a combination of some of the following elements; presentation, teaching a lesson, observing/assisting in a lesson, individual interview, group task, showing an artefact that demonstrated why I want to teach, literacy/numeracy tasks. They have all been at least half a day long

Reply 91

Thanks SophLamb.

Someone on the PGCE thread mentioned their references taking a month. It's 2 weeks tomorrow that I submitted my reference requests. I hope I don't have to wait another two weeks on top!!

Have you guys all done your skills tests yet? Mine are booked over half term.

Reply 92

My skills tests are at the start of March. I've joined a pretty good group on Facebook to help revise. Not too concerned about literacy but it's been a long time since I did maths!

Reply 93

Gizmodo, when in doubt chase your references and remind them the importance of your application and also the time constraints.

I'm all set to start other than this uni interview for my accepted offer. Damn I hate the wait :smile:

Reply 94

JamieInPompey

6

Original post by SophLamb

My skills tests are at the start of March. I've joined a pretty good group on Facebook to help revise. Not too concerned about literacy but it's been a long time since I did maths!

Do not take the literacy skills test lightly. Mine was ridiculously hard. I have an English degree! I passed first time but I honestly thought I had failed!

Reply 95

Original post by SophLamb

My skills tests are at the start of March. I've joined a pretty good group on Facebook to help revise. Not too concerned about literacy but it's been a long time since I did maths!

I wonder if you're in the same one as me? I was the other way around, worried about literacy and not about the numeracy. But after doing the first practice tests it's numeracy I should be worried about!!

@gentlegiant - yeah, I've chased them already.

The waiting is painful! It all just seems so drawn out!

Reply 96

Original post by JamieInPompey

Do not take the literacy skills test lightly. Mine was ridiculously hard. I have an English degree! I passed first time but I honestly thought I had failed!

I have an English degree too, that's why I wasn't worried, but now I feel I should be! I have a month to revise though so should be plenty of time to fit in some literacy as well. Thanks for the heads up :smile:

Reply 97

Original post by gizmodo

I wonder if you're in the same one as me? I was the other way around, worried about literacy and not about the numeracy. But after doing the first practice tests it's numeracy I should be worried about!!

It's called QTS skills test support. Just found another called QTS professional skill test support so I'm going to join that one too

Reply 98

Original post by SophLamb

It's called QTS skills test support. Just found another called QTS professional skill test support so I'm going to join that one too

Yes that's the one I'm in.

One reference has been submitted!!! Waiting on the second now.

Reply 99