PGCE 2014 Applications (NOT FOR SPECIFIC INTERVIEW TASK DISCUSSIONS)

i just finished four weeks experience in two different schools - one, a struggling primary which has just become an academy, and one a well respected state primary. i'm hoping to apply to brunel and cambridge (!!?) for Primary PGCE 2014 intake. i work full time so had to take a month of unpaid leave to do my work experience and i'm not sure i'll be able to do that again so i really hope that's enough!! i volunteered in a primary school during university (2008 and 2009) but i don't know if that experience is even relevant anymore. Brownies is a great shout though, i might write to my local ones to see if they need anyone. i guess every little helps!
any advice in the applications is gonna be so valuable as it all seems so confusing! I think you do need to do the skills test before you start the course, but does it need to be booked before you even apply? getting mixed messages as with everything! it's so stressful and we're nowhere near applying yet!
also, my one other question is educational references - i guess i'll use my uni personal tutor but i doubt he even remembers me so it's a bit worrying how good the reference will be!
good luck to everyone

Hi all

I'm hoping to apply for Secondary English this year. I just wanted to know, HOW did you all get so much experience??!! So far, I have 3 days in one school and one day in another and that was after calling up and emailing like a million times. I have tried so many other schools, told them I'm applying in a few months' time, that I'd be willing to help out and so on, and they either don't reply at all, say they will get back to me and then don't or they say 'Sorry, we haven't got the capacity for this'. (Ridiculous, right?!) One school even said, 'You are only part way through your degree, perhaps you should think about this at a later stage' even though I made it clear that I've only got one year left at uni and will be applying for pgce in a few months!

Is/was anyone else in the same boat? I would appreciate any advice at all. Thank you

Yes, I had the same thing! I called so many schools and only a few let me visit but obviously it's what you take away from the experience not the quantity. Anyway, I think if you try in September it might be better too, I only got a few days in school since uni finished but I'm going to organise more in the new academic year (try and ask about this too) also read some of the previous posts, they have tips on the way you could approach schools when organising a visit.

Yes, I had the same thing! I called so many schools and only a few let me visit but obviously it's what you take away from the experience not the quantity. Anyway, I think if you try in September it might be better too, I only got a few days in school since uni finished but I'm going to organise more in the new academic year (try and ask about this too) also read some of the previous posts, they have tips on the way you could approach schools when organising a visit.

Hi all

I'm hoping to apply for Secondary English this year. I just wanted to know, HOW did you all get so much experience??!! So far, I have 3 days in one school and one day in another and that was after calling up and emailing like a million times. I have tried so many other schools, told them I'm applying in a few months' time, that I'd be willing to help out and so on, and they either don't reply at all, say they will get back to me and then don't or they say 'Sorry, we haven't got the capacity for this'. (Ridiculous, right?!) One school even said, 'You are only part way through your degree, perhaps you should think about this at a later stage' even though I made it clear that I've only got one year left at uni and will be applying for pgce in a few months!

Is/was anyone else in the same boat? I would appreciate any advice at all. Thank you

I don't have much advice for people looking for experience as I have been extremely lucky My university (York) do a scheme called York Students in Schools where they put volunteers in a school for one day a week for an entire term. I did this twice, so two different placements through that scheme alone, one in autumn term 2012 and one in spring term 2013.

I then wrote an e-mail to my old high school and my old college, telling them where/what I was studying, that I was looking to further increase my experience in school with them if possible, and attaching my CV (which had my contact details and my work experience through the York Students in Schools scheme on).

They both got back to me saying they were willing to let me go in for a few weeks each I had about 5 other schools I was going to write to if my old high school and college didn't get back to me/said no, but I never had to bother sending them out because they both got back to me within a week with a yes.

So when it comes to applying, I'll have about 25 -30 days experience in four different schools/colleges.

I would always advise contacting your old schools/colleges in the first instance if it is possible to do so (i.e. you didn't move 300 miles away after leaving!). It shouldn't make a difference when it comes to work experience, when you think about it, yet weirdly, it really does seem to. I actually spoke to my careers department at uni before I contacted schools myself independently and the two people I spoke to both said I should try my old school/college first and foremost. I didn't think it'd make a huge difference me having gone there a few years ago, but then again, they both said yes straight away, so maybe it did afterall?

Good luck to anyone and everyone having trouble though. The only advice I can give is:

Whilst this might be helpful for someone, this is a place to vent for people who are struggling to find work experience so it's unfair to judge people for that. You haven't had any trouble but you've been very lucky because your university has organised placements for you, and your old school is happy to take you. For some of us, our old schools are not an option (in my case my brother just had to transfer out of his because of his special needs, but he (and my family) were treated very badly by the school while he was there. They wouldn't exactly welcome me with open arms).

As for the other advice, I've already done everything you mentioned and I've only been able to get one placement. I even got the email of a guy involved in SCITT placements and he said he would get back to me but he hasn't. With the school year running out rapidly, it's only natural that some people are worried. Like you said, schools are busy, and with the best will in the world some people will not get placements. It's harder for some people than you think.

I've just read the original post of this thread again - I thought maybe I had got mistaken or something - but no, here it is for reference:



So no, this thread isn't a place to vent for people who are struggling to find work experience whatsoever - either you've stumbled in to the wrong thread by accident, or your reading comprehension leaves a lot to be desired.

Furthermore, I don't remember judging anyone about the amount of work experience they have or haven't done -- and why would I? Think about this logically instead of getting arsey for apparently no reason whatsoever (did you get out of the wrong side of bed or something?) -- I am applying for a PGCE myself. Other people having less experience than me is an advantage for me. Instead of judging people for having less, I'd be doing the opposite, wouldn't I? Other people having less experience would not be something to get judgmental about as it's something that could essentially benefit me in the long run. I wasn't being judgmental whatsoever. I am now inclined to believe you've not just stumbled in to the wrong thread by accident like I thought initially, but are having problems with reading comprehension as it is quite clear in my post I was aiming to give advice, not judgment. Judging people for having less experience makes no sense, if anything other people having less experience would be something I'd be pleased about when it comes to my own application!

I'm not going to reply to the rest of your post because quite honestly, you're doing exactly the same sort of thing the guy I mentioned in my first bullet point in my last post did...

"BOOOOOO, you have it SOOOOO EASY!! You are so lucky it just completely fell in to your lap and you didn't do ANYTHING WHATSOEVER to get the experience yourself......... Unfortunately SOME of us are having a REAL problem getting work experience!!!!!!!!!!111123456"

Seriously -- grow up and stop being so bitter. Being bitter and complaining on an Internet forum isn't going to help you get any experience. Your attitude is itself probably pretty offputting to schools, too.

I had it easy in that I did two placements through university - what can I say, I am sorry for doing research before I applied to my chosen uni? The York Students in Schools scheme was one of the reasons I applied to York. Your uni doesn't have such a scheme? Why didn't you research this sort of thing before you went if it was gonna be something you'd be interested in? I did, and I got in to that university -- what do you want me to do, apologise for it?!

Furthermore, they sorted out 2 placements. Out of a total 4. The other 2 I sorted completely independently of them. What do you want me to say about that? I'm sorry I made an effort and the schools got back to me with a positive reply? Would you rather I didn't make any effort, or they said no, just so that you'd have someone else in the same boat as you?

Yeah, because that is going to happen.

I understand people are worried -- hence I made a post with some advice in it. You seem to have taken serious offence at my post for seemingly no reason whatsoever. OK, so you already do/have done everything I suggested in my post. Sorry, because of that reason, do you want me to take it down? There's over a million users on TSR. I didn't make my post just for your benefit. If you got nothing out of it, then that is too bad, life's crap, isn't it? But maybe someone else will, so it'll stay there, and I'll post similar posts in the future.

I know how hard it is as I have had numerous friends who graduated last year and this year who have been declined places on PGCEs because of a lack of experience -- despite contacting lots of schools some of them just could not get enough experience and then when it came to PGCE applications they weren't offered a place due to it. It is tough. That doesn't mean you can just throw a paddy and start complaining at the people who DO manage to get experience.

I'm not going to apologise for having more experience than you, what planet are you on

I can't understand what would make someone react to a post with advice in it the way you just have, but if your post is at all indicative of how you respond to people trying to help you out in real life, then it is no wonder the offers from schools aren't rolling in.

Stop acting like a child. You're finding it hard getting work experience. So are many others. I made a post with some general advice in it. There's no need to kick off your shoes and sit in the middle of the floor screaming and crying over it. I promise.

Sorry guys, I am no longer going to be posting any advice on TSR anymore... alabelle hates it when people do that

What's annoyed me the most is when schools really mess me around. I counted on a particular school for a lot of exp then they must have changed their mind cos the never returned my calls. Really aggravating.

I have two days worth this week. Doesn't sound like much but I guess it helps towards my goal of 14. Even then I don't think two weeks really sounds much compared to some. It's annoying because I know a girl who only did five days, but lied and said she did two weeks and got accepted - then there's me trying so hard to find sufficient work exp because I'd like to do it the honest way. Plus I need evidence.

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Yeah that sucks :/. Congrats on the two days experience though! As long as you get your minimum days, it's probably better to have taken the right stuff away from it than to have spent loads of time in schools. If your application is strong in other ways anyway I have heard of universities making conditional offers so people can catch up

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I've had some better luck today! Got a chance to do some volunteering with autistic children and their siblings through the school holidays, and some schools are going to call me back tomorrow about possible placements. Fingers crossed!

Thanks! Did my first day of those two today, and just feel really down now. It's a teacher training school so they get a lot on work exp, and I was speaking to school direct offer holders and they were all really, really experienced. I don't think I will be what they're looking for. Some had PhDs and most had worked in a school before!

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I don't think those things matter too much, as long as you are passionate about teaching your subject you will be fine. you hear all the time about really experienced people who are turned down for all sorts of reasons. There are clearly more important factors at play!