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PGCE - Current Students Thread

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Original post by newns17
Apart from all the lesson planning etc, what is the uni work like? Harder than final year? Do you have to do a dissertation?


Every uni is different. At mine we have short essays throughout the year and two bigger ones at the end - one at 2,500 and the other at ~5,000 words. The essays itself aren't a killer - I wrote the first in three days - but on top of lesson planning and job applications, it is quite a lot of thinking and writing. It's manageable, though.

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I've had 4,
One was a joint presentation and academic poster, you had to write 3k words and then you had to defend your poster infront of a panel

The other was a hypothetical one in which you wrote about learning outside the classroom, plan 4 lessons and a medium term plan. Then write about a school trip why you've chosen it and linking it into the foundation subjects. 3k words

Essay 3 was relating to your own practice called teaching studies- I researched whether teaching assistants were more hindrance than help.3k words

My last one is my specialism in Literature- how literature helps learning but more specific to something like SEN children or EAL. 3k words

:-)
They've all be fairly tough, specialism more so
X
TWO MORE LESSONS TO GET THROUGH AND IT'S EASTER! :dance:

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Original post by outlaw-torn
TWO MORE LESSONS TO GET THROUGH AND IT'S EASTER! :dance:

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It had gone so quiet on here I assumed everyone else's Easter holidays had already started! I've been counting down the days to my holiday for weeks so it's a relief to be so close - 5 lessons to go!

Can't believe I'm now officially 2/3 of the way through my NQT year. I suppose that means everything will be OK as it's pretty difficult for a school to fail you in term 3 if you've been deemed "making satisfactory progress" in the first 2 terms.

The whole rest of the school year is only 10 weeks after the Easter holidays (maybe 11 or 12 in other areas), so that feels pretty manageable.
Original post by Shelly_x
Why are you needing to be short and concise? To fit in the required word limit? Otherwise, you need to go into detail on your points and give examples really. Write a draft and then read it over, editing out any sentences which repeat information already given or which don't really big you up.

Also, include an executive summary (go to TES jobseekers or google it to see what these are) - they pretty much guarantee shortlisting.


In the executive summary should you give examples of how you meet the specification? Or just mention you do?

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Original post by qwerty_mad
In the executive summary should you give examples of how you meet the specification? Or just mention you do?

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Here's something to help you:
http://community.tes.co.uk/tes_jobseekers/b/applying_for_a_job_in_a_school/archive/2013/07/07/step-by-step-how-to-write-an-e-s.aspx


Specific examples are always better than just saying you meet it.
Original post by myrtille
It had gone so quiet on here I assumed everyone else's Easter holidays had already started! I've been counting down the days to my holiday for weeks so it's a relief to be so close - 5 lessons to go!

Can't believe I'm now officially 2/3 of the way through my NQT year. I suppose that means everything will be OK as it's pretty difficult for a school to fail you in term 3 if you've been deemed "making satisfactory progress" in the first 2 terms.

The whole rest of the school year is only 10 weeks after the Easter holidays (maybe 11 or 12 in other areas), so that feels pretty manageable.


Do you only have a 4 week half term after Easter then or does the May holiday get pushed back too?
Original post by Shelly_x
Do you only have a 4 week half term after Easter then or does the May holiday get pushed back too?


Only 4 weeks! Then a 6 week term before the summer holidays (our Autumn term starts straight after the August bank-holiday though).
Original post by Shelly_x
Here's something to help you:
http://community.tes.co.uk/tes_jobseekers/b/applying_for_a_job_in_a_school/archive/2013/07/07/step-by-step-how-to-write-an-e-s.aspx


Specific examples are always better than just saying you meet it.


Thanks for the link, really useful :smile: One more thing: should I place the summary at the beginning of the application from or email it as a separate document when applying?

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Ahhh I got an interview at my old secondary school :smile:


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Original post by qwerty_mad
Thanks for the link, really useful :smile: One more thing: should I place the summary at the beginning of the application from or email it as a separate document when applying?

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I read somewhere on TES that you should put it in the same file as your covering letter, so it will all get printed out together at the school, whereas if it's a separate file they might just not bother.

I have just reapplied for my current job (1 year contract) and that's what I did.
Original post by myrtille
I read somewhere on TES that you should put it in the same file as your covering letter, so it will all get printed out together at the school, whereas if it's a separate file they might just not bother.

I have just reapplied for my current job (1 year contract) and that's what I did.


Covering letter? I don't write covering letters if I'm applying to a school with vacancies. So would it be okay to put it before the 'supporting statement' section?

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Original post by qwerty_mad
Covering letter? I don't write covering letters if I'm applying to a school with vacancies. So would it be okay to put it before the 'supporting statement' section?

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I was always told you must send a letter - the type of application form determines what type of letter this is.

If the application form includes a long personal statement section, this should be a simple covering letter addressed to the head. "Dear Mr/Mrs X, (use their name, shows you've done your research), I am writing to apply for the post of ___ at ____ School. Please see my application form for details of my experience and suitability for this role. Feel free to contact me if you require any further information in support of my application. Yours sincerely..."

If the application form doesn't have a supporting statement section, then you write a letter of application which is basically a supporting statement in letter form.

Some useful TES posts:
http://community.tes.co.uk/tes_jobseekers/b/applying_for_a_job_in_a_school/archive/2014/03/19/persob-spec-too-long-how-do-i-do-an-e-s-and-where-do-i-put-it.aspx

http://community.tes.co.uk/tes_jobseekers/b/applying_for_a_job_in_a_school/archive/2013/05/11/how-to-get-shortlisted-for-a-teaching-job.aspx

Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick, but I got interviews at all but one of the schools I applied to last year, so I can't have done it totally wrong.
Original post by myrtille
I was always told you must send a letter - the type of application form determines what type of letter this is.

If the application form includes a long personal statement section, this should be a simple covering letter addressed to the head. "Dear Mr/Mrs X, (use their name, shows you've done your research), I am writing to apply for the post of ___ at ____ School. Please see my application form for details of my experience and suitability for this role. Feel free to contact me if you require any further information in support of my application. Yours sincerely..."

If the application form doesn't have a supporting statement section, then you write a letter of application which is basically a supporting statement in letter form.

Some useful TES posts:
http://community.tes.co.uk/tes_jobseekers/b/applying_for_a_job_in_a_school/archive/2014/03/19/persob-spec-too-long-how-do-i-do-an-e-s-and-where-do-i-put-it.aspx

http://community.tes.co.uk/tes_jobseekers/b/applying_for_a_job_in_a_school/archive/2013/05/11/how-to-get-shortlisted-for-a-teaching-job.aspx

Maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick, but I got interviews at all but one of the schools I applied to last year, so I can't have done it totally wrong.


Oh ok, I see what you're saying. That sounds good. Do you think I should attach the executive summary (which is in table form) as part of this short covering letter?

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(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by qwerty_mad
Thanks for the link, really useful :smile: One more thing: should I place the summary at the beginning of the application from or email it as a separate document when applying?

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Depends on what the application form is like. If they ask for a letter of application in addition to the application form, then I usually put it in the 'supporting information' bit of the application form. If they just want the application form then I paste it in the supporting information bit, after writing about how i meet the person spec etc. If neither of these are suitable, then attach it as a seperate document and draw their attention to it in the email.
Is it ok to use quotes from school policies? As in literally quote and reference them in brackets.

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(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by qwerty_mad
Is it ok to use quotes from school policies? As in literally quote and reference them in brackets.

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Erm, in what context? You don't need to directly quote them, you can just explain them and how you implemented them or what you like about it. Seems more personal that way.
Original post by Shelly_x
Erm, in what context? You don't need to directly quote them, you can just explain them and how you implemented them or what you like about it. Seems more personal that way.


As in how I meet and agree with a policy. I think it's too much referencing them - looks a bit OTT.

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Original post by qwerty_mad
As in how I meet and agree with a policy. I think it's too much referencing them - looks a bit OTT.

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Yeah it definitely does. Good luck!
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awe
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Hey all. Just wondering if some of you can tell me a bit about how you are able to spend your weekends. I'm going to be joining a girls' grammar for Secondary English School Direct route in September. I'll be honest, I am not great at time management but am determined to make the work my absolute priority, which will be helped by my (very distracting) partner being away in the week. He'll be back at the weekends though and seems 100% sure that the weekends will really be 'our' time, that I will have space for him and shouldn't be doing work. He's not the most understanding yet. But is that possible or do you feel that your weekends are often booked with marking/planning/assignments as well as your 'free' time in the week?
The school is brilliant, the staff and especially my primary mentor could not be better. I'm super excited, but don't want to get the wrong idea about how it will play out and work/not work with my relationship.

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