PGCE - Current Students Thread

Question: do you have to display lesson objectives for an interview lesson? Sounds like a stupid question but I never do at the moment because my mentor and I both hate them, but don't know if it is the done thing?

Hey! Being people who are on a School's Direct programme- I am starting mine in September, and I was wondering how things go in terms of funding. I'm on a non-salaried programme for Secondary PE. I am aware i'm not eligible for any grants, however, is funding from SFE the same as it was in undergrad study? In terms of maintenance loans and grants etc? How have you all funded your School's Direct programmes? I am living away from home so worried about finance!!

Any help would be massively appreciated!
Thank you

I'd say it's unlikely that they'd involve the kids for an NQT job.

'Safer recruitment' requires a student panel as part of any interview. Supposedly you can spot those with predatory tendencies by simply watching them interact with the students for a few minutes.

Really? Is that a state school thing? Not heard of it, nor has Spouse, who is a state school teacher. Is it not covered by watching them teach? Bonkers.

Question: do you have to display lesson objectives for an interview lesson? Sounds like a stupid question but I never do at the moment because my mentor and I both hate them, but don't know if it is the done thing?

On any interview panel there should be someone who is trained in 'safer recruitment'. The previous national course has recently been replaced by one from the NSPCC but the pupil panel thing appears in that one too. Interaction in a panel interview may be different from a lesson.

Well, our folks are stuffed to the gills with safeguarding to the point where teaching seems almost a minor issue, but clearly we aren't obeying the law on this and neither is Spouse.

It isn't the law - it is advice but Ofsted would expect to see it in a safeguarding policy.

Depends on the school - for both my interview lessons I didn't use a powerpoint and explained what the title was and why we had that title/what we would be working towards.

I would, and return to them at the end to check them off and show pupils have made progress towards them.

I have previously had a few mini objectives so that if I've not got through all of them (due to interview lessons being really short and time management being tricky due to the unknown) I can show we've met the first ones even if we haven't met all of them (so they can't say the lesson was a failure as it didn't meet the objective it set out to).

I observed a lesson today as a training activity and was given the grading criteria for good and outstanding etc. One of the criteria for 'inadequate' was 'learning objectives are not on display'. I don't like them either and I certainly don't like that silly grading system but you may as well not risk it!

I'm due to start taking my mentor's year 10 class tomorrow...would it be frowned upon for me to email her and ask if I can start next week? I literally don't think there is enough time tonight for me to plan the lesson as I've been planning my interview lesson. I guess it depends on your mentor. I just don't think I'm going to be able to plan it, so if I do teach it it will be me making it up on the spot.

What would your mentors be like if you asked that?

My mentor wouldn't mind, providing that he had enough time to plan the lesson... leaving it till now might be a bit late.

I have to do a presentation on the needs of modern day sixth form students for about five mins. I am completely unsure what format a presentation is. Am I allowed to read off something or should it be all from my head? So many questions about this interview!

A powerpoint for visual clues would be okay - but obviously use it as a prompt rather than reading from it. As it's only five minutes, I wouldn't bother with a ppt

I have my first interview on Thursday for a job I desperately want. A lot on here seem to have had interviews - what are some basic tips? I'm worried my nerves will get the better of me. I know I can do this and I've planned a bad ass lesson but my nerves could ruin it all.


Thanks. Yeah I didn't really want to do a powerpoint so I'll try and do it off memory.

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I have my first interview on Thursday for a job I desperately want. A lot on here seem to have had interviews - what are some basic tips? I'm worried my nerves will get the better of me. I know I can do this and I've planned a bad ass lesson but my nerves could ruin it all.


Thanks. Yeah I didn't really want to do a powerpoint so I'll try and do it off memory.

Posted from TSR Mobile