PGCE/work experience help!

Hi, I am currently doing my A levels. I would like to either be a secondary school teacher or a sixth form teacher. Alongside my A levels I am doing work experience in a primary school as I have been informed that in order to complete a PGCE to be a teacher you need to have had two weeks of classroom experience (minimum). Would my primary school work experience not count as two weeks of classroom experience for a secondary school PGCE?

Reply 1

Rumpel24

I doubt it as the two environments are very different. Be best for you to get experience in both as you have no idea how you will get on. Teaching secondary is a different kettle of fish from primary - you may hate it. - you may love it but you won't know until you try.

Reply 2

Samus2

Your experience won't be very relevant in three years time when you've finished your degree and you're applying for teacher training.

It will count, but you will of course need secondary school experience before you apply for a secondary training course.

Reply 3

bownessie

It does for pretty much all primary programs. Secondary tends to be more flexible- I got on with only a few daya

Reply 4

tory88

Primary experience will not count in most cases on a secondary course (although once actually on the course you will have to complete some anyway). Right now, though, focus on getting a good degree in the subject you wish to teach, as your experience almost certainly won't count when you're applying 3 years down the line - so much can change on 3 years.

Reply 5

earthworm

Try to do some stuff with local schools during your undergrad... Or study physics, they are so despirate for physics teachers they would proberbly take you with the experience you have!

Reply 6

existential

Original post by earthworm

Try to do some stuff with local schools during your undergrad... Or study physics, they are so despirate for physics teachers they would proberbly take you with the experience you have!

So when I'm doing my degree would I be able to do some work experience in local secondary schools in my spare time?

Reply 7

username163092

Original post by existential

So when I'm doing my degree would I be able to do some work experience in local secondary schools in my spare time?

Yep! You may even find that your uni has schemes to help you get the experience. I can think of two at my uni off the top of my head - one is uni wide, the other is specific to the department I'm in.

Find out if your uni offers this when you get there and do stuff with them to check that it's definitely what you want to do.