PGCE - Current Students Thread

Hello all, I'm starting my school direct primary in September and I am just starting to look at getting things like folders in ready to start. For the teaching standards, I've seen some people say a folder for each one and other have it all in one folder. Obviously it will vary according to provider, but what would the general advice be for this? One folder per standard, or one big folder to put it all in? Also, as I'm primary, am I right in thinking that I'll also need one folder per subject to put plans etc. in as part of my evidence?
Thanks

I agree with JoannaMilano. It depends on how much freedom you will have to do things the way you want. Some course providers have very specific requirements regarding the organisation of folders. I'm on a School Direct course, but the university is very much in charge rather than the school, so just like the regular PGCE students, we have to have two folders for each placement: a planning folder and an evidence folder. These then have to be organised according to the contents page we are provided for each folder.

You definitely will not need a planning folder for each subject, though. If it's up to you to decide how to organise the folders, set up a planning folder for each placement and divide it according to subject. I have to organise mine chronologically, which isn't particularly helpful as I forget which week I did certain lessons! Even for evidence, one folder could be enough. I have to maintain a portfolio of my best evidence, which is submitted at the end of the year for assessment. Everything else stays in the individual placement evidence folders.

You could buy a handful of folders and then just wait and see how things pan out once you have started, but occasionally buying isn't even necessary. My university leaves out a box full of unwanted folders for people to help themselves to, which is quite nice.

Wait until you get to uni, no point getting things now. Providers are so different that you'll never guess what you need.

For example, we do our standards all online. One table that lists evidence for each standards and where you can find it. We do not have a physical folder solely for standards, nevermind one each.

For first placement I had a lever arch and a ringbinder. For second placement I have two lever arches and a ringbinder. For lecture notes i had five ringbinders (Maths, English, Professional Studies, Science, Other Subjects). So that's 7 ringbinders and 3 lever arches.

I'm primary and no way you'd ever need a separate folder for each subject's lesson plans. All my lesson plans from first placement are in one lever arch and it's perhaps half full at most. You'll only teach each foundation subject once or twice per week after all.

I need some advise here!

The job I got for September is an independent school. I was reviewing the contract and there's no mention about the induction period in it.

Before I make any demands to the school I want to make sure that I fully understand the process of gaining full QTS.

According to the Independent Schools' Teacher Induction Panel (ISTIP), "Each year some 1200 NQTs (newly qualified teachers) begin induction in our schools.Over 80% of them are still there three years later, often at the same school. Before embarking on their induction year, they acquired Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)."

On the other hand the DfE says"All qualified teachers who are employed in a relevant school in England must, by law, have completed an induction period satisfactorily"

So I thought that QTS was gained only after the NQT year, provided that you passed the induction period. Does this mean that the induction period is in fact optional? Would I get full QTS status with or without induction on my first year?

I'm confused

My understanding was that we gain QTS the summer we qualify (our uni told us our exam board convenes to provisionally grant it in July and it's made official in September).

Most of the job ads I've been looking at have said "QTS essential (or obtained by September)". And these are jobs open to NQTS so that seems to confirm we gain QTS upon course completion.


The NQT induction is separate from qualifying and I'm not sure how it would work moving from private to state. Independent schools have all their own rules so I guess they wouldn't have to offer an NQT induction if they didn't want to.

But then- and I don't have any source for this, it's just a guess- you might find if you transferred to the state sector later, you'd still have to complete NQT induction? Possibly at an M1 pay level?

Schools can fast track you through the induction period these days, so if you moved from private to state with enough experience, I'd assume you'd only have the bare minimum NQT induction assuming your practice was good.

You get QTS upon successful completion of your PGCE course or placements etc, you never lose this. You don't lose it if you don't complete your NQT within 50 years let alone 5.

The downside is that if you don't do it, you can no longer do supply teaching five years after qualifying, which is always a nice option to have.

The likelihood is that I will never complete mine...ever! This is due to me deciding to teach in FE now I've done my PGCE, and a lot of FE colleges don't offer NQT years. But I will always have QTS.

That's great to know!!

To be honest I'd rather avoid doing the induction year, that would spare me from further observations and paperwork that IMHO does not compensate for the 10% reduction in the timetable. However, I thought there were massive disadvantages with that, most specifically being unable to be a fully qualified teacher.

I was not too worried about being unable to teach in state schools in the future, especially with the current plan to turn all schools into academies.

I suppose I won't say anything under these circumstances

Thanks!

It's worth asking anyway. I guess it's comparable to automatic vs manual car licences in a way. You have more freedom and options if you complete it. If you have a job offer you really like it's probably not worth declining for that, especially since you hope to work in private. But if they can offer it it's a positive.

Regarding paperwork, it's much much more manageable compared to the PGCE so I wouldn't let that put you off. It's just about 6 short obs and 6 action plans for the year, plus keeping a small folder of teaching standards evidencw. You should get simple, easily achievable targets with clear ways to reach them and actually it's really helpful to keep you reflecting and learning new things I'd say it only generates a couple of extra hours work a month.

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That's great to know!!

To be honest I'd rather avoid doing the induction year, that would spare me from further observations and paperwork that IMHO does not compensate for the 10% reduction in the timetable. However, I thought there were massive disadvantages with that, most specifically being unable to be a fully qualified teacher.

I was not too worried about being unable to teach in state schools in the future, especially with the current plan to turn all schools into academies.

I suppose I won't say anything under these circumstances

Thanks!

I have found myself in a similar situation. For some reason some teachers seem to give a lot of criticism as feedback rather than helpful advice or constructive criticism. Often it's the teacher trying to show that they are in charge and throw their weight around a bit.

I've had some difficulties with a teacher than never observed me but continued to tell everyone that I wasn't improving. On the rare occasion that I was observed (she only showed up for university observations) she would rip my lesson apart even though I got good feedback from my uni.

My advice is to persevere as the majority of the course is over. We have one term left and everyone seems happier in the summer anyway! Don't let a bad school / tutor / teacher get you down. If I would've let my mentor bother me I would have left before Christmas. I stuck with it because I love the job and the thought of leaving her behind at the end of the course is what kept me going!!!!

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Definitely take hold of the situation and ask for more focussed guidance. Fix one or two problems at a time and ask for very specific useful advice or at least the information to tell you where to find that help.

As an NQT I still receive frequent targets but I always make sure that it's something that's clearly achievable in a yes/no kinda way. My last one was that I could focus on questioning a little further so we set targets for bouncing questions around the room, reading a book and observing another teacher. My questioning is now one of my strongest skills now. So get them to tell you what you need to improve, and what they would recommend to get that stronger. Observing other teachers is an absolute must!

We don't even have to complete a folder. Just observation, targets and then a tiny evaluation before starting the cycle again. Repeat until 6 observations are done and then we're signed off.

It all seems oddly school dependent.

That's great to know!!

To be honest I'd rather avoid doing the induction year, that would spare me from further observations and paperwork that IMHO does not compensate for the 10% reduction in the timetable. However, I thought there were massive disadvantages with that, most specifically being unable to be a fully qualified teacher.

I was not too worried about being unable to teach in state schools in the future, especially with the current plan to turn all schools into academies.

I suppose I won't say anything under these circumstances

Thanks!

Thinking back I think the folder may have been a more personal thing. It just helped me to tick off the list of which standards I needed to work on and it was a nice resource for myself to draw on to make an interview portfolio.

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Hi everyone!
It's been such a long time since I last posted - people weren't kidding when they said doing a PGCE will mean you have literally no time.
Anyway it's gotten to that time of year where I'm trying to secure a job for September. I have an interview on Tuesday and I was just wondering if anyone has any tips or advice to offer?
I have to do a 5-minute presentation to the governors on 'Why I'm Unique' (struggling here!), a 20-minutes maths lesson with a Reception class, a short written task and the interview itself. Sigh...