Primary PGCE Coleraine 2019/2020

No there are no residentials for the primary course, but there is for the secondary.

On your first day of the course you will complete regiatration in the morning, get your student card etc. and in the afternoon you will go and meet your tutors and class. The next day you are straight into intense teaching!

I'm currently a student on the course (7 weeka to go thank god!!!!) If you have ANY questions about the course please do not hesitate to ask.

Trust me when I say this year is going to be the hardest year of your life and I am not exaggerating. You have to make so many sacrifices for this course - the PGCE comes first! The workload is intense and it never eases up, even over Easter, I am still flat put with work. You just have to keep your head down and keep powering on!

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 63

E107

OP

8

Hi,

I am thinking of applying to Primary PGCE next year, I was wondering if you have any tips/advice for the interview process?

Original post by helloteacher

No there are no residentials for the primary course, but there is for the secondary.

On your first day of the course you will complete regiatration in the morning, get your student card etc. and in the afternoon you will go and meet your tutors and class. The next day you are straight into intense teaching!

I'm currently a student on the course (7 weeka to go thank god!!!!) If you have ANY questions about the course please do not hesitate to ask.

Trust me when I say this year is going to be the hardest year of your life and I am not exaggerating. You have to make so many sacrifices for this course - the PGCE comes first! The workload is intense and it never eases up, even over Easter, I am still flat put with work. You just have to keep your head down and keep powering on!

Reply 64

The interview is in 2 stages, storytelling and then interview questions, but you need to pass the story telling to get to the question interview.Do something completely different for story telling - stay away from the hungry caterpillar, gruffalo and all the traditional stories! - but if you do do them, do them in a way that is different! You want to stand out from the crowd! If you play a musical instrument or can sing/rap - perform your story like that! Recently their was a guy who went viral when he posted a video of him rapping the gruffalo and our course director loved it!! They want to see creativity and originality! Books that have mathematical concepts in them will be a HIT - the course director loves those! Calvin Irons is a FAB author in regards to math concepts! and if you can make your own props! This course is all about creativity! We made our own story wheels this year which would be a good shout! For storytelling you get marked on your facial expression, innotation, body language etc.

Reply 65

usermc123

4

Hi! I am starting this course at the end of August! I am really looking forward to it but so nervous as well because of things I have heard! I am wondering if you can give me any advice for the course at all?? Should I do anything over summer to prepare me for starting? Also, congratulations on finishing, I am sure you are so relieved!

Reply 66

Congratulations on getting into the course, a massive achievement in itself!!! The first day will be a lot of getting to know the class activities, going through the hand book and expectations etc. and then day 2 you get stuck straight into it!

A few students from my year are going to be available to be mentors, to help your class with your file, lessons plans and any thing else that you guys are struggling with! Thats something we suggested to Steven and Shauna so there will be plenty of people to reach out to - and please do!

The best advice I can give you is build up a brilliant rapport with the people in your class, they will be the ones that will support you the most! Share ideas, resources and most importantly lesson plans and planners! Lesson plans can be very overwhelming, especially at the start so please, if you need any help at all, just shout!

In regards to preparation, there isnt an awful lot you can do to prepare. There is readings and stuff you have to do on the course.. but they are just set weekly - but honestly they are nothing to be stressed about!

You could, if you would like, start gathering stuff together to help with your resources! Shauna and Steven prefer you to make your own resources (heads up its heavily, heavily frowned upon if you use commercially produced classroom resources). The resources are just as important as your lesson plans and files - before you go on each placement you have to show the resources you are taking with you! It is chaos lol. Make sure you have a laminator, a ton of laminaging pouches, cardboard, coloured paper - get the Pinterest app lol.

Original post by usermc123

Hi! I am starting this course at the end of August! I am really looking forward to it but so nervous as well because of things I have heard! I am wondering if you can give me any advice for the course at all?? Should I do anything over summer to prepare me for starting? Also, congratulations on finishing, I am sure you are so relieved!

Reply 67

RF93

1

Hi, Can anyone tell me the actual start date for the pgce primary course? Thanks

Reply 68

usermc123

4

Thank you so much for your reply. Very helpful! Can I ask aswell is it 9-5 in uni every day? Even on fridays? Trying to sort my part time job... if I have time for it! Lol

Reply 69

Yeah class is 10am to 4.45pm everyday.. even Fridays 😖 I used to work Friday, Saturday and Sunday part time and I ended up having to drop 2 days because the workload at uni and on placement was just too much for me!

Original post by usermc123

Thank you so much for your reply. Very helpful! Can I ask aswell is it 9-5 in uni every day? Even on fridays? Trying to sort my part time job... if I have time for it! Lol

Reply 70

Hi every one. Just wondering if you are enjoying the primary pgce course in Coleraine?I have applied this year, but not sure if I shall get in as my degree is in law, but I do have a lot of classroom experience. When am I likely to hear? Hope you are all enjoying the teaching experience.Susan

Reply 71

Original post by helloteacher

No there are no residentials for the primary course, but there is for the secondary.

On your first day of the course you will complete regiatration in the morning, get your student card etc. and in the afternoon you will go and meet your tutors and class. The next day you are straight into intense teaching!

I'm currently a student on the course (7 weeka to go thank god!!!!) If you have ANY questions about the course please do not hesitate to ask.

Trust me when I say this year is going to be the hardest year of your life and I am not exaggerating. You have to make so many sacrifices for this course - the PGCE comes first! The workload is intense and it never eases up, even over Easter, I am still flat put with work. You just have to keep your head down and keep powering on!

Hi there, Hello Teacher, I am just wondering on the likelihood of being accepted on the pgce primary course with a law degree (it has been a v useless degree). Hope you have a job teaching or subing and are enjoying it xx

Reply 72

usermc123

4

Original post by smokane1

Hi there, Hello Teacher, I am just wondering on the likelihood of being accepted on the pgce primary course with a law degree (it has been a v useless degree). Hope you have a job teaching or subing and are enjoying it xx

Hi! I am currently doing the course - our class has a very wide expertise,sports, engineering, early years etc. I'm not sure what the criteria is to get in this year but as long as you have all the essential criteria, I would apply anyway :-) good luck!

Reply 73

Original post by usermc123

Hi! I am currently doing the course - our class has a very wide expertise,sports, engineering, early years etc. I'm not sure what the criteria is to get in this year but as long as you have all the essential criteria, I would apply anyway :-) good luck!

Thank you, hope you are enjoying it?

Reply 74

Original post by smokane1

Hi there, Hello Teacher, I am just wondering on the likelihood of being accepted on the pgce primary course with a law degree (it has been a v useless degree). Hope you have a job teaching or subing and are enjoying it xx

The Primary PGCE qualifies you to teach in both primary and secondary schools. Therefore, when they are accepting people into the course, they look at what degrees will transfer well to the primary and secondary curriculum.

So for example you have all your standard degrees like geography, english, sports and history that will be accepted. Then more specialised degrees like early childhood, health and social care, languages and engineering are accepted because they are options at GCSE and A-Level.

Law is something I would be very unsure about as it doesn't transfer into the curriculum. But I would apply regardless! Ypu better to at least try.

Reply 75