Teach First 2022 Applications

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Reply 40

Muttley79

PLEASE consider other routes into teaching :smile:

Reply 41

crose00

I just got accepted for a development center for primary in 2 weeks! Anybody got any tips or advice for me, especially anybody who got on? Im in my final year undegrad and I haven't had much interview experience or anything so I'm really nervous!

Reply 42

crose00

Original post by stevenstelfox

My DC was a week ago today and I just got an offer :smile:

Good luck to the rest of you, I would call your contact at TF if you haven't heard after 15 working days.

Hi! I have a DC in 2 weeks, do you have any advice or tips? what was the online teaching scenario like, especially the "naughty kids"?

Reply 43

cmd001

For the interview, the competencies make up the biggest part of it so I would just make sure you have clear examples for each one. This is the situation, this is what happened, this is what I learned/how I dealt with it. But the interviewer was super friendly and went out of their way to make sure I wasn't too nervous. Good luck!! I'm sure you'll do great!

Reply 44

Quiet Benin

Elitist graduate scheme. Reminds me of Civil service fast stream.

I would have given teach first a run for its money but yet again rejected due to 2:2

Reply 45

bluebeetle

Original post by Quiet Benin

Elitist graduate scheme. Reminds me of Civil service fast stream.

I would have given teach first a run for its money but yet again rejected due to 2:2

You should still be able to get into most other teacher training courses with a 2:2. You could look into SCITTs or School Direct courses - which are similar to Teach First in that you will be in the classroom from the start, though you wouldn't have as much immediate responsibility as a Teach First trainee.

Reply 46

Elle_2021

Hey, I had my DC on Wednesday, how long did it take for those that have applied to get a response please? And was it via email? Impatiently waiting!! 😬🙊

Reply 47

Linacre52

Ah really? I’m sorry to hear that. How disappointing for you. I thought I was quite knowledgeable about TF but just read only 2%of 2:2 applicants got through last year. So although I’m sure it doesn’t make it any less disappointing for you, you aren’t alone. I’ve got a 2:2 but didn’t really give it much thought as a possible significant hindrance. I come from one of the most deprived places in the country, and has been since the eighties so any of my friends, and myself, who made it to uni did so by working through our studies. I worked two jobs from 15year old (three nights 4pm - 11pm in a pizza shop and 9-5 and 10-2pm in House of Fraser on Saturday and Sunday. My A levels were obviously affected but not so to prevent me from going to uni. Working full time in call centre 4 till Midnight Monday - Friday to pay for my studies at Uni also meant I was not able to give the time to get any higher than a 2:2. I thought TF may have thought of this given their mission? Shame as my of us Desmonds are so for good reasons. I really hope you get where you’re wanting to be eventually! Xx

Reply 48

Elle_2021

Original post by Quiet Benin

Elitist graduate scheme. Reminds me of Civil service fast stream.

I would have given teach first a run for its money but yet again rejected due to 2:2

Really? I have a 2:2 but got in. Perhaps my subject has fewer applicants!

Reply 49

Picklepuppy

Hi everyone I’m new here. I’m 39 and looking to change career. I attended a teach first development centre on last Thursday but haven’t heard anything yet. One of the people on the day with me heard on Tuesday, so now I’m thinking I haven’t been successful? Does anyone have any experience of how long it takes to get a no? This is the only route into teaching I can realistically take at the moment, I already work in a teach first school and know that they have been amazing with the people we’ve had at our school. I’m really hoping I hear soon the wait is killing me!

Reply 50

Picklepuppy

Original post by Muttley79

It's not a well-regarded route by practising teachers - it's not good being in the classroom straight away. Can't you get a bursary/student fininace for a PGCE? They are other routes I would consider too.

This isn’t true. I work in a teach first school and they are treated the same as any other teachers, and they receive a lot more support than the people who are training through our local SCITT

Reply 51

Muttley79

Original post by Picklepuppy

This

This is true where I am - I've spend massive amounts of time being 'lent out' to support failing Teach First scheme students in other schools. The best route in a uni led PGCE not a SCITT or Teach First.

Reply 52

Picklepuppy

Original post by Muttley79

Unfortunately when your coming to teaching later on in life and have mortgage, bills, school fees to pay etc, not getting paid for a year is not an option.
Having worked in schools for the best part of 10 years, i would not say a pgce is not always the best route and most of the best of teachers I know came via teach first or scitt

Reply 53

Muttley79

Original post by Picklepuppy

Complete opposite to my experience and I've been teaching much longer than you and am on SLT now. It's your choice to pay school fees - no sympathy there! Support the state sector ...

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 54

Picklepuppy

Original post by Muttley79

Complete opposite to my experience and I've been teaching much longer than you and am on SLT now. It's your choice to pay school fees - no sympathy there! Support the state sector ..

The state sector let my daughter down, there was no support for SEN. We moved her to an independent school, she’s now a different child. She is confident, no longer bullied (she was a victim of peer on peer sexual bullying at age 8) she is now able to all the things a state school told us she would never be able to do. So no I didn’t want to pay school fees, but when the state sector massively lets down your child and the LA refuses to help I had no choice and there are no spaces in any other decent state school near where we live. My child is entitled to an education regardless of her SEN. My son is thriving in a state school, but that’s because he is academic. He is at the same school as my daughter previously was but the treatment is massively different.
So maybe you shouldn’t assume people who put their children into independent schools don’t support the state sector. Most of the SLT at my school have kids in the independent sector and that also speaks volumes.
Just because you don’t like Teach First or SCITTs doesn’t mean they are not a valid route into a new career, everyone has their reasons for making their choices.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 55

Muttley79

Original post by Picklepuppy

Just because you don’t like Teach First or SCITTs doesn’t mean they are not a valid route into a new career, everyone has their reasons for making their choices.

It's not just me - why am I continually being asked to help support teachers failed by SCITTs and Teach First and other colleagues too? What nmessage does TF give? Teach First then get a proper job - it's a joke.
Re your daughter's issue - sorry but don't assume private schools get SEN right ... too many failures join us from them. They are pretty ineffective against bullying as they don't want to lose fee-payers!

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 56

Picklepuppy

I’ve had my offer through from teach first to teach Business Studies, I’m absolutely thrilled. I don’t care what people say about Teach First, this is an amazing opportunity for me, and it means I can earn while training.

Reply 57

Picklepuppy

Original post by Muttley79

My daughter is thriving at her private school, her SEN is being handled amazingly, she has made some lovely friends, settled in brilliantly and is now doing things like remembering 3 pages of script for a play, when at her old school they refused to give her one line because (in their words) wouldn’t be able to cope. The SENCO works with her 4 times a week and she has amazing interventions. Her school never tell her she can’t be something and encourage her in all areas. Her previous primary school, told her to stop dreaming of working with dolphins, because she needs to go to university to do that, and actually suggested she considers hairdressing because dyslexics are good at that!

So I’ll stick with my daughters private school, why would I want her to go back to state education when she is thriving and reaching her potential, rather than being stuck at the back of the classroom being bullied and ignored.

BTW I’ve been accepted on the Teach First training and I’m thrilled.