PGCE - Current Students Thread

I've seen my placement timetable and it isn't too frequent.

I find that surprising, I've spent the last 2 years being a school mentor for PGCE Secondary trainees and they spend the majority of their time in school on placement. For good reason, as the vast majority of the QTS criteria can only be met by evidence provided through school based activities, the main part of which being teaching lessons.

Another option is to talk to your school when you find out what it is, you may find that some older teachers have a spare room left by kids that have left home.

Reply 3721

brown shuga

1

Original post by outlaw-torn

Totally depends which course you are doing, and with which uni.

I did Secondary History at MMU and mine was structured like this: 2 weeks in uni in September, an induction week at placement school and then an alternative placement for 3 days. Back to first placement school from end of Sept to end of December term.

In January, we had 2 weeks at uni again and then stayed at our second placement from end of Jan-May. Then we had a week to write our last essay, and 3 weeks enrichment.

Thank you

at the interview, my Uni told us we had two placement, but they have not told us anything else yet.

Can I ask, when did you start teaching in your placements?

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Reply 3722

jeffercake

15

Original post by bubblyraindrop

I'm starting on monday and getting so nervous! Can somebody tell me what the subject audits are like? (Primary Early years) Will they be tests that we have to pass like how the skills tests were?

An audit isn't so much a test. It is simply so they (and you) know where you excel and where you lack in knowledge so appropriate training and advice can be given.

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Reply 3723

bubblyraindrop

8

Original post by jeffercake

An audit isn't so much a test. It is simply so they (and you) know where you excel and where you lack in knowledge so appropriate training and advice can be given.

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Oh that makes them seem less daunting and more to help, thankyou! :redface:

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Reply 3724

outlaw-torn

15

Original post by brown shuga

Thank you

at the interview, my Uni told us we had two placement, but they have not told us anything else yet.

Can I ask, when did you start teaching in your placements?

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Tbh it'll probably be a similar set up, and you'll spend most of your time on placement.

On my first placement I did mainly observation and a few starter activities in the first 3 weeks or so, then progressed onto proper lessons in about the 4th week.

On my second placement, I decided not to do any starter activities and just went straight into full lessons after about a week and a half of observations (I preferred it this way - you take more ownership of the class rather than doing a few starters and gradually developing to full lessons)

Reply 3725

sunfowers01

16

Do most courses cost £9,000?

Reply 3726

Squoosh25

3

Original post by sunfowers01

Do most courses cost £9,000?

Yes, I think that's standard. What varies is the bursary you get to cover that cost (varies between subjects I mean, not between universities).

Reply 3727

kpwxx

20

Original post by bubblyraindrop

I'm starting on monday and getting so nervous! Can somebody tell me what the subject audits are like? (Primary Early years) Will they be tests that we have to pass like how the skills tests were?

Original post by brown shuga

It'll be fine, don't worry :smile:

. Good luck with the test, I have 3 audits for the core subjects and I'm really worried about it.

Yeah like Jeffercake said they're about assessing rather than judging...

I had a maths self audit to bring on the first day which was literally to help them target their sessions and let you figure out what to practise yourself.

Then I had maths English and science subject knowledge audits in the first term. Science was a multiple choice test, maths a sort sats style paper and eggnog was a bit different... We had to research and complete a series of tasks to develop our subject knowledge.

All three were carried out with a very supportive attitude, lots of guidance, and if you didn't pass first time you just got another chance as the aim was developing- as long as you demonstrated the knowledge out didn't matter. Atty my uni no-one has ever taken more than 2 goes to pass!

xxx

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 3728

ParadoxSocks

22

Original post by gingerbreadman85

I find that surprising, I've spent the last 2 years being a school mentor for PGCE Secondary trainees and they spend the majority of their time in school on placement. For good reason, as the vast majority of the QTS criteria can only be met by evidence provided through school based activities, the main part of which being teaching lessons.

Another option is to talk to your school when you find out what it is, you may find that some older teachers have a spare room left by kids that have left home.

I keep wording things wrong - I meant in my first placement. My second placement is almost full time but by then I hope to have moved closer or to be staying at my friends' house.

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Reply 3729

sunfowers01

16

Original post by Squoosh25

Yes, I think that's standard. What varies is the bursary you get to cover that cost (varies between subjects I mean, not between universities).

So it's possible to survive financially?

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Reply 3730

Squoosh25

3

Original post by sunfowers01

So it's possible to survive financially?

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Yeah, usually. Depends on various factors though. As someone doing an English PGCE who got a 1st in their undergrad, I get a 9k bursary (effectively covering the entire course cost). But if you do a short-supply subject like MFL or maths, you can get twice that amount in the bursary, so you have some extra spending money.

Of course, there's still living costs and rent, but fortunately - unlike other masters courses - you can apply for student finance.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 3731

sunfowers01

16

Original post by Squoosh25

Yeah, usually. Depends on various factors though. As someone doing an English PGCE who got a 1st in their undergrad, I get a 9k bursary (effectively covering the entire course cost). But if you do a short-supply subject like MFL or maths, you can get twice that amount in the bursary, so you have some extra spending money.

Of course, there's still living costs and rent, but fortunately - unlike other masters courses - you can apply for student finance.

Thanks. I'd be doing MFL. I have a few worries though. How do you know if you have a real passion for teaching before you commit to the course and before you are in the classroom environment?

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Reply 3732

gingerbreadman85

9

Original post by sunfowers01

So it's possible to survive financially?

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Because it's tax free, and over 9 months rather than 12, it works out fairly well. In fact, students with 1st class/Masters/PhDs in shortage subjects can actually be on more whilst training than most experienced teachers earn! £20k over 9 months is £2222 per month, which is more than I make after tax, NI, pension etc as an M6 teacher.

And if you in in a shortage subject, get one of the scholarships AND work at a school with >35% Free School Meals, you can earn over 30k (25k scholarship + 25% premium) tax free. Around 2x what I take home per month.

Reply 3733

gingerbreadman85

9

Original post by bubblyraindrop

Oh that makes them seem less daunting and more to help, thankyou! :redface:

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Generally it's a tick-box exercise which you will track and modify over time as your knowledge in particular areas increases. It's particularly helpful for mentors to enable them to plan your timetable to both enable you to show off your strengths and also have time to develop areas of weakness. It can feed into your targets set at you mentor meetings as well.

Reply 3734

Carnationlilyrose

18

Original post by sunfowers01

Thanks. I'd be doing MFL. I have a few worries though. How do you know if you have a real passion for teaching before you commit to the course and before you are in the classroom environment?

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To be honest, you don't, which is why it's no crime to drop out if you find you really hate it.

Reply 3735

bubblyraindrop

8

Original post by gingerbreadman85

Generally it's a tick-box exercise which you will track and modify over time as your knowledge in particular areas increases. It's particularly helpful for mentors to enable them to plan your timetable to both enable you to show off your strengths and also have time to develop areas of weakness. It can feed into your targets set at you mentor meetings as well.

Thats actually okay if it helps us with our weaknesses. Thanks! :smile:

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Reply 3736

starshine123

3

Hi, I'm going to be starting the uni based part of the PGCE mid September. We haven't been given a timetable yet. What's the uni time table usually like? I understand it will vary from university to university, however in general is it usually 9am - 4pm or longer, and how many lectures/workshops/etc. would you generally have in a day?

Just wanted to know so I can prepare myself a bit. Thank-You.

Reply 3737

kpwxx

20

Original post by starshine123

Hi, I'm going to be starting the uni based part of the PGCE mid September. We haven't been given a timetable yet. What's the uni time table usually like? I understand it will vary from university to university, however in general is it usually 9am - 4pm or longer, and how many lectures/workshops/etc. would you generally have in a day?

Just wanted to know so I can prepare myself a bit. Thank-You.

As you've said it probably varies greatly, but all those I have known about have been 9-5 solid just with lunch- not like an undergrad uni day. They get so little time in uni now as the govt. are pushing for more and more in the classroom, so they use what they can to the fullest. Having said that, we often finished a bit early on the days later in the year.

At my uni (UEA, primary) we usually had an hour lecture at 9 followed by two three hour seminars with lunch in the middle. I say seminars for want of a better word... They were sessions with a bit of talking from lecturers, a lot of discussion between students, practical activities and a short tea/toilet break somewhere in the middle.

There were also some different days like PSHE/RE days with a carousel of shorter sessions, or professional development days with a slightly different layout and different groups (we had teaching groups for the sessions, pd groups for pd sessions).

Xxx

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 3738

myblueheaven339

19

I did secondary biology at UEA and on uni days we would be working from 9-5, with and hour for lunch and a couple of comfort breaks. We would have lectures in the morning with all of the other secondary subjects and then split into subject groups for the afternoon for seminar type work.

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