PGCE - Current Students Thread

Jealous of those finishing now! Still 18 more teaching days for me.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1766069

It's in the stickies just under this thread

I've got 8 more teaching weeks!

Had my first interview today - didn't get the job. Got really good feedback, but they went with someone who'd already done 1 term as an nqt and had specialisms that matched the school's needs. Bit upset, but not too devastated.

Got another interview lesson tomorrow morning, then a formal interview at my home school direct place in the afternoon. Desperate to get that one, but probably won't find out until Tuesday. Nervous and exhausted and now going to bed!

My condolences; 20 teaching days for me. 10 days until year 11s are off my time table.

Good news today that year 10 tomorrow will be having an exam tomorrow and that they will be having an exam on Tuesday double lesson as well!!!

Sorry to hear that. You seem you're on track and that the job is around the corner. With the teacher resignation deadline approaching, our chances should increase.

Posted from TSR Mobile

One final 5,000 word essay to write. I literally am out. This on top of all the applications is too much. I've decided to just get it over the line - not too fussed about the quality of my essays. I'll take a pass at Honours level.

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Apologies. This may seem like a silly question. Are you graded at the end of training,
good/ outstanding etc? How is it worked out? Is the average?

Many thanks only a few weeks left to go!!


Posted from TSR Mobile

Apologies. This may seem like a silly question. Are you graded at the end of training,
good/ outstanding etc? How is it worked out? Is the average?

Many thanks only a few weeks left to go!!

Beautiful day today - not doing anything teaching related

Worked since the morning, now time to enjoy the weather


Posted from TSR Mobile

Ultimately, the PGCE is Pass or Fail, but there are other aspects within it.

The written assessments are marked with percentages, with 50% being a Pass, 60% being a Merit and 70% a Distinction. These are at Masters level, with credits you can use towards a Masters degree if you want (I think it's 60 credits, and the full Masters is 180). I think 40% is a Pass at Honours level, which means your PGCE is a Professional Certificate rather than a Postgraduate Certificate because you haven't done academic work at Postgrad level.

The marking of teaching placements will depend on your universities.

On my course, we didn't have graded observations. There was no concept of a lesson being "Outstanding" or "Satisfactory" or whatever, lesson observations were just for feedback. So a form would have a massive list of comments of things that were successful (as evidence for the teaching standards) and areas for improvement, with 3 targets and strategies for development.

At the end of each placement we had a report by our mentor. In that, they had to grade us against the Teaching Standards, with one grade for the Preamble, one for Teaching and one for Professional Conduct. The grades were E (exceptional), H (high), Q (QTS level), P (potential) and L (low). In the first placement, P was OK. In the 2nd placement you had to get Qs to pass the course. Most people got H or E for the Preamble and Professional Conduct, and Q or H for Teaching.

Ultimately, as the last poster said, these judgements don't go on your PGCE certificate so don't worry too much. You can be a merely "Satisfactory" trainee and go on to become an outstanding teacher and no-one needs to know. But if you are graded highly, this may be mentioned in your references and you can use it in job applications too - eg: "I have recently completed my final PGCE placement, with all aspects of my practice graded as "High" or "Exceptional"."

I'm sure your university will explain their system to you at some point.