Assessment Only Route to QTS

Hi,
I was interested in the Assessment Only Route to QTS and had a few questions.
1. Is the AO route equivalent to a PGCE?
2. If I wanted to teach abroad (thinking of Middle East and Canada; keeping options open), is the AO method for QTS recognized everywhere?
3. Does the AO route give you credits towards a masters like a PGCE does?
4. I'm completing my degree in English and have experience in school already but less as an unqualified teacher and more of running intervention classes (ranging from 1-13 learners at a time). If I spend this year collecting evidence to meet the teacher's standards, would that give me a good chance of getting onto the AO route?
Any help appreciated!
Many thanks! :smile:

Reply 1

Angelil

1. The PGCE trains you; the AO doesn't. However, you tend to learn a lot during the AO nonetheless due to self-reflection, meetings with your mentor, the compilation of evidence for your portfolio, any extra reading you may choose to do, and so on. The assumption on the PGCE is that you don't know how to teach, and therefore need to be shown how to do so; the assumption on AO is that you already know how to teach, and that you need therefore to prove this.

2. QTS is QTS. If an employer doesn't want to recognise that, you don't want to work for them.

3. I don't think so, no.

4. How much experience specifically do you already have as an unqualified teacher? You need a minimum of 2 years to embark upon the AO programme.

Hope that helps a bit. Do let me know if you have more questions.

Reply 2

Zainab3

Thank you Angelil!
I started as a head of year where we had a lot of cover lessons to do. So I've covered lessons in every subject in secondary, following a lesson plan and just delivering and of course managing behaviour. Then I also did 1.5 years of teaching music as an unqualified teacher. I have had my lesson observed as well. I also taught Living Islam for a year (full class again) but lesson plans were given to me. I created my own basic plan to teach Living Islam to SEN students in school as they couldn't access the same curriculum as others. Currently, I'm employed as a TA (3 years and counting) but my role is very different to the rest of the TAs in school. I run my own Literacy Intervention classes where I have learners who are lower than average in their English classes. They range from 1-13 learners at a time. For this, I create lessons, resources, homework, targets, marking, behaviour management, reports, tracking etc.
Is this sufficient experience?
Also I don't want to start AO until sept 2016, so I have a year to gain some more experience (plus in second setting)
Thank you for your help.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 3

Angelil

Probably sufficient, although you may need to develop your lesson planning skills more if you have typically relied on others' plans. Another year to further expand on this sounds like a good idea :smile:

Reply 4

Zainab3

Thank you!
Would you advise applying for the PGCE too just in case?

Reply 5

Pierson

If the ability to teach abroad is important to you, the PGCE route would be the best option because, Ontario, Canada, for example, has this requirement for those wishing to register as a teacher there:

Your teacher education program must have included at least:

•

40 per cent of one year focused on teaching methods – preparation in how to teach students in particular grades or subject areas, plus

•

20 per cent of one year focused on education foundations – the history, philosophy and psychology of education, plus

•

a minimum of 40 days practice teaching supervised by the program provider (the College may accept evidence of work experience as a certified teacher if you have not met this minimum expectation)

•

20 per cent in any other area of education.

They say employment based teacher training is not acceptable but seem to suggest that the PGCE is: http://www.oct.ca/becoming-a-teacher/internationally-educated-teachers/country-info/country-e/country-england-united-kingdom

I am sure that there are many other countries with requirements like this too.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 6

Zainab3

Ahh interesting!
Thank you!

Reply 7

Angelil

Yes; it depends on the country :smile:

Reply 8

Zainab3

I was also wondering, should I start compiling evidence against the Teacher's Standards from now? Also, is one piece of evidence sufficient for each standard or do I have to show continuous practice for each standard?
Thank you x

Reply 9

Angelil

I showed continuous practice to be on the safe side (e.g. photocopies of my mark book for terms 1, 2 and 3, not just term 1).
I compiled my evidence over the course of about 9 months (with a little bit of finishing off afterwards). I don't know if conventional PGCEs have any specific rules about the time frame over which evidence should be compiled. The best way to know is possibly to check with your training provider.