Best route for teaching?

I would like to teach Food Tech in secondary schools. What would be the best route to take? I want my training year to be as stress free as possible and still want to be able to have a 30 minute walk a day. I have been told that some training routes are that overwhelming that your physical and mental health can deteriorate and I don't want that.

Can you only be a teacher with a PGCE even if you do it through another route?

The options are:
- PGCE
- Teaching Apprenticeship
- SCITT
- Schools Direct

Thank you.

Reply 1

bluebeetle

Original post by Dragon24

From having spoken to other teachers who did different routes, my understanding is that most of those routes you listed are about equal in terms of stress / workload. The route that people often cite as especially stressful is TeachFirst because you are given a much fuller timetable from day one and have to study over the summer.

To be frank, a lot of people do find teacher training very stressful. It's a very busy year and some people find it hard to cope with the feeling of constantly being critiqued, even though this should always be constructive criticism. Often, it can vary a lot depending on what school you get placed in even within the same training programme - I had some friends on my course who were placed at a school that didn't share resources, required all classes to be set homework once a week that would be returned within two days, and other stressful factors. Even though we were on the same course, their experience was much more stressful than mine. If you are very worried about workload, you should ask when you interview what measures the training provider has in place to support trainees' mental health and wellbeing.

You do not strictly need a PGCE to teach in England, only QTS, however most routes do provide the PGCE as well and will not let you only do the QTS portion. Not having the PGCE will also make it harder if you want to work abroad in the future.

Reply 2

Dragon24

Thank you, your answer has been very helpful. I think in the future if I do decide it will be the PGCE route.

Do you think doing the PGCE part time would put off employers?

Reply 3

bluebeetle

Original post by Dragon24

Thank you, your answer has been very helpful. I think in the future if I do decide it will be the PGCE route.

Do you think doing the PGCE part time would put off employers?

No, I don't think schools will necessarily be put off, they understand that people have other commitments during their training.

One thing to note is that if you do the training part-time (and don't have other things going on like a part-time job), you may find the transition to NQT quite difficult if you go full-time for that, as even students doing a full-time training year find the increase in workload a shock sometimes.

Reply 4

Dragon24

That is a good point. It could be a shock with an increase in workload. I wonder if the workload varies between each subjects e.g an English teacher may have more to mark than a Maths teacher? I'm not saying that is the case but could explain why some people find teaching easier than others.

Reply 5

bluebeetle

Original post by Dragon24

I think the workload can vary a bit based on subject, though it probably tends to even out in other ways. The department / school that you work in will likely have a much bigger impact.

I teach maths and my department has invested in textbooks (so we don't have to source our own worksheets every lesson) and also subscriptions to sites where students can do their homework (so we don't have to spend more than a few minutes marking homework, since the site does the heavy lifting). I have friends who also teach maths who have a much higher workload though, because their schools don't have these resources. Even within my school, I know staff in other departments who have a much heavier workload because of a lack of timesaving resources.

Reply 6

Dragon24

Do you think schools who rate in Ofsted as Outstanding seem to streamline their processes more than schools who rate as Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate? It sounds like you have to get a really decent school who will support the staff and share resources. I can't understand why some school won't share resources or invest in these, that should be better than have staff leave in their droves due to the workload stress.

Reply 7

bluebeetle

Original post by Dragon24

I think a lot of schools genuinely can't afford it. I can't say I know much about how budgeting works within schools, but I think part of the issue is that textbooks are a big up-front cost if you don't already have them. And if you invest in the textbooks and then staff don't use them and want to keep printing a load of worksheets, well, that's no good (may sound funny, but I know a school my friend's at who invested in textbooks, but staff who already had fully planned lessons from previous years just kept printing their old worksheets and so the school didn't get a good return on that investment).

As for Ofsted ratings, I don't think you can rely on that to figure out what schools have streamlined processes. Some schools that are Outstanding put an unfair amount of pressure on their staff because they're so anxious to stay Outstanding, same with Good schools. One of my placement schools was Outstanding but I wouldn't have wanted to work there because they had near constant meetings that took up an unbearable amount of time and amounted to nothing at all. It's best to ask some questions at interview to get an idea of how staff wellbeing is supported by SLT - a good school won't penalise you for wanting a decent work-life balance. That being said, I think Requires Improvement and Inadequate schools definitely risk having that added stress of more leadership turnover and pressure to improve.

Reply 8

Dragon24

Thank you for your insights, they have been very helpful. I suppose it helps to ask these questions, especially at interview.

Reply 9

Muttley79

Original post by Dragon24

Thank you for your insights, they have been very helpful. I suppose it helps to ask these questions, especially at interview.

A traditional PGCE with QTS is the best route - do NOT do Teach First.

Ask about placement schools - some are miles fro where you are training - that is stressful. Maths teachers have PLENTY of marking ... it's not just ticks and crosses!

Reply 10

Dragon24

Original post by Muttley79

Thanks, this is helpful too not to do Teach First. Yeah, I'm not aware of how much Maths teachers do, it's just the wrong message people have given out!

Reply 11

Get into Teaching

Official Rep

Original post by Dragon24

Dear @Dragon24

Please do not even try to decide what a 'best route' into teaching is - as you are not looking at the right things! The term 'route' really only differentiates between how teacher training courses are accredited and places allocated to the providers by the DfE. None of this ought to concern you when you are researching the best place for you to learn to become a teacher.

Rather you need to choose the 5 most local teacher training course providers to where you want to live - https://www.gov.uk/find-postgraduate-teacher-training-courses

Then contact (preferably in person or over the phone, but email if you struggle to reach the people you need to speak to) your five most local providers and ask the following questions -

Does the course offer a PGCE in addition to QTS? If so, what are the assignments and deadlines for them?
When does the course start and finish?
Who would be my mentor during my course? How often will they be available to me? How experienced are they?
How long am I on each teaching practice and where are they likely to be?
What opportunities will there to be to work with children with Special Educational Needs or Disability, English as an Additional Language or those who are Gifted and Talented?
What opportunities will there be to participate in extra-curricular activities?
Will you be required to attend a University setting, if so, how often and when?
How many other beginner teachers will be on the course?
What will the expectations for meetings/INSET be?

What opportunities will you have to learn other aspects of Design and Technology? (ie CAD/CAM, Resistant Material, Textile design, Electronics, Graphic Products)
Will your course award you a basic Food Hygiene cert or other H&S certs?
Does your course have strong links with DATA (The design and Technology association)

Be aware that many schools ask their Design and Technology teachers to teach multiple material areas. It is not uncommon to go from the food room, to the computer suite, and then to a workshop in a day. Therefore, having as much exposure to other material areas is useful during your training.

You can only teach in State-maintained schools (and be paid as a qualified teacher!) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) The PGCE aspect of a teacher training course is theoretical and academic. (ie 4-5 assignments or essays at Level 7) The knowledge ans understanding of pedagogy learnt for for gaining the PGCE does underpin the practical application of the QTS training.

I strongly recommend that you speak with a teacher training adviser who can help you with selecting the best provider for you. Either register here, and wait for us to call you, or call us on Freephone 0800 389 2500 between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. The help and support on offer is FREE!

Wishing you all the best. Teaching DT is the absolute BEST!

Jane

Reply 12

Get into Teaching

Official Rep

Hi @Dragon24,

I hope you're keeping well.

There are lots of things to consider but essentially, a PGCE is just one avenue into teaching and it isn't necessary to become a qualified teacher, as all courses offer QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) and that is what you need to teach in state schools in England. The PGCE can be part of a university-led course, a School Direct (non-salaried) and a SCITT. It is an additional qualification that you can obtain through a teacher training course but looks at the theoretical side teaching, often exploring things like teaching and learning, pedagogy, etc.

One key thing to remember is that all courses have a similar structure. They all require you to work towards meeting the teaching standards to obtain your QTS. You spend at least 24 weeks in across two different schools (placements usually organised by the teacher training provider).

The workload will be similar in all courses but you will have to manage your work effectively so that you don't feel overwhelmed. When I did my PGCE, I worked closely with fellow trainees to ensure we were sharing resources so that we could use our time effectively. You should also get a lot of support from the department you work with. Speak to existing teachers to find out how they prepare resources and plan their lessons.

In regards to the question about part-time, I agree with other comments made here. It shouldn't put off employers. They are only concerned with your ability as a teacher, you potential to grow and how you can add value to their school.

Lastly, if you are looking the whole application process and need help, register with the 'Get into Teaching' website and get yourself a Teacher Training Adviser (all are experienced teachers). Your adviser can discuss your options in more detail on a one-to-one and help you with your application.

Website:
https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/get-help-and-support

Teaching Information Line:
0800 389 2500

I hope that helps.

Kind regards,

Zee

Reply 13

username5693863

Hi, the PGCEs in themselves also differ (not many people know this).

Again, if this concerns you, I'd see no harm in asking questions.

The teaching hours can differ; some might not include a master's module; some maybe graded, some pass/fail only.

My university had four gradings: outstanding, good, requires improvements, and, they were sneaky and hid the forth column, because they wanted knowone to see there was an 'at risk of failing' column. Don't ask why...