SCITT or Uni-led teacher training??

Hi,
I really need some help with deciding which route (SCITT or Uni) to pick as I've been offered places from both, and they both lead to PGCE and QTS at the end. I've also tried to work out the location and the pros and cons, but I am still struggling, and thinking about it more and more is making it worse than helping. Has anyone done a primary PGCE course through university or SCITT, and how did you find it? How does one decide which one to go for? Also, both include assignments- so would it be better to do a university-led course? And is one more valuable than another, or are they both valued equally? I am open to any suggestions and advice. Please. Thank you

(edited 3 months ago)

Reply 1

hotpud

Original post by teddytheted

I did Schools Direct around 8 years ago. No idea if they still do that any more. So what are the differences? Pretty simple really. SCITT is school led. University is university led. At the school I did School Direct with they also offered the SCITT course and these were the main differences:-

SCITT - Your course is administered by a school. You will therefore be training either at that particular school (we did) or associated schools. If the school is like the one I went to, they take pride in where they place you and offer very good support to ensure you succeed. The downside was they had a rather old fashioned philosophy about how you collated evidence (huge stacks of paper) and when they graduated, they received the basic Teacher of Education PGCE. They benefitted from university days when most didn't enjoy but also very good specific training courses put on by the school which the uni people didn't get.

University - You are at the whim of where the university can get placements for you which could be up to 90 minutes travel morning and evening. Depending on your tutor, you might have got some really good subject specific mentoring. University deals in numbers so less likely to give good support although I think it varies. University did offer things like overseas enrichment and students ended up with PGCEs in a Teacher of <insert subject here> which I think is just a bit more personable.

But... fast forward 8 years - it won't have made a blind bit of difference which you did. I'm not in touch with anyone from my course any more but know that a good half if not more have dropped out of teaching since graduation, especially the youngsters. Teaching is a challenging profession and it is possible to get a good work / life balance but my advice would be go and live your life, then come into teaching rather than the other way around.

Good luck!

Reply 2

Get into Teaching

Official Rep

Good afternoon @teddytheted,

I am an adviser for the Get Into Teaching Service. We'd be delighted to help you pursue the right course for you.

We offer FREE and impartial advice, and every adviser is a qualified teacher, so we speak from experience.

You can request an adviser here: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/teacher-training-advisers

In short, I would always recommend the students I am working with, to worry less about who is offering the training, and focus more on the aspects that are pertinent and important to them (the individual).

Where is the training held? Which schools might I be placed in? (you can then do a deeper dive into these schools, ensuring they are good/outstanding schools - according to their latest Ofsted reports which should be accessible on the school website).

Are these locations accessible? You want to minimise your commute as much as possible.

What does the course overview look like? If you have a particular passion or an area you are keen to experience or develop, for example, working with pupils with additional needs, don't be afraid to ask them about alternate provision visits etc.

In summary, it's very much a personal decision. Assuming the course offers the qualification you need (e.g. QTS and PGCE), it matters less that the training is offered by a group of schools or a university.

Best wishes,
Tom

(edited 2 months ago)