Becoming A Teacher

[JustZach]

I think you might have everything covered but I'm doing a PGCE next year, got my application and everything sorted so give me a shout if you need anything else!

Would you be able to let me know what your future ambitions are, what your PGCE consist of etc. Just everything you can really would be greatly appreciated!

[lawrawrrr]

Would you be able to let me know what your future ambitions are, what your PGCE consist of etc. Just everything you can really would be greatly appreciated!

All I've ever wanted to be is a teacher. One day I'd like to be a University Professor; just work my way up really! I want to teach English at 11-18 level, and maybe one day set up a Classics (ancient Greek/Roman literature) department, which is my real passion.

At the moment I'm studying a normal degree in English & Creative Writing, which obviously feeds quite nicely into doing an English PGCE - with a more specialist course I don't know what you'd manage to get onto as some universities will ask you to have a related degree/qualification to the field you want to teach in.

There's lots of ways to become a teacher - a PGCE is just one of them, the other most popular one being Teach First, which have different methods of teaching. PGCEs you do one semester (August - December I think, depends on which Uni though) in education, theoretical stuff, then do two different and contrasting placements in two different local schools to the university you are "studying at". All I know about Teach First is just that it's more hands-on - you work straight in schools.

Urm, don't know if you want the boring financy stuff but let me know if you do...

PGCE applications are a lot like undergraduate applications: you apply to the universities you want with your grades and a personal statement etc. and they'll give you an offer. Only difference is (and this is a new system this year), you apply to 3 universities from November 1st, and they can offer you a place. It's done on a first come first served basis, so if you get your application in early you're more likely to get a place.

From January though, if you've had no offers, you can apply to different universities again.

I think that's most of the information I can give you, but if you have any specific questions I'll be more than happy to help

[JustZach]

All I've ever wanted to be is a teacher. One day I'd like to be a University Professor; just work my way up really! I want to teach English at 11-18 level, and maybe one day set up a Classics (ancient Greek/Roman literature) department, which is my real passion.

At the moment I'm studying a normal degree in English & Creative Writing, which obviously feeds quite nicely into doing an English PGCE - with a more specialist course I don't know what you'd manage to get onto as some universities will ask you to have a related degree/qualification to the field you want to teach in.

There's lots of ways to become a teacher - a PGCE is just one of them, the other most popular one being Teach First, which have different methods of teaching. PGCEs you do one semester (August - December I think, depends on which Uni though) in education, theoretical stuff, then do two different and contrasting placements in two different local schools to the university you are "studying at". All I know about Teach First is just that it's more hands-on - you work straight in schools.

Urm, don't know if you want the boring financy stuff but let me know if you do...

PGCE applications are a lot like undergraduate applications: you apply to the universities you want with your grades and a personal statement etc. and they'll give you an offer. Only difference is (and this is a new system this year), you apply to 3 universities from November 1st, and they can offer you a place. It's done on a first come first served basis, so if you get your application in early you're more likely to get a place.

From January though, if you've had no offers, you can apply to different universities again.

I think that's most of the information I can give you, but if you have any specific questions I'll be more than happy to help

Wow, you've answered a lot of my questions in one! If you don't mind going into finance that would be helpful? Here is my situation. I would love to work in a high school, but on the pastoral side of things. Some high schools call this senior leadership team, pastoral team and other terms. I want to deal with attendance, discipline, help children who need that extra support, the ones who skip lessons, find it hard to settle in the classroom etc. However, from what I know, you have to be a teacher in the school in the first place to become part of SLT.

So if this is the case, I would want to teach English or IT. Like I said, I am doing Policing at University which isn't really any relation to any of these subjects. Do you reckon I need to approach the PGCE in a different way because of this?

[Kardan]

All I've ever wanted to be is a teacher. One day I'd like to be a University Professor; just work my way up really! I want to teach English at 11-18 level, and maybe one day set up a Classics (ancient Greek/Roman literature) department, which is my real passion.

At the moment I'm studying a normal degree in English & Creative Writing, which obviously feeds quite nicely into doing an English PGCE - with a more specialist course I don't know what you'd manage to get onto as some universities will ask you to have a related degree/qualification to the field you want to teach in.

There's lots of ways to become a teacher - a PGCE is just one of them, the other most popular one being Teach First, which have different methods of teaching. PGCEs you do one semester (August - December I think, depends on which Uni though) in education, theoretical stuff, then do two different and contrasting placements in two different local schools to the university you are "studying at". All I know about Teach First is just that it's more hands-on - you work straight in schools.

Urm, don't know if you want the boring financy stuff but let me know if you do...

PGCE applications are a lot like undergraduate applications: you apply to the universities you want with your grades and a personal statement etc. and they'll give you an offer. Only difference is (and this is a new system this year), you apply to 3 universities from November 1st, and they can offer you a place. It's done on a first come first served basis, so if you get your application in early you're more likely to get a place.

From January though, if you've had no offers, you can apply to different universities again.

I think that's most of the information I can give you, but if you have any specific questions I'll be more than happy to help

Quick note that UCAS Applications have been delayed from November 1st to November 21st.

[JustZach]

Quick note that UCAS Applications have been delayed from November 1st to November 21st.

Thanks for this, I've seen it on the UCAS website.

[Kardan]

I think @Kardan; might be able to help you out here. For some reason I think he's studying to become a math teacher, could be very wrong.

I'm about to start my application to train for a Maths teacher, will start that next year and be teaching in Sept 2015

As it's been pretty much said, you'll need a degree for a PGCE and depending on what you want to teach you may need a certain degree. E.g: To teach Maths at secondary school, you will need a Maths degree. But for Primary School teaching, most degrees will do.

[lawrawrrr]

Quick note that UCAS Applications have been delayed from November 1st to November 21st.

Oh what, I was so ready to go!

You're applying this year too aren't you?


on phone xx

[Kardan]

As for finance, I was under the impression that you cannot get a loan from student finance, since it won't be your first degree course (assuming you've already took one out).

As for bursuarys, it really depends on what PGCE course you do. At the top end if you want to train to teach Physics or Maths at secondary (Like me) you can get £20,000 for a first or 2:1, £15,000 for a 2:2 or £9,000 for anything else. So your tuition fees are paid for.

This scales down depending on how bad they need teachers for each subject, and goes down to ordinary primary school teachers that get £9,000 for a first, £4,000 for a 2:1, and nothing for anything else.

I'm glad I relooked this up, because last year it was £20k/£15k/£10k for Maths at Secondary, but now it's £20k/£20k/£15k - great news

- - - Updated - - -

Oh what, I was so ready to go!

You're applying this year too aren't you?


on phone xx

Yup Was aiming for Leicester Uni, but just got an email that my Uni (Loughborough) is now offering my course starting next year, so I have a choice now, which is great I was ready too, since it was already delayed from October since UCAS took over Don't trust them with anything

[JustZach]

Where do you find out which Universities do the PGCE?

[Kardan]

Where do you find out which Universities do the PGCE?

Pretty much just browse the Universities websites. You could simply google 'Primary PGCE Universities' for example.

Each University will do different PGCEs though. For example, Loughborough are only introducing a Maths Secondary PGCE next year.