Deciding to become a teacher can be one of the most rewarding decisions that anyone makes. Unfortunately the decision is only the first step on a long path towards finding a course, submitting an application, succeeding at interview, and then surviving the PGCE and NQT year. Our guide below aims to give you an insight into the process and some tips on how to prosper during the process.
COURSE TYPES.
This is easier said than done. Unlike with undergraduate admissions, there is no league table to guide your through the process. What’s more, a simple UCAS inquiry while often yield hundreds of results, at places from Cambridge University, right down to a London comprehensive school, and every imaginable place in between.
The proliferation of new course types has unfortunately complicated the process. It is no longer as straightforward as just doing a PGCE. We will provide a more detailed breakdown of the different course types at a later stage. Below is just a short synopsis of possible course types.
PGCE (University): This is the most standard form of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). You will be educated in, and supported by, a University. You will then do two to three different placements at local schools. About twenty percent of your time will be in university. The other eighty percent will be in school. You will be charged fees, usually up to the maximum of £9000, for the course.
SCHOOL DIRECT (NON-SALARIED): This is the new type of training that Michael Gove has been championing in recent years. You will be trained in school, with the course overseen by a university. This means that you will often do a proportion of your training at university. All courses lead to QTS (if you pass), and some also include elements that will enable you to complete a PGCE.
SCHOOL DIRECT (SALARIED): This has been one of the most controversial new forms of ITT introduced by the current government. Through this option you will be taught directly in school, and you will step into the classroom unaccompanied much earlier. This will also lead to QTS, but not a PGCE. You won’t have to pay fees, but you need to have at least three years of postgraduate experience to apply.
TEACH FIRST: This scheme, poignantly portrayed in BBC Three’s Tough Young Teachers, is one of the most popular graduate trainee schemes. You will train on the job, with less support than you would expect to receive on one of the schemes listed above. This route is popular with people who don’t intend to pursue teaching full-time. It is consequently one of the more competitive schemes. If you are a strong graduate who wants to work in education, I’d recommend the PGCE at a good university, rather than Teach First.
More info can be found on the teach first website
CHOOSING THE RIGHT COURSE FOR YOU
Thankfully, there are a number of principals you can use to guide your thought processes and a number of techniques that will help to reduce your research time.
Firstly, in general, it is completely different to undergraduate admissions. If you have a 2:1, some good experience (in teaching or working with young children), you are bright, informed on your subject, and have a passion for teaching you can apply anywhere. Yes, even Oxbridge. It doesn’t matter where you did your undergraduate degree, who your parents are, or where you went to school. If you can display the above qualities they will welcome you with open arms.
Therefore you need to think about what is right for you.
-Where is the course? Is it somewhere I want to live/work?
-What is their Ofsted report like? Read it. If they were rated outstanding, it’s worth applying there.
-What type of course do you want to take? Do you want more university time, or do you want more practical experience.
-What is their post course employment rate?
-Do they offer Master’s Credits?
-What type of relationship do they have with local schools? The stronger the relationships, the better the course.
There are plenty of excellent places to do the course. The below list is by no means a comprehensive guide on where to do the course, but the following places are incredibly well-regarded, and could be seen as good places to start your research:
-Oxford University
-Cambridge University
-Bristol University
-Institute of Education (I.O.E)
-King’s College London
-Exeter University
-Goldsmiths
-Birmingham University
-Manchester University
Another good rule of thumb is to avoid name and focus on history. Some of the best places to study are ex-polytechnics that have long-established departments. Exeter’s department, for example, was amalgamated with an outstanding ex-polytechnic.
The key principle is: RESEARCH!
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