Advice on funding to become a Primary Teacher in Scotland

gambit27

Hi, I really hope someone can give me some advice as I feel I'm going round in circles! I'll put you in the picture of what's been going on...

I am 32, single Mum to 2 kids aged 11 and 8, and work 3 days a week in an office. I started volunteering in my kids school 2 years ago, I have a passion for Ancient Egypt and have studied it for years unofficially, so my eldest son roped me into helping in his class when they did a topic on it, I surprised myself how much I enjoyed it, and how good I was at teaching, and the school asked me to stay on voluntarily. I have always wanted to work with kids, and being in the school 1 day a week for the past 2 years, I'm morphing into a teacher lol, I HAVE to find a way to do this, I get soo much satisfaction in that one day, and the teachers I work with have all suggested teaching as a career, they are so supportive.

Anyway, as a teenager I didn't study much, ironically I hated school, so didn't do as I could have, but got mainly 3's, to do teaching I need to do Maths Int 2 as an alternative to credit maths, that's fine, I'm starting that part time in August and this is being funded for me.

I have looked into all kinds of ways of getting into teaching, initially I planned on doing the Maths, English Higher, Psychology degree with OU followed by the PGDE distance learning, fantastic I thought, nope, the final year of the OU course costs £1800 and includes a week's residential, plus other residential sections, not an option when you have 2 kids, and a Father and Grandmother with a heart condition, Grandfather with cancer, and Mother on cruches to look after! I'm an only child too, so no one to share the care with I'm afraid.

So I am now thinking, would it be possible financially to do my Highers full time, and the Bed in Primary Education full time? Has anyone got experience of this? Or know who I can speak to about it? I feel right now like I get excited as I think I'm on the right track, then it all comes crashing round about me.

I don't earn a fantastic wage, £1200 all in per month including tax credits, so I'm thinking if I had a bursary how much would it be? Would my rent and council tax be paid? I don't get maintenance from my ex partner grrr, my only income is my wage and tax credits, and am paying off debt at the moment, and really don't want to take out a student loan, this career move is supposed to bring more money in, not more debt. My boss has been fantastic and has said if I need to change or drop days he'll support me, so if I can get funding and bursary for the highers, I could drop my hours and work the days I'm not in college.

Any help would be fantastic, worst comes to the worst I would even like to do the highers over the next couple of years part time as long as the fees are funded, then do the degree and work nights or weekends when my kids are old enough to stay at home for a few hours. Thanks

Gillyx

I haven't done the Bed in Primary Education myself, but I know of people who have I also know of people who had a normal degree, say in English or History and then done the Post Grad in Primary Teaching.

The Post Grad is probably not a good idea if you want to work aswell as be at uni, my best friend studied the post grad and had to drop her working hours from 24 to 8 a week and she has no kids purely because of how much work was involved.

You can do your highers through a normal college and I'm pretty sure you can get the majority of them paid for, although I would look into it, I'm sure Jordanhill will accept you as a mature student even having 2 highers, especially with all your experience, they're more into that than what qualifications you have, iirc.

Another thing to point out is the intake of students for both the Bed and the PGDE have been reduced because they are no jobs at the moment.

Both degrees have long periods of placement, where you probably wouldn't be able to work at all, as its as you'd know mon-fri 8-4 or however long you'd stay at school.

Funding I'm not so sure about, I know my friend is doing social work and has 2 children gets bursary and a big percentage of her childcare paid, but not as much as £1200 a month, although she does have a partner who is working full time so I'm not so sure. If you phone up the university themselves there should be a department for financial help, they'd be able to explain it to you better. Lucky living in Scotland if you do it soon, you'l get all your degree free

Hope this helps a little

Oldernotwiser

If the OU appeals, why not do your degree with them and just choose a different final option? Apart from anything else, by the time you're at this stage your children will be 5 years older and your personal situation may have changed.

Doing Highers seems a waste of time when you could start straight on your degree and earn at the same time.

gambit27

Thanks Gilly, I've spoken to the Uni's and they've said my age and experience is an advantage when applying for the Bed/PGDE, the post grad is fine as I can do this distance learning through Strathclyde Uni, so can continue working, and use my spare days to do the school based element of the study, it's getting to that stage that's the problem, and to do that it's at least 5 years away. I know I need Maths Int 2, which I'm enrolled for, Higher English, and a degree to do this. So I'm just thinking, it might be easier in the long run to do the full Education degree, and cut off the PGDE at the end, which is 2 years distance/part time, on top of a 4 year degree. The Uni's won't sway on the Maths & English, and are looking for high marks on all Highers, my age is a bonus, not a waiver according to them unfortunately

To do the Education degree, I need 4 Highers to gain entry, which I'd be happy to do, just need to find out about funding really, how much I'd be entitled to as obviously at that point, I'd need to be studying full time.

Oldernotwiser, I need to do at least Maths Int 2 and Higher English to gain access to the PGDE, so going straight to a degree is not an option. The OU degree I wanted to do was psychology, to give me further options as it's a field I have an interest in, one part of which being child psychology, which would open doors within teaching, but that's out the window because of the residential element.

My question really is, has anyone else studied Bed full time? If so, were you a single parent at the time? And were you funded? Did you get a bursary? Was it manageable?

I know I can do the Highers part time over a couple of years and continue working, just want to see if I'd be able, financially, to do it full time to shave off a few years. If not, I'm happy to play the long game as I don't want to cut my income having the kids to support aswel as myself.

CinderellaDreams

Hi.
I see your from Glasgow. Another route to do the teaching rather than studying 4 highers is the access to teaching & social work course that's currently available at Clydebank college. Just a train ride away for you!!!
The course is designed to include everything required for applying for teaching or social work at university.
It includes int 2 maths, communications 4 which is equivalent to higher english and a range of other subjects at higher and int 2 level including psychology, sociology, history, I.T, french, geography etc.
The course is 3 days a week and it's advised you spend a further 1 day a week in placement at a school. It runs from the end of August until end of May/start of June.
I'm currently on the course, finish up in May and it has been such a brilliant experience. I thoroughly recommend it to you!!!
6 students in my class have applied for the BED and have interviews pending over the next 2 wks.
For the access course your fees are all paid for you, childcare is also paid in full, all travel expenses covered too and some students are also in receipt of a descretionary fund which is for lone parents and people in difficult situations.
Hope this helps!

http://www.clydebank.ac.uk/courses.aspx?coursetypeid=1&courseCatid=17&courseid=440

x

Gillyx

I hope it all works out for you, my best friend loves her job, she is in her probationary year now and couldn't imagine herself doing anything else, the only thing is, the school she got for her probation is in Falkirk and she lives in North Lanarkshire, bit of a bummer.

gambit27

Fantastic Cinderella! Really helps me out, and something else to think about, I'll def have a look into it and see if I can afford to go ahead with it. Thanks again for your replies everyone

GothicStirling

Get in touch with the Universities and ask about access courses. Most of my friends [mature students] went this route. My route was via the OU, I took several courses above level 1 and I'm due to graduate in June with my BA in English Studies from Stirling University.

If you're in Glasgow, it might interest you to know Stirling University now do a Primary Teaching degree at undergrad level. They'll make sure you'll get a placement at a school near to Glasgow. My friend lives in Crieff, and she got a placement close by.

sadie33

i am a single parent of one and study social work in dundee, i also work 16 hours per week, i get the student loan and lone parent bursay, along with my working entitlements, it is very hard going but so worth while, i went back to college too on 2004 - 2006 and got my 3 highers and my hnc.. i went to get work experince for a couple of years then went to uni, i have given up allot but it is where i want to be at this time in my life, if you want this then you have to go get it, it will be hard for a few years, things will be tight but i keep telling my son it will be so worth it when i get there, it is a better life not only for you but for your family.. I hardly sleep lol... if i am not working i am studying.. i have become a living hermit lol... but i am willing to do that to get my dream job xx good luck with what ever you choose to do xx

agrinnall

I don't think anyone else has mentioned this but if you study full time then you will get a 100% discount on your Council Tax (you can still work part time if you can fit it in as long as the place you are studying at regards you as being full time). I'm not sure how the OU fits into this though.

gambit27

Gothic thanks for that, didn't even think of Stirling! I'll give them a ring.

Sadie, Well done I've already been in a school for 2 years 1 day a week, and hope to keep it up while I do my highers, or access course, whichever will suit me more. Well done for going for it, your giving me inspiration to do it too! Think the higher's will suit me more than the access course, I've planned it out so I'll be starting Uni when my youngest goes to high school, but will look further into the access course before I decide for sure.

Agrinnall, thanks for that, I thought as much but wasn't 100% sure. The OU would be ideal as I could do it and still work, but they don't do Primary Teaching on it, you can do a degree then a PGDE, part time or full time, but it will take probably 2 years longer than just doing the Bed, so trying to do that if at all possible, if not, I'll rethink my OU degree then do the PGDE. Very long way to go, but will be well worth it in the end, all the teachers at the school are incredibly supportive, and are egging me on so I'm feeling motivated and ready to do it!