teacher training

beth25

Llooking for some help please. I'm currently working as a Dispensing Optician, I have a vocational qualification that is apparently degree equivalent.I've got gcse's, a-levels and nvqs 2 and 3.
I want to retrain as a primary school teacher. Hopefully on the 1 yr course.I would'nt be able to afford any more time out of work.
Has anyone any help on:
training costs/funding
ease of finding a job
rates of pay for teachers etc.
any help would be great thanks

dmg24

What vocational qualification do you have? Do you have any experience of working with children?

heretolearn_2

you can do a one year post grad teaching course BUT - you need to find out if your vocational qualification is accepted as degree level, and also i think you'll have a problem if it's in optician work. Teachers are expected to normally have a degree in a curriculum area/subject taught in schools. It may not be against the 'rules' otherwise, but competition is huge for primary teacher training.

Stardust

http://www.tda.gov.uk/get-into-teaching.aspx

evespikey

another point is that as well as having a degree (which now must be a 2:1) you also must have recent teaching experience. This can be working as a TA but is pretty much always a voluntary couple of weeks observing/helping in a school.

beth25

thanks all- my qualification is in optics- I was hoping would count as a science. I'm planning on arranging to volunteer in my local primary school 1 day a week to get some experience.

stephyt23

What was the full title of the course you did as you say it's an equivalent not an actual degree?

EDIT: and do you have GCSE grade C or above in English, Maths and Science?

beth25

the qualification is FBDO

yes all A's and B's for GCSE

stephyt23 wrote: »

What was the full title of the course you did as you say it's an equivalent not an actual degree?

EDIT: and do you have GCSE grade C or above in English, Maths and Science?

kelloggs36

Competition is very tough - there are no jobs out there at the moment, unless you are in London. Lots of newly qualified teachers are out of work:(

heretolearn_2

If science is your area you'd be much better off training in secondary science, you get funding as it's a shortage area.

stephyt23

beth25 wrote: »

the qualification is FBDO

yes all A's and B's for GCSE

I can't find anything that will say if it is ok to use that to get onto a PGCE. I think the best bet is to contact University's you were thinking of applying to and ask the admissions team.

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/pgce_entry_requirements.htm This website mentions entry requirements and does say: Primary courses: Some ITT providers prefer that you have a degree in a national curriculum subject. If you don’t, it is very important to stress in your personal statement the relevance of your education to the curriculum you will be teaching. You may want to highlight specific modules that relate to English, mathematics or science, or mention your A-levels if they are in national curriculum subjects.
Degree equivalency: The final decision on whether your qualification is equivalent to a required degree

It would be seeing whether the uni will accept it as although it's science based I don't think they would class it as a national curriculum subject degree.

As a previous poster has mentioned have you thought about Secondary teaching? You may be able to use that to teach Science.