Teaching routes

emmaanddave

I would love to go into teaching but can't see any possible way. I have no degree just A levels and life experience. I am 35yr with kids and a ds that works shifts. We have no savings and the thought of leaving studies with about 36k in debt worries me.

To become a qualified primary teacher is the only way for me to do this is thorough a full degree and pgce? Someone mentioned about getting a school to employ me but release me to go to uni to study the course/sponsor me to do so. I have only heard of this if you already have a degree and are wanting to go into teaching.

I am at a crossroads with my career and have had to give up the one I always wanted to do once I had kids. All the other jobs I would love to do i can't due to dh working shifts and no family nearby to help with late/night childcare.

Any teachers here that could offer any advice or which route they took into teaching?

Many thanks.

Beckyy

I'm afraid that I can't offer any advice with regards to training, but I do know that ALOT of teachers are out of work, even with a good degree. I would be wary of getting yourself into debt when there isn't a lot of jobs around.

Good luck with anything you choose to do!

Prudent

I can only echo the advice above. Some local authorities around me had 700 plus applicants per job for the posts which start after the summer holidays. Unless you live somewhere like London where teachers are still in demand, it may be a huge expense for very little return at the end.

wilkies5

How about starting as a Teaching Assistant or Learning Support Assistant? Cover Supervisor maybe? At our secondary school we had SCITT teachers too, who were doing the practical part of their training.

Times Educational Supplement website (TES) might have advice too

Good Luck

:T

Oldernotwiser

There are employment routes into teaching, but only for graduates. I'm afraid. You could look at doing a degree with the Open University while carrying on with your job, which would mean only one year of full time study for your PGCE.

Fiver29

As ONW says the OU will allow you to study and still work. I am doing this, luckily I work in a school anyway, but there are very few that wouldn't love voluntary help (especially if you offer to pay for your own CRB). That way you can get experience while learning.

dawyldthing

what about being a HLTA (Higher Level Teachinng Assistant)? They usually get about 14k+ (i seen a job advertised for 16-18k) http://www.tda.gov.uk/support-staff/developing-progressing/hlta/becoming-an-hlta.aspx

Basically you will go into classes and teach when teachers are on PPA time (planning, preparation and assessment) and often act as a teaching assistant without all the planning that teachers have to do. I did train to be a primary school teacher by going through the 4 year BA with QTS but failed placement so didn't get my qts so am looking to eventually go down this route. But if you can get into a school that needs a hlta it might be an advantage and keep an eye on your local council websites.

claire16c

You could do a degree with the OU, and then do a GTP, instead of a PGCE, because with a GTP you still earn a wage, whereas with a PGCE you are paying to do it!

stephyt23

dawyldthing wrote: »

what about being a HLTA (Higher Level Teachinng Assistant)? They usually get about 14k+ (i seen a job advertised for 16-18k) http://www.tda.gov.uk/support-staff/developing-progressing/hlta/becoming-an-hlta.aspx

Basically you will go into classes and teach when teachers are on PPA time (planning, preparation and assessment) and often act as a teaching assistant without all the planning that teachers have to do. I did train to be a primary school teacher by going through the 4 year BA with QTS but failed placement so didn't get my qts so am looking to eventually go down this route. But if you can get into a school that needs a hlta it might be an advantage and keep an eye on your local council websites.

While this may be an option you MUST have an NVQ level 3 in Teaching Assistants to do these positions. You could maybe volunteer at a school and do your NVQ's in Teaching Assistants at a college? Some may do these during evenings or part time.

Otherwise the only route is to get a degree, whether this be through the OU or a University. Have a look around at some Uni's and see what they offer. I'll be starting my teacher training in September on a part time degree. It's over 4 years and I will be in Uni a full day Monday and a Wednesday evening. This has worked out great as I can work around my studies and I'm managing to fit in a day volunteering with a school I've been at since March.

If you really really want to teach you'll find a way to make it work. I know of people in their 40's and 50's who have managed to do it, some have been single parents with mortgages and others have got new babies under 6 months old and still coping so it can be done. It's just a case of working through all your options and seeing what best suits your family. Good luck!

EDIT: Have you had any experience in a school at all? If not then you do need to get some. Any degree requires you have to have experience within BOTH key stages (I assume OU courses are the same). I'd recommend it even if you look at going down the Teaching Assistants route as you won't get any job without experience and it's better to find out exactly what schools are like before you start any route. So many people dropped out of the first year of my degree because they'd lied saying they'd been in schools and they hadn't, then decided it wasn't for them but still ended up owing money for the part of the year they had done.

Oldernotwiser

stephyt23 wrote: »

While this may be an option you MUST have an NVQ level 3 in Teaching Assistants to do these positions. You could maybe volunteer at a school and do your NVQ's in Teaching Assistants at a college? Some may do these during evenings or part time.

Otherwise the only route is to get a degree, whether this be through the OU or a University. Have a look around at some Uni's and see what they offer. I'll be starting my teacher training in September on a part time degree. It's over 4 years and I will be in Uni a full day Monday and a Wednesday evening. This has worked out great as I can work around my studies and I'm managing to fit in a day volunteering with a school I've been at since March.

If you really really want to teach you'll find a way to make it work. I know of people in their 40's and 50's who have managed to do it, some have been single parents with mortgages and others have got new babies under 6 months old and still coping so it can be done. It's just a case of working through all your options and seeing what best suits your family. Good luck!

EDIT: Have you had any experience in a school at all? If not then you do need to get some. Any degree requires you have to have experience within BOTH key stages (I assume OU courses are the same). I'd recommend it even if you look at going down the Teaching Assistants route as you won't get any job without experience and it's better to find out exactly what schools are like before you start any route. So many people dropped out of the first year of my degree because they'd lied saying they'd been in schools and they hadn't, then decided it wasn't for them but still ended up owing money for the part of the year they had done.

NB. The OU is a university!

Your final edit is rather misleading as you're actually only talking about a BEd. Many people go into primary education with a degree in a subject and then train to teach bt doing a PGCE or GTP afterwards.

smileylondongal

A teaching assistant role is a really good, inexpensive way to start plus quick as you can do it in less than a year, plus the work experience is invaluable.