Too late for a PGCE application?

[maomao]

I was halfway through a PGCE application five years ago but went back to an industry I hate because it was enough to pay the mortgage and there was a baby on the way.

I've now spent give years in a hateful dysfunctional workplace. I've been furloughed for three months and got a letter a couple of days ago announcing restructuring and redundancies. Once I'd got over the shock I found I was more scared of going back than I am of getting made redundant (or worse stuck on a shit shift/less money).

Teaching websites say they're still looking for teachers. I'm fluent in Mandarin and could probably whip my French into shape if I had to. It seems I could get a 26 grand bursary. Sounds too good to be true surely? Will it be too late eto apply this year? Am I too old at 46?

I've already contacted one of my previous references and she's still alive and happy to help. I can probably scrape one up from somewhere else.

Am I too late, am I too old? I know it's hard work but better than a job that's made me genuinely miserable and ill time and time again surely? And just the qualification would allow me to get out of London. My current job is very London centric.

Any ideas/warnings/advice?

 

[Steel Icarus]

I was a year older than you are now when I started mine. I did it in one year - and I'm not gonna lie, it was a lot of work. But it was good. Mine was a PGCE in the Lifelong Learning sector. And I've ended up not teaching, but without the PGCE I doubt if have got this job.

Go for it, really.

 

[SpookyFrank]

I was halfway through a PGCE application five years ago but went back to an industry I hate because it was enough to pay the mortgage and there was a baby on the way.

I've now spent give years in a hateful dysfunctional workplace. I've been furloughed for three months and got a letter a couple of days ago announcing restructuring and redundancies. Once I'd got over the shock I found I was more scared of going back than I am of getting made redundant (or worse stuck on a shit shift/less money).

Teaching websites say they're still looking for teachers. I'm fluent in Mandarin and could probably whip my French into shape if I had to. It seems I could get a 26 grand bursary. Sounds too good to be true surely? Will it be too late eto apply this year? Am I too old at 46?

I've already contacted one of my previous references and she's still alive and happy to help. I can probably scrape one up from somewhere else.

Am I too late, am I too old? I know it's hard work but better than a job that's made me genuinely miserable and ill time and time again surely? And just the qualification would allow me to get out of London. My current job is very London centric.

Any ideas/warnings/advice?

I was looking at PGCE courses in East London and there are shitloads. No way in hell they'll all be full by now. The only issue with timescale could be getting a DBS, which takes two months in normal times and probably longer now. Luckily I was able to use my DBS certficate from my previous job.

 

[maomao]

I was looking at PGCE courses in East London and there are shitloads. No way in hell they'll all be full by now. The only issue with timescale could be getting a DBS, which takes two months in normal times and probably longer now. Luckily I was able to use my DBS certficate from my previous job.

Modern languages with Mandarin (primary or secondary) restricts me to Wickford or Goldsmiths. I live pretty much halfway between them. Never had a DBS but nothing to fear.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Worth knowing that to get your bursary you'll need to provide original copies of your qualification certificates, including GCSEs and A levels.

 

[maomao]

Worth knowing that to get your bursary you'll need to provide original copies of your qualification certificates, including GCSEs and A levels.

Jesus. That could prove difficult.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Jesus. That could prove difficult.

Yeah I eventually found my A levels at the bottom of a box of broken electronic crap in my dad's attic. GCSEs were in my mum's attic. It never occured to me I'd need them for anything, I assumed that this being the future and all there'd be an easily-checkable database of who has what qualifications.

The exam boards are utter cunts with this stuff as well. You can send off for copies of your A levels but it costs 40-50 quid per exam board, takes over a month and if it turns out they don't have any records on you they keep your money anyway. Oh, and the service is suspended indefinitely with no refunds for those who have already paid. You can request your information from them under data protection or whatever but the letter you'll get back won't count as proof of your qualifications.

 

[planetgeli]

Exam certs can be a bugger and I know more than one person on more than one occasion who has been shafted by this. I hang onto nothing. Somehow I still have mine.

Only thing I'd say maomao is are you sure there's a job at the end of it for those languages. I honestly don't know. But I do know a fuckton of people in Wales with Welsh as their subject (and, especially, P.E) who cannot get jobs. P.E I can understand but you'd have thought teaching Welsh in Wales would be easy to get a job. A friend of mine who is extremely academic and brilliant has just take 4 years to get a permanent Welsh teaching job in a school.

 

[maomao]

Exam certs can be a bugger and I know more than one person on more than one occasion who has been shafted by this. I hang onto nothing. Somehow I still have mine.

Only thing I'd say maomao is are you sure there's a job at the end of it for those languages. I honestly don't know. But I do know a fuckton of people in Wales with Welsh as their subject (and, especially, P.E) who cannot get jobs. P.E I can understand but you'd have thought teaching Welsh in Wales would be easy to get a job. A friend of mine who is extremely academic and brilliant has just take 4 years to get a permanent Welsh teaching job in a school.

I've been through the emails from last time I was applying and I was trying for Mandarin and EAL. EAL would be easietr to get a job with.

And I found I'd been discussing missing exam certificates already. Seems they only wanted English and Maths. Probably means it's not worth asking my mum again as I probably asked five years ago. I've been through country moves and floods and stuff since I did my GCSEs so I reckon they're gone.

At the moment me and my wife are both fed up of London and are debating either Scotland or China. It would give me a much better chance of a job in either of those places than I currently have.

 

[maomao]

DP

 

[Sweet FA]

I think you'll be too late for a September start tbh but you never know. No, you're not too old. I didn't have any certs either but after a fair amount of fannying about and throwing people money to basically print stuff off, I got it sorted.

 

[xenon]

Yeah I eventually found my A levels at the bottom of a box of broken electronic crap in my dad's attic. GCSEs were in my mum's attic. It never occured to me I'd need them for anything, I assumed that this being the future and all there'd be an easily-checkable database of who has what qualifications.

The exam boards are utter cunts with this stuff as well. You can send off for copies of your A levels but it costs 40-50 quid per exam board, takes over a month and if it turns out they don't have any records on you they keep your money anyway. Oh, and the service is suspended indefinitely with no refunds for those who have already paid. You can request your information from them under data protection or whatever but the letter you'll get back won't count as proof of your qualifications.

WTF.

What if you can't remember which exam board they were taken under and the school you took some of them at is long closed. You presumably have to write to them all. pfft.

 

[Sweet FA]

Isn't Scotland different btw? It's not as easy as doing a PGCE in England then applying for jobs in Scotland. I could be wrong but I think I looked into it a few years ago. Might be different now.

 

[Sweet FA]

WTF.

What if you can't remember which exam board they were taken under and the school you took some of them at is long closed. pfft.

I was in that situation and it was OK.

 

[planetgeli]

I've been through the emails from last time I was applying and I was trying for Mandarin and EAL. EAL would be easietr to get a job with.

And I found I'd been discussing missing exam certificates already. Seems they only wanted English and Maths. Probably means it's not worth asking my mum again as I probably asked five years ago. I've been through country moves and floods and stuff since I did my GCSEs so I reckon they're gone.

At the moment me and my wife are both fed up of London and are debating either Scotland or China. It would give me a much better chance of a job in either of those places than I currently have.

You can do maths and English equivalency tests. Its not a problem.

 

[maomao]

Well I'll talk to them on Monday anyway. Still think I need to take a chance and get out of my current job. I'm sure we can struggle through an extra year if I am too late for 2020.

 

[Steel Icarus]

You can do maths and English equivalency tests. Its not a problem.

A few fellow students in my PGCE class were doing Functional Skills Maths. The year after they stopped accepting anyone who didn't have Maths and English GCSE C or equivalent when they applied.

 

[planetgeli]

A few fellow students in my PGCE class were doing Functional Skills Maths. The year after they stopped accepting anyone who didn't have Maths and English GCSE C or equivalent when they applied.

Functional skills is different to an equivalency test though. AFAIK most universities offering PGCE still offer their own Maths and English equivalency tests. And the equivalency tests are easier than GCSE, cover less ground. Even with GCSE being heavily dumbed down these days.

 

[Sweet FA]

I had to do GCSE maths before I could apply.

 

[maomao]

Well I'll talk to them on Monday. My mum's having a look but I'm not holding out much hope of that. Maybe just get everything ship shape and perfect for a 2021 application and just put up with whatever the next 12 months throws at us. Not keen on going back to work where I was at all though.

Other thing is they expect you to do a few hours in school experience and I don't think that's going to be a goer with the 12 to a class bubble thing at the moment, and secondary aren't open for classes at all.

 

[spanglechick]

Well I'll talk to them on Monday. My mum's having a look but I'm not holding out much hope of that. Maybe just get everything ship shape and perfect for a 2021 application and just put up with whatever the next 12 months throws at us. Not keen on going back to work where I was at all though.

Other thing is they expect you to do a few hours in school experience and I don't think that's going to be a goer with the 12 to a class bubble thing at the moment, and secondary aren't open for classes at all.

Maybe. But a lack of adults is a big part of the problem. If you could commit to a Specific year 10 bubble in a secondary, it might be possible. though I’d think a dbs would be needed first.

I didn’t know about the bursary. It’s enormous! Didn’t exist in my day.

Regarding your languages, I’m going to page gaijingirl - who will have a better idea about the employment prospects for teaching a non-standard mfl.

 

[equationgirl]

Well I'll talk to them on Monday. My mum's having a look but I'm not holding out much hope of that. Maybe just get everything ship shape and perfect for a 2021 application and just put up with whatever the next 12 months throws at us. Not keen on going back to work where I was at all though.

Other thing is they expect you to do a few hours in school experience and I don't think that's going to be a goer with the 12 to a class bubble thing at the moment, and secondary aren't open for classes at all.

If you want to teach in Scotland you would need to do a pgce here, I'm not sure what the bursary arrangements are. But I can check if you want? You never know, might be the start of a whole new life.

And Scotland is awesome.

 

[maomao]

If you want to teach in Scotland you would need to do a pgce here, I'm not sure what the bursary arrangements are. But I can check if you want? You never know, might be the start of a whole new life.

And Scotland is awesome.

Need a pgde. Or pgce and three years teaching experience. I'd move to Edinburgh tomorrow but wife not so keen. Doesn't like the even darker winters.

 

[equationgirl]

Need a pgde. Or pgce and three years teaching experience. I'd move to Edinburgh tomorrow but wife not so keen. Doesn't like the even darker winters.

Don't move to Aberdeen, would be my advice. Longer lighter summers though. Would she consider Glasgow?

 

[Hollis]

Other thing is they expect you to do a few hours in school experience and I don't think that's going to be a goer with the 12 to a class bubble thing at the moment, and secondary aren't open for classes at all.

Wouldn't you want to get that before you commit to a PGCE anyway? - I worked in a school for a couple years (in a support role) and it's a real bloody eye-opener if you've not been near a school for years.. I can see why they call it a vocation.

 

[nagapie]

Need a pgde. Or pgce and three years teaching experience. I'd move to Edinburgh tomorrow but wife not so keen. Doesn't like the even darker winters.

So do you need a PGCE for China, can you not get by with a TEFL/TESOL qualification? Especially considering you are fluent in Mandarin.

 

[maomao]

So do you need a PGCE for China, can you not get by with a TEFL/TESOL qualification? Especially considering you are fluent in Mandarin.

You don't need one at all. In fact I taught there for years without any teaching qualifications. It would be very attractive to employers though.

 

[maomao]

Don't move to Aberdeen, would be my advice. Longer lighter summers though. Would she consider Glasgow?

I have roots in Edinburgh and we go there a lot. I don't think I'd consider Glasgow lol.

 

[nagapie]

You don't need one at all. In fact I taught there for years without any teaching qualifications. It would be very attractive to employers though.

My vote is for China then. You will at least be in a country that knows how to handle CV Besides I'm with your wife on Scotland, nice place but shame about the weather.

 

[maomao]

My vote is for China then. You will at least be in a country that knows how to handle CV Besides I'm with your wife on Scotland, nice place but shame about the weather.

Yeah well I'm on team Scotland lol.