Too late for a PGCE application?
- Thread starter maomao
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Steel Icarus
ersatz maven
Luckily I got to sit mine (aged 46) in a sixth form college - oh, it's you, I can say FranklinI had to do my Maths GCSE again too. A lone 33-year old lining up with hundreds of excited, spotty 16-year olds. Heard someone laughing about a pedo
- and all the evening class students were there too.
purves grundy
ambient clown remix
Ahh Franklin would've been much more comfortableLuckily I got to sit mine (aged 46) in a sixth form college - oh, it's you, I can say Franklin
Always enjoyed invigilating... authoritative pacing in the manner of The Bill, hands clasped behind my back, occasional narrowing of the eyes pretending that I'd spotted a possible infraction etc. Never did any invigilator games with other teachers though.
(Sorry maomao : as you were)
maomao
普費斯
Pain pill inspired commentary rather than news on my application but isn't it fucking amazing that there is a computer record of me trying and failing to steal a copy of Number of the Beast and a can of Brut 33 in 1987 but there isn't a database of fucking GCSE exam results.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
The problem is nobody really started doing databases with PDF copies until the mid to late 90s. Since then, database creators have consistently found it easier to load up the new stuff rather than go back and add the historical stuff, especially if the old stuff was in a different format.Pain pill inspired commentary rather than news on my application but isn't it fucking amazing that there is a computer record of me trying and failing to steal a copy of Number of the Beast and a can of Brut 33 in 1987 but there isn't a database of fucking GCSE exam results.
My guess is that your certificate exists as an image file on a microfilm or microfiche in storage somewhere, and nobody now has a clue how to make a copy from it. It may even be that the microfilm has degraded and can't be read - if stored properly it will last decades, if not it can be eaten by mould and destroyed. It's also possible that the records have been thrown out or flooded/burnt in a fire. So there's been an arbitrary policy created to get around these things.
Unfortunately this policy has given rise to potential age discrimination because older candidates who can't produce certificates are affected adversely by this policy, through no fault of their own.
maomao
普費斯
Well, I've badgered them all day now and they're going to let me do the online version of the equivalency exams. I can deal with that. Nearly 400 nicker though.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
Ouch. Bit steep, that fee.
Once you're through this, you could consider making a formal complaint about their arbitrary policy.
maomao
普費斯
I've already mentioned that I will be making a complaint. Also now I have to take an English GCSE on Monday lol. And a maths one the Monday after.
SpookyFrank
A cheap source of teeth for aquarium gravel
It'll be DfE policy, not the institution itself.
maomao
普費斯
Get Into Teaching disagree. They say UEL should honour dfe policy and I could take it up with the lea. I'll complain anyway. They can't fail me for complaining.
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maomao
普費斯
Overnight someone on Facebook has told me definitively the exam boards of the two GCSEs I'm after. Both now with AQA who do an expedited service if needed for university applications but still can't promise within the time limit (or they could have lost them entirely, it's not 100%). I'll stick with the equivalencies because I'm 99% sure I can get the results but I'm determined to complain to UEL once I'm safely in. It's costing me an extra 325 quid and 50+ hours of study because they make no allowances for coronavirus despite government guidelines and refuse to acknowledge any effect age may have on ability to retreive certificates.
scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
I think the equivalency tests were free when I took them (2005?) or at least no more expensive than a GCSE private entry (which is under £100 in total for maths and English) - they must have been, because I wouldn't have been able to afford to do the course if I had to pay as much as you before even starting. Charging the equivalent of GCSE entry might be fair, but since they don't provide any tuition, there's no justification for charging such a high amount.
The maths equivalency test was much easier than the GCSE maths I had to tutor my daughter through a few years later, and studying for it did actually help me help her. It also made the QTS numeracy skills test easy - several of my fellow students failed it first time, and one had to take it three times. Those have been scrapped, but it seems like there's still an element of assessment of your numeracy and literacy skills involved in passing your PGCE.
So there are a couple of upsides.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
It's pretty crappy of them not to make any allowances for coronavirus.
maomao
普費斯
I suppose it's better to have it out of the way before the course starts or I could end up having to do them at the same time, PGCEs are famously hard work as it is. Even knowing the exam board now is no guarantee they can retrieve it. The money is a kick in the balls right now but it's done already.
I have the English one at 11.30 today (then maths next Monday). I should try and get back to sleep. I've done as much study as I really could do in two days so should be okay.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
I should try to sleep too. Best of luck for tomorrow.
It also occurred to me that it takes so long because people have other work to do, and they might have to wait until they have a bunch of certificates to retrieve as it might not be cost effective to do them individually. Also the storage is probably off site, like Iron Mountain, and it can take a few days to locate the boxes containing the certificates copies. Plus it is holiday season and people are starting to go away.
So they can't put a definitive retrieval time on requests, unfortunately.
maomao
普費斯
And of course the proper time to apply for a PGCE is at least six months ago, not a few weeks before the course begins. Think I need to accept that my unusually late application needs a little flexibility from me as well.
And of course I didn't get another wink of sleep. But I've prepared more than I had in 1990.
maomao
普費斯
Thanks. I'm pretty sure I passed. It was very similar to some practice papers I had been using and both the creative writing tasks were within topics I had mini plans for. My 16 point answer was longer than my 24 point answer but I ran out of time.
Worst thing was Virgin media going down at 11.30 exactly. Had to tether the laptop to my phone and actually had to start a new GiffGaff goody bag half an hour into the exam when it became clear I didn't have enough data to finish
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scifisam
feck! arse! girls! drink!
Thanks. I'm pretty sure I passed. It was very similar to some practice papers I had been using and both the creative writing tasks were within topics I had mini plans for. My 16 point answer was longer than my 24 point answer but I ran out of time.
Worst thing was Virgin media going down at 11.30 exactly. Had to tether the laptop to my phone and actually had to start a new GiffGaff goody bag half an hour into the exam when it became clear I didn't have enough data to finish
Typical! However, it will give you some insight into what students are also having to deal with when being taught online. It's still not clear which students will be able to go back and how, but there will be some students needing alternative provision who didn't before corona, and you'll all need to be prepared for another lockdown.
It'll be a really interesting time to do a PGCE. Hit the ground running
maomao
普費斯
Hitting the ground running has always been the plan, I know I'm probably starting a little behind the average student. Part of the reason I was peed off about having to do the retakes was wanting to get dug into the reading list (for the PGCE itself and more broadly for the KS3 syllabus).Typical! However, it will give you some insight into what students are also having to deal with when being taught online. It's still not clear which students will be able to go back and how, but there will be some students needing alternative provision who didn't before corona, and you'll all need to be prepared for another lockdown.
It'll be a really interesting time to do a PGCE. Hit the ground running
I'll have to sort something more reliable for next week. The 4g held but used more than half my data allowance. Apparently the Universities who've authorised online testing are able to not accept results if there are too many dropouts. It was quite strict, had to pick the laptop up and give the invigilator a look round the room, check no notes hidden on the floor or anything and not allowed to leave the camera frame at any time. Which means no loo breaks; will drink less coffee next week.
It is going to be a strange year. There'll be no school placement till after October half term anyway to give schools a chance to settle down first and lectures but not seminars will be online for me for the first few weeks.
Anyway, 6 days to learn GCSE maths now. Looks harder than when I was at school and I'm only doing the foundation paper.
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
If you get stuck give me a shout, happy to help
maomao
普費斯
I may well do that. Cheers.If you get stuck give me a shout, happy to help
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
No worries, might be a bit rusty but I'm sure we can figure it out.
Steel Icarus
ersatz maven
maomao
普費斯
I'm quietly confident about Maths. I hated it but my teacher thought I was talented at it to the point she bought me a calculator (parents were to occupied fighting and divorcing to care). I ended up going to a gig the night before (rhcp 
), not studying a single minute and getting a b.
The second half of the revision book is scary though. I've forgotten a lot of geometry especially.
), not studying a single minute and getting a b.The second half of the revision book is scary though. I've forgotten a lot of geometry especially.
Steel Icarus
ersatz maven
When I did the foundation paper(s) in 2017 I genuinely enjoyed it. I saw it as a series of logic problems. The "normal" students where I sat it didn't do the foundation paper as it was pretty wordy and figuring out what maths they were expected to do threw them, but I sat it independently having done no course.
It's harder since then with elements of trig but Mrs SI says it's still the same sort of thing.
It's harder since then with elements of trig but Mrs SI says it's still the same sort of thing.
maomao
普費斯
Shouldn't be any full on trig because it's a no calculator exam.
It's a lot easier to know how well you've done with a maths exam too. I'd like to think I got a B or so yesterday but fuck knows, I could be wrong in either direction.
Though if anyone is doing or knows anyone who is doing online equivalency tests or any equivalency test with A-star it would be worth PMing me as I would have very useful advice.
baldrick
hmmmmm
Mr Baldrick has got an offer to start his pgce. I have to laugh about it, out of all the schools in Birmingham he gets the one where my friend is the principal and I know several of the staff 
A frantic search over the weekend uncovered his English GCSE certificate so he's all set. Did the finance bit this morning. The money will be a bit of an adjustment for us in terms of income but I think long term this will be a good move. Job hunting in a recession is fucking depressing.
A frantic search over the weekend uncovered his English GCSE certificate so he's all set. Did the finance bit this morning. The money will be a bit of an adjustment for us in terms of income but I think long term this will be a good move. Job hunting in a recession is fucking depressing.It is amazing, but if you think about it, it’s even more amazing that the result of an exam taken 30 years ago in a subject promptly forgotten about is even considered relevant in the first place. Is there a minimum standard needed in maths (for example)? If so, everyone should actually need to demonstrate current competence to this standard in advance of doing the course. Or is there no such standard needed in reality? in which case, what is the exam result from 30 years ago meant to prove?Pain pill inspired commentary rather than news on my application but isn't it fucking amazing that there is a computer record of me trying and failing to steal a copy of Number of the Beast and a can of Brut 33 in 1987 but there isn't a database of fucking GCSE exam results.
(My concern is that the answer to that question comes from an institutional desire to classify people into the “capable“ and the “incapable“, and that they view an exam pass 30 years previously as evidence of belonging to the “capable” category. Which is not at all a helpful way of viewing human beings.)
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spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
There’s also the fact that I, doing my pgce in 1995 didn’t have to show any certificates except my degree. Which is good because my school in their wisdom kept them all. I mean I did get a C in English and an A in Maths (also back in 1990) and half my degree is in English, but they just took my word for it.
And I have never needed anything more than competence with working numeracy as a teacher of English (passim) Drama and Film. Gcse maths is a long, long, way beyond functional numeracy.
And I have never needed anything more than competence with working numeracy as a teacher of English (passim) Drama and Film. Gcse maths is a long, long, way beyond functional numeracy.
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