Too late for a PGCE application?

[scifisam]

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?

(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.)

Until last year there were functional skills tests in literacy and numeracy (a few years ago there was one in IT too), but now universities are supposed to assess that themselves.

 

[maomao]

That wasn't too bad. Positive feedback from invigilator who gave it the once over. Turns out my wife is very good at algebra. She's been telling me she's better at maths than me for sixteen years while asking me the answer to every bit of household arithmetic and geometry that arises. Turns out she's just very good at the bit that I'm shit at.

I've got emails telling me what to do for the dbs and medical checks that I will crack on with soon. It seems unlikely I failed English and I'd just do it again of I had. But I think I get a few weeks to chill out a little bit before the genuinely difficult bit begins.

Thanks again for all advice and encouragement.

 

[scifisam]

That wasn't too bad. Positive feedback from invigilator who gave it the once over. Turns out my wife is very good at algebra. She's been telling me she's better at maths than me for sixteen years while asking me the answer to every bit of household arithmetic and geometry that arises. Turns out she's just very good at the bit that I'm shit at.

I've got emails telling me what to do for the dbs and medical checks that I will crack on with soon. It seems unlikely I failed English and I'd just do it again of I had. But I think I get a few weeks to chill out a little bit before the genuinely difficult bit begins.

Thanks again for all advice and encouragement.

Maths and arithmetic are different. I guess it depends how you define it, but I can work out fairly complicated sums in my head without trying, but even some aspects of GCSE maths were hard. My ex-ex also helped me through the equivalency test and is great at the more complex bits of maths, but I can easily beat her at her at things like the Countdown numbers game.

 

[equationgirl]

Maths and arithmetic are different. I guess it depends how you define it, but I can work out fairly complicated sums in my head without trying, but even some aspects of GCSE maths were hard. My ex-ex also helped me through the equivalency test and is great at the more complex bits of maths, but I can easily beat her at her at things like the Countdown numbers game.

I cannot do the countdown numbers game and am impressed by anyone who can.

 

[maomao]

I cannot do the countdown numbers game and am impressed by anyone who can.

I used to be able to do it back in Vorderman days but haven't watched it in years.

Anyway, the only algebra yesterday was very easy. No quadratics and the simultaneous equations were to be plotted on a graph which is the easiest way. I probably dropped a couple of points for not being able to draw a factor tree or a probability tree but I got the actual answers right. And there was lots of geometry which I quite like really.

 

[maomao]

Got a grade 6 on last weeks English exam which is a b equivalent but feels like a d (because 9 is the highest). I did only have two days to prepare and only had a b from 1990 anyway. Don't know why I think I might have improved since then.

More than enough anyway.

 

[equationgirl]

Got a grade 6 on last weeks English exam which is a b equivalent but feels like a d (because 9 is the highest). I did only have two days to prepare and only had a b from 1990 anyway. Don't know why I think I might have improved since then.

More than enough anyway.

Brilliant, well done you

 

[maomao]

She spelled my name wrong (female version of my name, and not even my preferred female version) in the email telling me so I was emailing her back about that (cause it's going to be on the certificate) anyway and I noticed that my score was over their published grade boundary for a 7. And I had to pay them loads of money in the first place. So I emailed them back, politely, to ask if they could check their spelling and maths lol.

 

[equationgirl]

She spelled my name wrong (female version of my name, and not even my preferred female version) in the email telling me so I was emailing her back about that (cause it's going to be on the certificate) anyway and I noticed that my score was over their published grade boundary for a 7. And I had to pay them loads of money in the first place. So I emailed them back, politely, to ask if they could check their spelling and maths lol.

Good for you. There's no excuse for inaccuracies.

 

[maomao]

Good for you. There's no excuse for inaccuracies.

It's an adjustment for single paper exams. Which is fair enough. And they apologised about the name.

 

[maomao]

92/100 for maths but that's a B/5 cause it was only the foundation paper.

DBS done, medical check done. Loan application started. When I get the final certificate I can upload it to UEL and we can get on with the difficult bit. They still haven't told me what day we're actually starting.

 

[equationgirl]

92/100 for maths but that's a B/5 cause it was only the foundation paper.

DBS done, medical check done. Loan application started. When I get the final certificate I can upload it to UEL and we can get on with the difficult bit. They still haven't told me what day we're actually starting.

That's very good considering the notice you had. Well done you.

 

[maomao]

Just felt like adding an epilogue to this thread. Everything ended up completely fine. Enrollment completed and funding all confirmed over two weeks before the atart of term. Nothing on my DBS of course. Spent three weeks torturing myself with the reading list and pre course tasks we were set but managed to complete them. Even stopped smoking weed.

Had an online lecture/tutorial yesterday and an actual on site lecture today. It was all new and challenging stuff but nothing that made me feel out of my depth. Everyone is incredibly friendly and supportive and although there's a lot of work to do it's a lot less scary than my main degree was. They obviously want everyone to become a working teacher by the end of it.

Anyway, half the class wasn't fully enrolled yet, hardly anyone seems to have touched the reading list or done the pre course assignments and several of them still have equivalences to take. I actually managed to contribute in class. And I wasn't even the oldest person in the class.

Still a bit scared Covid will bring it all crashing down but feeling really rather proud of myself today which is such a rare feeling it took me a minute to actually type it out.

 

[Sue]

Excellent stuff maomao! Onwards and upwards!

 

[equationgirl]

Fantastic update maomao great to hear you have actually started down the path to becoming a teacher. Nice one.

 

[equationgirl]

Think you timed it right maomao bursaries for English and some other subjects are being scrapped or cut from 2021. There's an article on the BBC website about it.

 

[maomao]

Think you timed it right maomao bursaries for English and some other subjects are being scrapped or cut from 2021. There's an article on the BBC website about it.

They've mostly only kept them for science and IT as they obviously think they'll find enough candidates with so many out of work this year. The 2020 bursaries were pretty high though that was as an incentive in response to teacher shortages. I can unerstand why they've been cut but it still feels cynical and will remove the option for a lot of mature students like me. I certainly couldn't have done it without the bursary. Mrs maomao has been preparing an aplication for 2021 (to teach Mandarin, there are schools that will take just one language) and just found out on Tuesday the bursary has been cut from 26k to 10k. She'll probably still do it but we won't be as rich as we thought we might be.

Meanwhile, placements are meant to start on October 20th but (apart from the prospect of school closures) 9 out of 21 of us (including me) don't have schools to go to yet. And if I end up losing too many weeks teaching it raises the prospect of having to finish the course next year now with no bursary. Could be difficult but given the state of the job market at the moment I'm still very lucky to have somewhere to shelter from it all.

 

[scifisam]

They've mostly only kept them for science and IT as they obviously think they'll find enough candidates with so many out of work this year. The 2020 bursaries were pretty high though that was as an incentive in response to teacher shortages. I can unerstand why they've been cut but it still feels cynical and will remove the option for a lot of mature students like me. I certainly couldn't have done it without the bursary. Mrs maomao has been preparing an aplication for 2021 (to teach Mandarin, there are schools that will take just one language) and just found out on Tuesday the bursary has been cut from 26k to 10k. She'll probably still do it but we won't be as rich as we thought we might be.

Meanwhile, placements are meant to start on October 20th but (apart from the prospect of school closures) 9 out of 21 of us (including me) don't have schools to go to yet. And if I end up losing too many weeks teaching it raises the prospect of having to finish the course next year now with no bursary. Could be difficult but given the state of the job market at the moment I'm still very lucky to have somewhere to shelter from it all.

When it comes to bursaries, they've been changed practically every couple of years, so it's never been something you can really depend on. Mine was £6k in 2006! But there have been some years for English that got nothing at all.

 

[SpookyFrank]

They've mostly only kept them for science and IT as they obviously think they'll find enough candidates with so many out of work this year. The 2020 bursaries were pretty high though that was as an incentive in response to teacher shortages. I can unerstand why they've been cut but it still feels cynical and will remove the option for a lot of mature students like me. I certainly couldn't have done it without the bursary. Mrs maomao has been preparing an aplication for 2021 (to teach Mandarin, there are schools that will take just one language) and just found out on Tuesday the bursary has been cut from 26k to 10k. She'll probably still do it but we won't be as rich as we thought we might be.

Meanwhile, placements are meant to start on October 20th but (apart from the prospect of school closures) 9 out of 21 of us (including me) don't have schools to go to yet. And if I end up losing too many weeks teaching it raises the prospect of having to finish the course next year now with no bursary. Could be difficult but given the state of the job market at the moment I'm still very lucky to have somewhere to shelter from it all.

Last year's cohort were able to finish their required experience on time via online work apparently. Considering how keen they are to get new teachers trained, I'm sure allowances will be made even if it means people like me and you end up as NQT's with little 'normal' classroom experience.

I'm already having to consider the fact that many normal teaching methods like observing group discussions are basically out of the question for the forseeable. As is personal support for SEN and EAL students, which is something that you have to show evidence of doing.

 

[maomao]

When it comes to bursaries, they've been changed practically every couple of years, so it's never been something you can really depend on. Mine was £6k in 2006! But there have been some years for English that got nothing at all.

The 2020 bursaries were massive. There was a lot of chatter about it in my class though cause I think a few of us had partners or friends planning to do it next year.

If mrs maomao had got the (bigger) bursary for next year I had thought (as in not decided or planned yet) of doing an English MA next year so I could be slightly more flexible for childcare and would be a better English teacher the year after. Even more unlikely now though.

 

[SpookyFrank]

But fucking hell the bursary for my course will be 19,000 less next year. Doesn't even cover fees.

 

[maomao]

Last year's cohort were able to finish their required experience on time via online work apparently. Considering how keen they are to get new teachers trained, I'm sure allowances will be made even if it means people like me and you end up as NQT's with little 'normal' classroom experience.

I'm already having to consider the fact that many normal teaching methods like observing group discussions are basically out of the question for the forseeable. As is personal support for SEN and EAL students, which is something that you have to show evidence of doing.

There's at least one student at UEL this year who is finishing last year's course this year as he didn't get a placement till October and stopped in March. They have dropped standards but there are still standards.

But as far as I can tell the first two years as NQT are still observed and assessed so we won't be fully qualified teachers for a couple more years anyway.

 

[SpookyFrank]

There's at least one student at UEL this year who is finishing last year's course this year as he didn't get a placement till October and stopped in March. They have dropped standards but there are still standards.

But as far as I can tell the first two years as NQT are still observed and assessed so we won't be fully qualified teachers for a couple more years anyway.

Well I can't afford to do this past July with no funding. Me and Mrs Frank are both living off my bursary at present.

 

[Miss-Shelf]

Thanks for the updates maomao

 

[maomao]

Well I can't afford to do this past July with no funding. Me and Mrs Frank are both living off my bursary at present.

Didn't know you were a biologist. God knows what they/we will do. I'm supporting a family of four on mine plus loan plus various grants.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Didn't know you were a biologist. God knows what they/we will do. I'm supporting a family of four on mine plus loan plus various grants.

Yes and my course is mostly biologists so if that's the case on PGCE science courses generally there will be a glut of us next year. I suspect many of those won't want to teach though, there have been a few dropouts already.

 

[scifisam]

Yup, that's why I decided to start an MA this year despite it being a bad time to do it - currently, it's funded.

TBF, for you, studying for an MA in your first year of teaching while also being a parent of young children would be absolutely fucking impossible anyway.

But fucking hell the bursary for my course will be 19,000 less next year. Doesn't even cover fees.

Whaaat? I thought bursaries were separate to fees?

 

[SpookyFrank]

Whaaat? I thought bursaries were separate to fees?

They are, and the timescale of bursary payments means you can't use them to pay fees anyway. I've got a fees-only loan.

You'd think paying the fees directly and reducing the bursaries accordingly would be a more sane approach to this but tbh I'd rather have more cash now and stick the fees on the never-never.

 

[maomao]

studying for an MA in your first year of teaching while also being a parent of young children would be absolutely fucking impossible anyway.

Yes, that would be absolutely impossible. I meant take a year out of teaching (before even starting) to do it. But it was a half-formed idea I just had two days before the bursaries got cut and I have no idea how it would go down with the uni or potential employers.

I do feel that as I'm now lumbered with debt for the rest of my working life I may as well take advantage and keep studying but that will probably be through the OU and once I've settled in.

 

[scifisam]

Yes, that would be absolutely impossible. I meant take a year out of teaching (before even starting) to do it. But it was a half-formed idea I just had two days before the bursaries got cut and I have no idea how it would go down with the uni or potential employers.

I do feel that as I'm now lumbered with debt for the rest of my working life I may as well take advantage and keep studying but that will probably be through the OU and once I've settled in.

Ah, I get you. But TBH I think you should be aiming to be a teacher rather than a head of year or whatever before you've even started. It might well be a sensible idea, but it doesn't sit well with me.