For those who want to pursue a career in teaching and for those who need a little bit of inspiration to make the right job decision, we have put together the following hints and tips.
Consider This
Teaching is rewarding. You can also earn good money, starting at around £22,000 and rising to £39,000 depending on where you live. And unlike many other careers, there are a whole host of training and promotion opportunities.
Think Ahead
In order to be considered as a teacher, you will need a 2.2 in your degree subject and also a basic DBS check. This basic DBS check takes a few months, so think ahead.
Different routes to teaching
There are a number of different paths for prospective teachers to take :
– A university-led PGCE, where you spend time in lectures and two placement schools.
– School direct, where you spend all your time in the classroom, either salaried or unsalaried.
Teach First is a charity which recruits graduates to work in crisis schools, covering their fees, paying them a salary and awarding them with a PGCE at the end of the two-year course.
For further information about your options, we recommend visiting the Department of Education’s website, which can help you in your decision-making and provide you with all the information you need to become a teacher.
The Small Print
A PGCE qualifies you as a registered teacher in the UK. It stands for Post Graduate Certificate of Education.
You will be expected to have a relevant 12 days of work experience in a school, two references and a personal statement. The basic DBS checks through care check make up an important part of your application.
The Interview
All interviews are different, but prepare well in advance in order to maximise your chances of being accepted to train as a teacher. Most interviews will be formal in nature and include direct questions about why you want to be a teacher and why you have chosen a particular subject that you would like to teach. As part of the interview process, you will be asked to undertake a written test to confirm your level of communication and be asked to prepare a presentation and/or carry out a pupil-led task to assess ability in the classroom.
