NCT Antenatal teacher/ POstnatal group leader

[3andnomore]

So...how do I go about this...actually I would like both, iykwim...can you do these courses together, or just one after anohter...and whatever it is...which course is better and more succesful to do...or are both courses equally good and it's best to do both one after another?

[SueW]

Have a look here and here

The people I know who have trained in more than one specialism have qualified as one then trained in the other. You need to speak t NCT UK Office really, to see what modules - if any - can be transferred.

[3andnomore]

Thank you Sue.

I am not yet a member of the NCT, but obviously would become one....do you know if they will even fund new members? I would not be able to selfund myself completely.

[mummydoit]

You would need to be an active member of your branch for a period of time (I think six months) before you qualify for branch funding. I know all the students in our branch have also been on the committee in some capacity or another. This is because they need to be sure of your committment to the NCT and that the qualification you gain (that they help to fund) will be used to give something back to the NCT. I believe in the past there were cases of people doing the antenatal training, then going off to teach outside the NCT, leaving the branch without a teacher even though it had paid for the training.

There's quite a lot of study involved so it probably isn't advisable to do both at the same time. You may also find that your branch prefers to spread its training funds between several students, rather than allowing one student to gain several qualifications. I would recommend you start with introducing yourself to your branch committee and sitting in on a couple of their meetings. They'll be able to tell you what their policies are regarding training, whether they have funds available, etc.

[3andnomore]

thanks mummy....must work out which branch is the most local, as there isn't one directly here...

I didn't think you could actually do Antenatal Teaching "freelance", I thought you could only do it within the NCT...

[mummydoit]

Not sure how to paste a link but go to
www.nct.org.uk/local/branches and that will help you to find your local branch.

[SueW]

You can do 'freelance' 'NCT' teaching i.e. you can run your own classes privately. Even when you teach for NCT you are not employed by them but are self-employed.

Probably the best thing about teaching for NCT is that they are an established brand and all your marketing is done for you, you have someone to do the booking and take care of the finances e.g. pay the venue. All you really need to do is tell your local booking clerk when you want to teach (at least round here that's the case!)

If you go out alone it can be difficult to get the balance right - too little marketing and not enough clients to put together good classes; too much and you are overwhelmed. It could be quite easy to spend a lot of money on marketing in the first couple of years with little return.

[3andnomore]

I really appreciate all your comments
I have gotten in contact wit my local group via their Yahoo group and hopefully I will find out more about teh local situation...i.e. if Antenatal teachers are needed at all in this area, etc...I assume that would be an important factor when it's about the funding.
There does only seem to be one teacher in the area at this point of time, so, that might work to my advantage....am hopeful here.

[islandofsodor]

If you go freelance you also have to take care of your own insurance. Via the NCT you have that all taken care of, plus CPD.

[3andnomore]

OH, btw...I never even thought of freelancing, as I see it this way...if I take their grant to train I would defiantely would also work with them...however, if some NHS/surestart kind of Job would come up, I probably would not say no...however, there is still a nway either to repay it then (training costs) or still work and do some antenatal teaching classes....

[3andnomore]

Saying that, I may actually see if the soon to open up family centre in ds school (surestar style) would maybe be willing to pay fees of training in exchange for voluntary work with them, etc...you never know....
must say I really want to do this, and if I had the cash spare, I would just pay the fee outright, sigh...

[funnypeculiar]

NCT funding is about to totally change, I believe - so that funding will be driven through Head Office rather than local branches. Don't think there is any actual requirement to be active in local branch - its more a politenes thing

[islandofsodor]

Lots of bfc's and ANT's in my branch have day jobs as midwives/HV's with Sure Start etc. It can be a great way in.

[3andnomore]

thank you funny, that was the impression I got from the Info pack, but wasn't sure how it stood...I suppose in the end it may well depend a bit on how much they need a Antenatal teacher, etc...

[funnypeculiar]

Oh, and in most areas, there is a huge need for teachers, so suspect there won't be any big problem with getting 'in'.

As others have said, unless you are a complete glutton for essay writing, and are going to be able to have dedicated study days, I'd chose one to start with.

[funnypeculiar]

x-post

Our local branch tends to be relatively 'rich' & we're funded a few neighbouring teachers (who obviously we don't knwo from Adam/have never met/will never teach for our branch... although maybe we're just very, very nice

[3andnomore]

the essays are what am worried about, a bit...because my first language is german not english....
I am a qualified, but not registered (anymore) Nurse, but did my training in Germany...
I write as I speak, I suppose...so, do I have a chance?

[3andnomore]

funny, my nearest branch is Wellingborough, Rushden and kettering and I am myself in Corby....any idea if I stand a chance ;)

[mummydoit]

Funnypeculiar, it's definitely more of a requirement to be active than a politeness thing. As a committee member, I know for sure our branch would not fund anyone who just approached out of the blue. You must have shown a certain level of interest in and commitment to the NCT in order to benefit from funding. I imagine other branches are the same. The branch also needs to know you as a person to be able to judge whether you're a) capable of completing the course and b) dedicated enough to do it. The OP certainly sounds capable and committed enough to me but her branch needs to get to know her to decide for themselves. Plus I know that the booking system is in the process of changing but I'm not sure funding is.

[islandofsodor]

mummydoit. Your branch is going against policy if it refuses to fund anyone who has been deemed suitable by a tutor regardless of whetherthey are active or not. This requirement was dropped several years ago.

[mummydoit]

We've never refused anyone! Just never had anyone apply who hadn't already been an enthusiastic and active member.

[3andnomore]

Btw...my problem is that we have just moved around so much (dh is in the army) that i never really committed myself to anything....dh is in the army...but now we settled and my Kid are getting to the age wher5e I am thinking of working/career...but obviously I woould much rather do something that I would enjoy rather then just doing a JOb, iykweim

[SueW]

The decision to accept for training lies with the tutor.

A tutor is unlikely to accept for training someone who doesn't have some link with a local branch. This doesn't mean they have to throw themselves into a frenzy of volunteer activity but it does mean they have to understand what support the branch provides to local parents.

During training, the student has to teach three courses, one of which is completely unpaid, the other two are paid at a student rate which is less than the qualified rate. This goes some way to repaying the NCT for the cost of training. IIRC the student-branch agreement commits the student to working for three years, two courses per year for the NCT after qualification - just like most other 'grants' bond someone.

[SueW]

3andnomore - students write essays on all different levels - some are quite 'plain English', some are in a much more academic style.

I tend to write the same way whatever I write and I have had marks varying from C+ to straight A's for my written work during my training. The C+ grades (two of them) were for essays I struggled with and hated the subject matter and did them purely on the basis of 'all I have to do is get a pass'. Mentally I sometimes find it hard to write an 'essay' but find it much easier to write 'a piece for a newsletter' so that's the way I approach it.

As long as you can write in properly constructed sentences and put together a well-structured piece of work drawing on your wide range of reading on the subject matter, you should be fine.

[SueW]

Final post for now, I promise!

Like you, my DH has moved around with work a lot and I followed him. However once DD started school I knew I would stay pretty much in one place which is when I started training.

For various reasons - DD became ill, DH's work became more sporadic, I went back to work part-time then full-time - the training has taken much longer than I expected. But now I am pretty much there (right now I should be typing up the final bits of an essay I wrote by hand yesterday because I was sick of hte computer!) I am glad that I have stuck with it. I love working with people who are expecting a baby.

I have to say though, IME earning a few hundred quid a month teaching won't be anywhere near as easy as earning a few hundred quid a month doing a term-time, school hours only job even though the pay is much better and will take fewer hours. But it will be a lot more challenging and a lot more rewarding!

[SueW]

Oops - sorry. One more thing.

I think there is still a European tutor group which meets for 3 or 4 weekends a year rather than monthly tutorial groups. So should your DH and your family get transferred overseas, it may be more practical for you to join that rather than commuting back to the UK once a month for tutorials.