Relocating for PGCE - how to manage the uncertainty?

[DrUptonsNebulousDogwhistle]

Back story - DH and I both mid 40s, DS in Year 2, living in Yorkshire but no roots here. Family all over the place so not really a factor. I wfh and go to HQ in London every month for a few days. DH was made redundant last year and is looking at a major career change to go into secondary teaching.

The main issue is that the topic he wants to teach only has PGCE courses in 2 locations, which means a move south for us for the year of study. It may also mean a second move to a new area once DH is qualified.

I am fully supportive of DH’s plans to study, and am up for relocating - I like where we live but I don’t love it, plus a move south would help me be more visible in my job. We moved around a lot pre-DC, so the actual moving doesn’t phase us, but how to make it work for DS?

Finding a new home and settling in, finding a school for Yr3, balancing DH’s study with my work, and then potentially having to uproot and do it all again after DH qualifies. Hopefully we can stay in the same area for Y3-6 and move for secondary, but no guarantees as it will depend on job availability for DH.

We have a pretty cushy set-up here now, and I’m concerned that we are setting ourselves up for a difficult and stressful year. How can we prepare for this?

Any advice much appreciated 🙏🏻

If it is a subject that only has the course in two locations, I would assume there is little demand for it and few jobs

Why wouldn't he do a more generic pgce?

For secondary you have to train in one subject

Sorry generic was the wrong word, I guess I mean mainstream, one that's available in more locations and has a better likelihood of securing a job near to where he lives after he qualifies. Something like maths or sciences

If he does a more mainstream PGCE he may be able to teach his subject anyway, if it is say Philosophy and he does History PGCE.
Alternatively, has he looked into learning on the job training? Used to be called SCITT I think. If they still do it, he can learn in a school with a mentor, and get paid while he does it. He might find a school willing to do a SCITT in his subject.

Whats the job market like now for the subject that he wants to teach?

He could also look into teaching in a private school where you don’t need QTS? Can you say what the subject is?

I wouldn’t be wanting to move my DC twice so quickly to be honest. The PGCE course is really full on - would it work for your family if DH rented an apartment or a room somewhere and worked away for the week days and came home at the weekend? I realise you say the move would be good for you too, but you would presumably benefit in a year’s time?

While I wouldn’t recommend teaching to anyone, the one thing it does have going for it usually is there are jobs, but your husband appears to have chosen a particular subject which is so niche this isn’t the case.

If you are having to move around the country for these jobs-don’t underestimate how expensive this is and how hard it is with kids. Teaching isn’t that well paid. What is the subject? Some subjects are getting culled completely in schools-be careful.

I relocated for my PGCE and never left the area.

has he looked at teach first? They might be able to accommodate him locally.

As pp have said, he should look at where ITT is offered. There will be a local secondary school/MAT where he can train.
If you tell us the subject, maybe we can help?

Just be aware of the job market for a niche subject…

Family member taught a slightly niche subject, was head of dept for several years… budget cuts meant the school decided to stop teaching that subject and he was made redundant.

He now has a 1.5hr commute to his new school, where he is not a HOD, ‘just’ a regular teacher- so salary cut and increased commuting costs. That was the only job in sort of the right area (his wife’s job/house they’d bought 2m before he was told about redundancy means it wasn’t as simple as upping sticks and moving south where the subject is more widely taught).

He applied for a few jobs teaching English (some crossover between subjects) but didn’t get them.

He’s a bit stuck now.

You can't just do a PGCE in Maths or Science. Your degree would have to be in the subject. PGCE teaches you to teach rather than teaches you the subject itself

Grit your teeth and do a year, well less than that as I assume the course would be a uni year so 9 months, living apart? He would be home weekends and holidays. DH and I just finishing the first year of three doing this as I wouldn't relocate DCs during the their GCSE / A Level studies and his dream job came up about 175 miles from home.

To add, DC thought about doing a PGCE to teach politics (his degree subject). We’ve advised against it as worry he couldi end up in the same position- the subject isn’t taught widely/tends to be 6th form only.

Edited to add, family member’s subject wasn’t politics, but was taught y7- A level, but not at all schools, or even many schools.

Depending on the subject this isn’t strictly true. I have a PhD in a social sciences subject but because I did a lot of stats in my training and I have A-Level in maths, I was accepted on a pre-training Maths PGCE course which means I’d be able to teach it up to GCSE even though I don’t have a maths degree, because it’s a shortage subject.

However some other subjects will be much more competitive due to there being lots of graduates and not enough jobs eg drama. Lots of drama graduates, few jobs for them generally, and not many teaching jobs so almost all drama PGCE students will have done it as their first degree.

Can he do his training in a school with Teach First or something? Alternatively he moves to his PGCE location and comes back to you for weekends. That seems much less disruptive. Bear in mind quite a lot of people drop out of teacher training or in their first years of teaching (about 1 in 3) so I would see how he finds it before making too many life changing moves.

Thanks for the advice so far.

Didn’t want to say the subject as it’s sometimes seen as ‘posh’ - it’s Latin with Classics. Yes, it’s niche but it is in-demand, which seems to be stable / growing slowly.

It’s taught from Y7 to A level, and looking online it appears most jobs are a fairly even split across state and private schools. Genuinely not bothered about this, DH is happy to teach wherever.

Although about 40% of the Teach First vacancies are in London, which is obviously fine if they live there or thereabouts! Otherwise, it's not always convenient.
He could do the weekend thing, as you suggest.
Or see what local MATs offer ITT.

It is quite niche. I'm not sure about it growing slowly, but maybe you have more up to date stats than me.
I teach in a large MAT, and it's not a subject offered there at all.
It sounds like the only option is to stay where the training takes place and return at weekends, even if he's doing a lot of work and prep.

@KitchenColourandstyle and @Stnam Appreciate the suggestions

We lived apart for a year due to work pre DS, but I don’t know how I’d manage it now. If I have to go to London for work and DH had to be studying or on placement, how to make that work? Family support is zero, so it’s not really viable to do that long-term.

Appreciate the stats about drop-out rates - we could probably do the first term with him commuting, but I thought an in-term move would be even more disruptive for DS.

Is it at Cambridge University?

I would say maintain the stability at home with you and kiddo. Let DH do pgce wherever approp and he rents a room mond to Fri, this then doesn't tie him in to term rentals which are often 12 months for halls and student flats. It may cost more on a weekly basis however its required for a shorter time. Means he can have a more normal home room with decent space, bed and desk for study.

Lots of people look for M-F lodgers and as others say it will be for around 9 months not longer

@MagdaLenor yes, it is.

Not an area I know, but from online searches, it seems like there are plenty of good primary schools for DS and secondary for DH as an ECT.

What age is your DS?

my DH did his PGCE as a mature student but prior to us marrying and having DC. I would completely agree with the advice that you and DS stay put and DH goes, coming back at weekends when he can. It’s a very intense 9 months and he is unlikely to be very present in family life anyway. I think you’d be mad to disrupt everything for 9 months study which he may or may not see through.

can you negotiate with your work to reduce the time spent in London? Can you get a grandparent to come and stay for those few days a month?

I'm surprised he thinks it's growing. My DC went to a very highly regarded academically selective independent and they phased latin out about five years ago. If a school like that thinks it's unsustainable then I'm surprised it's growing elsewhere. I'd research very carefully to make sure he has the full picture.