to wonder how the hell i am going to get some classroom experience? help me teachers!

[bejeezus]

I am going to apply for a secondary PGCE place for next September. I have contacted 3 local schools to see if I could spend some time in the class room-all have said no!

I asked to go in 1 or 2 days a week for as long as they could accomodate me (thinking I might actually become useful to them in that time?)

What should I say in a letter that will make them say yes?! is there thing I might have said that would put them off?

Im a bit stuck now, as other schools are further away, which is going to be tricky with childcare and my own school runs to do

Keep looking. I do think that asking to spend 1-2 days more successful than asking the school for a longer term commitment.

I think you will gain more by having 1-2 days in a range of schools.

Some schools offer teacher taster courses. These are structured observation days. Look for those which are part of an itt/scitt/gtp consortium.

What subject? Shortage subjects you will get away with less experience.

You sound as though you are a career changer. If you are there is a branch of the tda which offers support tailored to you (think its called train to teach). Register with them. They offer 1-2 day tasters in schools which they organise. They even proof read your personal statement. They were cutting back (used to support through to end of nqt but think they still offer support pre-application). It does depend a bit which subject tho. Iirc they only support shortage subject applicants for secondary.

(should just have finished my own PGCE but unforseen circs mean I still have a bit to do next year).

If you are interested in physics def contact train to teach if they still exist. Why turn down free personal statement proof reading, interview guidance etc.

(fellow physics specialist)

not sure if this would be useful, but have you thought about contacting local job training type schemes? they work with 16 and over students and ime always happy to accommodate observers
not sure what they are called in England - we have a range her in NI
you would be looking for a local centre that offers vocational training - would be teaching opportunities in a range of vocational areas, as well as maths and english, that will always be useful re PGCE applications - would also look good, as traditionally a "hard" group to work with

Oh I'm sure they know what you meant, but its how it comes across, IYSWIM. Observation to me implies that you'd be watching and judging, whereas volunteering sounds like you'd want to be helping out etc. Im sure that's not what you're intending to do, but it's about putting yourself across appealingly

Also, how have you been making contact? Would it be possible for you to hand-deliver the letters and go smartly dressed? I realise this might be what you've been doing already!

Looks like its been renamed but 'premier plus' at the bottom looks like the equivalent of the train to teach programme I was on

Looks like its been renamed but 'premier plus' at the bottom looks like the equivalent of the train to teach programme I was on

www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/subjects-age-groups/why-sign-up