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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be gutted I got turned down by OU to study PGCE

329 replies

MrsDontDoMuch · 05/04/2021 18:16

I’m just a bit upset, and wondered if anyone had any experience of being rejected by OU?

I work as a class room assistant and have over twenty years experience of working in schools. I have GCSE’s, A levels, a degree, and diploma in performance (ABRSM piano). I recently applied to OU to study a PGCE. I wrote what I thought was a good application and personal statement.

I’ve just received feedback that I was rejected because I did not ‘demonstrate a clear understanding of curriculum reforms’ and ‘maybe I should work on improving my GCSE grades’. I did get a C in maths and English amongst several other subjects but a D in science (my mum died when I was doing my GCSE’s) and I would have thought A levels and a degree would outweigh my GCSE grades?

AIBU to think this is just patronising feedback? I’m thinking it’s because I’m in my early 50’s and maybe they think I’m just too old? I just can’t stop crying, I really wanted to be a primary school teacher.

OP posts:
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6
MrsHamlet · 05/04/2021 23:16

Well there you go then, Becca - I hadn't twigged the Wales connection.
Apologies

Becca19962014 · 05/04/2021 23:16

@saraclara ah it did it again. Scroll on by...

I need to reprogram my autocorrect to actually, you know, be bloody correct!!! Instead of deciding the right spelling is wrong. ffs.

Maybe it's a hint I need an early night!

Mistressinthetulips · 05/04/2021 23:18

Since time is not on your side, a secondary PGCE in Music seems like a better plan, and you never know there might be the change to do some music in primary (I know we send art teachers and language teachers to do subject specific work in primary)

Becca19962014 · 05/04/2021 23:20

@MrsHamlet Dont worry I didn't realise it was Wales only either until I logged out and changed my location to England and then it showed only PGCE (Wales)! They did previously offer one for all of the U.K. that's obviously changed in recent years.

EastWestWhosBest · 05/04/2021 23:28

@Wowcherarestalkingme

Scottish teaching qualifications can be transferred to teach in England. I did the PGDE at Glasgow and as I said before I only had a D in science. I have taught in England now for ten years. I have heard from colleagues you can’t transfer from England to Scotland but I’ve never looked into that so don’t know how true it is.
I was told in my training that as GTP only gives you QTS and not a PGCE you can’t teach in Scotland. We were only told this about one term in, much to the shock of the Scottish woman sat next to me!
gingermcwhinger · 05/04/2021 23:28

I know a few people who haven't been able to get onto PGCE courses because they have a D is science GCSE. It sucks for you, OP, but I imagine it's in the application info.

saraclara · 05/04/2021 23:33

@Mistressinthetulips

Since time is not on your side, a secondary PGCE in Music seems like a better plan, and you never know there might be the change to do some music in primary (I know we send art teachers and language teachers to do subject specific work in primary)
Music in secondary is a totally different job! And a total pain in the behind, what with all the choir, orchestra and performance stuff on top of the curricular stuff. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole if all my experience was as a primary TA.
MrsHamlet · 05/04/2021 23:35

Not to mention that most schools need one music teacher at most... it's not a guaranteed job.

Sunshine186 · 05/04/2021 23:38

I got a D in science and have been to uni twice. It's usually a C maths and English. Could you maybe ask them to give you some more feedback but in more detail?

MrsHamlet · 05/04/2021 23:40

The feedback is that she doesn't meet the national requirements for entry. The stuff about curriculum is irrelevant.

JingleCatJingle · 05/04/2021 23:41

@Sarahtrue11 I agree.
This obsession with GCSEs is a weird one.
Once you have a degree who cares what you did at 15-16? Bizarre.

Mistressinthetulips · 05/04/2021 23:41

@MrsHamlet

Not to mention that most schools need one music teacher at most... it's not a guaranteed job.
Oh wow, different where I am - 3 full time music teachers.
singsingbluesilver · 05/04/2021 23:45

I have to agree - in this area jobs for music teachers are very thin on the ground - and sad to say performing arts subjects are being cut to the bone in favour of the core subjects.

Also have to agree that if the OP really wants to teach in primary then they probably would not enjoy the challenges of teaching music in a secondary - they are totally different worlds.

WizardHowl · 05/04/2021 23:45

I suspect that OP and her colleagues, along with some PP (such as the one implying the OU is not a ‘real university’ Hmm) have fallen into the trap of assuming that because the OU’s ethos is to be open, that that somehow means they have no minimum standards and will accept anyone. That is simply not that case. Although they have routes in for learners who do not hold traditional qualifications for some degree programmes, as long as you can demonstrate the aptitude to study at that level, that would not be at all relevant for professional qualifications where there is an external/industry body setting entry criteria and so on. The OU is an extremely popular real (!) university, and the PGCE has always been oversubscribed and very competitive. No one can just waltz on to it; you have to at least meet the minimum entry requirements and then write a really strong application.

OP, you really should do more research to establish whether the PGCE is a viable route for you, and then if so, use the annoyance you feel at being rejected to fuel you upgrading your GCSE grades and getting more informed about current curriculum developments.

Nith · 05/04/2021 23:55

I think it's awful that something you were not great at when you were 16, can hold you back your whole life

Not really, if it's a subject you are going to have to teach.

Ploughingthrough · 05/04/2021 23:57

Apply for secondary music, then once you're done work as a music specialist in a primary school. The government recently released a model music curriculum with significantly raised expectations for primary music including an hour week minimum from year 1. This will soon filter into the primary schools as few have music specialists already and most class teachers are under confident and undertrained in the subject.

gingermcwhinger · 06/04/2021 00:01

@Sunshine186

I got a D in science and have been to uni twice. It's usually a C maths and English. Could you maybe ask them to give you some more feedback but in more detail?
Did you do a PGCE though? Because the minimum requirement for a PGCE is a C in science.
gingermcwhinger · 06/04/2021 00:03

[quote JingleCatJingle]@Sarahtrue11 I agree.
This obsession with GCSEs is a weird one.
Once you have a degree who cares what you did at 15-16? Bizarre.[/quote]
Shell have to teach science as part of her job so it's entirely reasonable that they expect her to demonstrate that she made minimum pass level at GCSE Confused

saraclara · 06/04/2021 00:03

@Ploughingthrough

Apply for secondary music, then once you're done work as a music specialist in a primary school. The government recently released a model music curriculum with significantly raised expectations for primary music including an hour week minimum from year 1. This will soon filter into the primary schools as few have music specialists already and most class teachers are under confident and undertrained in the subject.
If she hasn't done primary training she's unlikely to get a job in a primary school, and if she does, she'll be completely at sea with the curriculum, planning, assessment and everything else.

Just taking a year to get her science GCSE (and brush up on the technical stuff which clearly was lacking in her application) is all it will take. Doing the wrong course is a total waste of time, and she won't even get any primary teaching experience.

Alittlenonsensenowandthen · 06/04/2021 00:03

Op, you have a degree in music and a performance dip so obviously a proficient musician. You also want to teach primary kids. May i point out the obvious and suggest teaching your instrument? No pgce required and you get paid in 2-3hrs what you get as a ta. I've been teaching privately for 17 years. Absolutely love it and work in schools as well. I could have and did research going as a full time primary teacher but i love working one to one and not being bound by a tick box curriculum!

Becca19962014 · 06/04/2021 00:27

@saraclara unless she's going to do the PGCE elsewhere (not in Wales - the OU only offer PGCE Wales) then the OP needs to redo English and maths as well as science as the requirements in Wales is a B at GCSE for both as well as the science at C. Looking at other uni in Wales they have the same B requirements, so I assume this is a Welsh assembly (or whatever they call themselves these days) thing as education (I believe) is devolved.

Hopefully that makes sense I didn't take the hint for an early night so it may not

Becca19962014 · 06/04/2021 00:28

Ok so the last bit of the paragraph is dreadful but I think you get my point.

Butwasitherdriveway · 06/04/2021 00:32

You need a c in science, and to show that you understand the curriculum . The PGCE doesn't really teach you about that.

Butwasitherdriveway · 06/04/2021 00:32

Your expectations are what I would expect for a 4 year course

saraclara · 06/04/2021 00:37

[quote Becca19962014]@saraclara unless she's going to do the PGCE elsewhere (not in Wales - the OU only offer PGCE Wales) then the OP needs to redo English and maths as well as science as the requirements in Wales is a B at GCSE for both as well as the science at C. Looking at other uni in Wales they have the same B requirements, so I assume this is a Welsh assembly (or whatever they call themselves these days) thing as education (I believe) is devolved.

Hopefully that makes sense I didn't take the hint for an early night so it may not[/quote]
Ah, fair enough. But if that's their requirement, again, why on earth did she not know? The information is out there everywhere. Anywhere you'd go to research the course, it's there.

In a way it shows that she really hasn't given this application the attention and research it deserved. And frankly that's not a good look for someone who wants to be a teacher.