Question re. becoming a History/English specialist teaching the lower years...

[Kwini]

Wondering if there are any teachers/schools admin about who might be able to answer two quick questions...

I'd like to qualify to teach English and/or History to the 9 to 12s (and possible up to middle school). Does such a specialist teaching qualification exist, or would I have to train as a primary school teacher doing all subjects across the board?

Also, am I right in thinking that it's only private/prep schools that would be interested in hiring a specialist English/History teacher in the early years?

Many thanks!

possibly

My teaching degree allowed students to choose to train in the 3-7 age range, or the 5-11 age range - although, once qualified, it is possible to teach any age at all ( less likely that you would be employed outside the age range you trained for though I think).

As part of the course we also chose to specialise in a core subject (English/Science/Maths) and a foundation subject (any of the others) - although we had to train in every subject taught at primary level of course. This meant that we were well placed to take on a subject co-ordinator role once in the job.

If you are only interested in teaching your preferred subjects then I would suggest doing a history/english degree and then a secondary PGCE to teach at KS3/4.

I don't really know anything about independent schools, but would have thought that they recruited specialists who had degrees in their subject area plus a PGCE.

Thanks, earthworm!

The English/History degree isn't a problem (I'm working on a PhD at the moment!) but I wasn't sure how the teaching qualifications worked. My partner is a head of a department at a private school, and he doesn't have a PGCE - hence my query re. state/private requirements.

What exactly is KS3/4?

Aha, have just looked up Key Stage 2/3/4. If you do a PGCE in KS4, would you then be qualified to teach KS5 in the future, or are you limited by the stages covered in your teaching qualification?

Technically as long as you have QTS and a sufficiently high level of subject knowledge you could teach anything so it's not limited. That said it's difficult to go from primary to secondary and even more difficult in reverse!

You can definitely do a middle years (KS2/3 PGCE) in English but primary is competitive to get into if you haven't trained across the board in it and many secondary schools want you to have a teaching qualification where you trained to teach above KS3. State schools may want an EAL specialist in primary though.

A secondary PGCE covers all ages and stages from 11-18.

One of the Canterbury unis may offer a history middle years as well...

Thanks, frakki!

Hm, it sounds as if I can't have it both ways, then. Either specialise in KS2/3 and have a harder time finding a job in primary, or qualify in secondary and have a harder time 'downgrading' to the lower years...

Unfortunate, isn't it?!

In the days when middle schools were common it wouldn't have been a problem.

If you do your research, especially for schools where you'd like to work, then you can make the most appropriate choice. The first job will be the hardest though...that said a private prep going to to 13 would be overjoyed to have an all-rounder like that. Just don't say you want to work in private schools at a PGCE interview.

If you do secondary you are qualified for KS3 and 4 and 5. You need to decide which is most important to you - the subject or age range. You also want to keep your options as open as possible as you don't know what will happen.

That's a good point, mn - I'm really torn between the subject and the age range.

"a private prep going to to 13 would be overjoyed to have an all-rounder like that. Just don't say you want to work in private schools at a PGCE interview."

LOL - good point! Though yes, a private prep going to 13 would be my dream...