Thinking of becoming a Home Economics teacher

[purplefeet]

I'm thinking of changing career and becoming a secondary school teacher.

Can someone tell me if Home Economics is still called as such in schools now or does it have a different name?

If anyone can give any advice on what courses I need to take, I'm assuming PGCE, that would be great.

TIA

I think it is still Home Economics, my aunty's just retired from doing that (she loved every bit of it) and I have a friend who works in a small secondary school who combines it with some Design Technology things like Textiles.

I'm just thinking of changing career to teach secondary geography and the TDA website seems really quite useful, as is the Graduate Teacher Training website for finding a course.

I think it does mainly involve doing a PGCE though some courses / universities do a Graduate Teacher Programme where you learn at the school. Think I'd have to go the PGCE route for mine.

I know the course I'm thinking of applying for is full for 2011/12 but I might well apply for next year's. Just spoke to the lady at the university and she said it's worth applying as soon in September as soon as applications open.

There was also some useful stuff on the direct.gov website, though I'll have to look for it again, about covering childcare costs. I think the deadline for applying for financial help, grants etc, is the end of this month for this coming year. All looked quite helpful.

Thanks Deepfriedcupcake, I'll take a look at those sites.

It's usually called Food Technology! (Has been for the 16 years I've been teaching!)

I think it depends on your school. In my school we still teach Home Economics and nutrition right up to A level. The kids love wall to wall cookery and needlework and its a very popular option at GCSE for boys and girls ( cookery for boys). The home economics teachers also run some kind of catering and hospitality course and food hygine course which get certificates as well as entering the rotery club cooking competitions. I work in an independent school.

I think it became Food Technology and Textiles in state schools and got stuck in a rut of making paper models and drawings and learning food processes in industry.

I know that old style Home Economics PGCE's are still run in a few colleges around the country. Cant help more than that.

We do Home Economics at our school. This is not the same as Food Tech.

It's home economics or hospitality in scotland.
It's a stand alone subject, as is fabric.

I think Home Economics is v. small and fading. Nearly all state schools offer Food Technology or Catering. You will need a degree and PGCE or try GTTP based in a school. The PGCE may be under Design & Technology with specialism in Food and one other subject (textiles, graphics etc). But your university will make that clear. Food Tech is taught in a Design & Technology department in most schools.

Jobs are v.tight across teaching at the moment, but I guess depends where you live.