Primary PGCE

[HL1]

Hi All, hoping to get some advice here regarding the PGCE. I’m a 45 year old widowed single mother and I’ve been accepted for a primary PGCE. Everything I see and read and have been told makes me think this might be a mistake. The intensity of the PGCE and the stress/ workload once qualified. I have two boys with additional needs and I want to keep them in private school for the smaller classes etc. I can’t afford it without an increase in salary and I’d hate to give up the holidays with them. I am currently in an administrative role in a school. I’d appreciate some advice or tips.

Congratulations! I have two boys- one with SEN and I am a full time teacher. It is extremely hard to juggle during term-time and I do have to accept that my house isn’t always clean and we do often eat ready meals. During the holidays though, I make sure it is all about the boys. We cook, play, do day trips etc. I love my time with them and it does make the intensity during term time worth while. I adore teaching and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. The PGCE is intense too- placements are long and a lot is expected of you but it is 11 months. If you prioritise and plan then you should be fine!

Thank you for some positivity here. I was staring to think that no one would ever come back with anything good to say about teaching. I am hoping that my age won’t be a factor and I won’t spend a year in hell trying to qualify only to find it difficult getting an interview!
I’ll have to start planning better. I’m not the best at being organised. 😆

Have been teaching 18 years and entered via PGCE route, it is full on but you can make it work. When I had my children I shifted stance in that I drew a line with work life balance- if you go into it with that approach it will help massively. Finding time efficient strategies such as efficient deployment of a TA, live marking in lessons etc will make a difference- as will finding a good school with reasonable, human leaders that don’t constantly put silly demands on you. They do exist despite what the internet says.
Do you have a support network while you train?

It is hard when you have children but teaching itself is wonderful. The bits that people complain about tend to be related to SLT or parents. The actual teaching bit is lovely.

Good luck. I have to say that I wanted to be a teacher since I was very young and had a fabulous first 10/15 years of my career, but the last 10 have been appalling and I really wouldn't recommend primary teaching to my worst enemy.

I'd just say to make sure you have fully researched it, are aware of the workload and expectations and are going with your eyes wide open. Spend an hour or two looking at the Exit the classroom Facebook group to see what many schools are like.

Sorry if that appears negative, I think it's important to see what the reality is like for many teachers. The group only started a couple of years ago and now has 175,000+ members.

I will have a look. Thanks for taking the time to answer my post

Thanks for taking the time to reply. All good tips. I don’t really have a lot of support unfortunately. I do have a couple of local trusted sitters so hopefully that will help over the course of the PGCE at least.

I don’t really have a lot of support unfortunately. I do have a couple of local trusted sitters so hopefully that will help over the course of the PGCE at least.

What's your plan for illness (theirs) and inset days where you are at school but your kids are not? Private school holidays are often much longer than state school ones as well. Just make sure that is a robust plan, not a last minute one (obviously illness often is last minute!)

So far I’ve had to hope that a local sitter is available or I’ve just had to take a day off. Ive had really understanding and supportive work colleagues until now. I know that may not be the case in the future

I could not have survived my PGCE year without DH picking up 90% of the slack with home/childcare. I think you will really struggle if the only support is a sitter where you have to hope for availability.

You can apply for a childcare grant when studying for your PGCE. Have a look at a nanny or nanny-share at least. It would be a much better option.

You can have the most supportive work colleagues in the world but if you are supposed to be teaching that day and have to keep taking days off because your kids are ill/on holiday/inset days, sadly you will find yourself facing absence procedures. SLT
Will have to find someone to teach your class and they probably won't be too supportive.

Private school holidays will be a pain to cover-my niece seemed to be off 3-5 days more than mine every single holiday and half term.