Re-train as a teacher or TA..what do I need?

[IslaLettuce]

I'm confused by all the various pledges to free re training and free funding etc. I have a degree in business and I also have an accredited Drama school qualification. I'd like to try working as a TA with a view to training as a teacher. First question is, is it possible to get a TA job with my current qualifications? Second question? Can I do PGCE in one year to give me teacher qualified status? I'm currently volunteering in a primary school classroom.

Are you planning primary or secondary? If secondary, which subject?

Primary school.

I have a friend who is a TA. She also has a degree and it was more long winded for her to become a TA than or would have been to beome a teacher! After about 3 years as a TA, she is hoping to start her PGCE in September.

Really bike? I need to do some proper research. I thought TA would be an easy opening into making sure i was making the right career choice. If it's easier to go straight to the PGSE that might be the option I take. Thanks

I think it was something like a 2 yr NVQ (which is sub-degree standard, so her degree doesn't count) to be a TA or a 1 year PGCE (on top of her existing degree) to qualify as a teacher. This is for primary school - she mostly works with KS2 age children.

I'm an ex-teacher. Being a TA gives a good insight into the workings of schools and working with children, but is quite a different job to being a teacher. Looking back, the best insight into the role of a teacher was talking to serving teachers.

I would be quite surprised if you get funding at present, but maybe you will get lucky if you follow a particular route.

Have you considered secondary drama? You would be very qualified for that....

I'm a TA, and would say you are more than qualified. At my school, I only know 3 other TAs with degrees (there's 24 of us, I think).
Others might have, but most don't.
It depends what you want. I like the hands on aspect of being a TA and the fact when I'm done for the day, I'm done, whereas teachers work evenings and weekends. I have very young DCs so it suits me,
I don't like not being involved with planning and not using my degrees at all, but there's still time for that, plus I did all that in my y last career and if it was all that, I would probably still be doing that job instead.

There is no advantage to being a TA first, and it is 100x harder to get a job, many TAs are fully qualified teachers.

If you are mad enough to want to work in this car crash of an education system, do the PGCE ( there is no funding for primary) and go straight in, it will take you two years.

Then if you want to be a TA rather than a teacher, you can make that choice at some stage.

The other route you could consider is:

Go to your local FE college and take the City & Guilds Award in Education and Training (previously PTTLS). This is a level 2 course over 10 weeks, but gives a good basic grounding into the role of a teacher - I did this course last year for various reasons, even though I already have QTS. This enables you to work with children 14+ and adults in FE or schools (as an instructor or unqualified teacher). If you hurry you might still be able to get on a course starting now, in January. It is cheap and can be done alongside work/family.

The exercises you do on the course will a) give you a snapshot of what a teacher's role entails b) provide great answers to interview questions, if you do apply for formal teacher training. Basically, it is a generic 'what is teaching' course so that people who want to teach hairdressing, bricklaying or literacy (really anything!) gain teaching skills.

You could also use that qualification to get started in FE, schools or in an independent school.

I suggest this as a lower risk, lower cost route than jumping straight into a PGCE and finding out that the role is not for you.

Thanks everyone for your replies and advice. I'm definitely clearer on where I need to look and what I need to do. Looking up city and guilds now..