PGCE in early years - what are the hours like?

[Nickname1980]

I am thinking of applying for a PGCE in early years - am considering that or applying for a Schools Direct place.

Anyone advise what the hours are like?

One uni I'd like to go to is an hour away from home and I have a young baby. Would I be mad to go there??

The course hours or once teaching? Course is pretty much full time and if not in college in schools which can be a distance away.
Once on placements expect to be working around fifty hours a week, before commute, plus additional time at the weekend, as a minimum in term time.
Good luck.

Yes, I think you would be mad to do a PGCE with a young baby. Wait until they are older.

I say that as someone who loves their job teaching in a nursery.

I feared the hours would be crazy! Hmm decisions... Anyone with any experience with Schools Direct?

Sorry to be another naysayer, but... School Direct is pretty dire at some institutions - still suffering form teething problems and, IMO, passive aggressive resistance from Uni staff who resent the daylight shining in on their cosy PGCE sinecure gig...
On my course, several people had DC, and one had a baby, bur she had a mum who looked after the baby, otherwise would not have been possible.
On the PGCE course, you at least have blocks of time away form the school, and so a breathing space.
On School Direct, however, you will be based in a school with a day a week in training, either at the Uni, or at the school's training provision , which may be a group of schools, or some other cobbled together arrangement.
If you are salaried, you will be expected to effectively a fulltime teachers job form the start. If you are non-salaried you will be expected to pay Uni fees of up to 9k.
I spoke to a SD person at a school last week, and asked him how long he was there for on that placement - he had no idea, had not been given the info...
You will need to have a placement in another school as well as the main one, some people on my course had horrendous commutes for the second school, having opted for SD on the basis of the first school location. In one consortium , people weren't told until a few days before they started which school they would be at (although, tbf, this happens with PGCE placements as well.)
If you are determined then make sure you go to somewhere that had a good track record, - eg IoE.

I started my pgce once my daughter started school and without my husband being there for pick ups and drop offs and him and in laws being their for after school and weekends I couldn't do it. Been teaching 5 years this year and still really struggle

Gosh ok - thanks guys! I didn't realise with Schools Direct you went to two different schools.

Hmm this is convincing me to wait until I have a bit more help with DS before i apply for the course... Maybe the 2016 cohort instead then!

Are you set on Early Years? There are post-compulsory PGCEs (14 plus) that attract a bursary if you specialise in English, Maths and Special Educational Needs and you can do them part time so your teaching hours only need to equal 2 per week.

I am set on early years, onerepublic. But what a shame that same scheme / part time doesn't exist for the PGCE I would like to do!