Question re PGCE workload and holidays

[shadypines]

I'd be grateful for any advice on this. We want to take a holiday abroad next year and are weighing up whether to go at Easter or in summer hols period. DC is starting a PGCE in September and I presume it is full on study so my question is whether Easter is even viable or will the workload be too much and it is best to leave it until the course has finished? I know there is roughly the 2 week window from end June (end of course) until main school hols start but DC has been warned if she by any chance does not have enough classroom hours she will have to make these up after the planned end date. We feel a bit in limbo with what we should do at the moment, thanks for any advice.

October interviews to start the following September are far more unusual around here than jobs being advertised in May with the hope of finding someone who's not got a permanent contract to start in September. People can give notice up until the end of May, or else schools struggle to recruit- which is increasingly common.

It's far more unusual to know in October you're going to have a vacancy for the following September.

Yeah easter is out for sure - late June would work - normally placements are over mid Jun- and if she did get a job normally starts in my experience early July - at least that when the people I know started

DD and I are gleaning from this there's a lot to consider.

I did say October to May…

Not least that the drop out rate is atrocious and so it all may be a bit moot

Why did she opt for a PGCE and not ITT through a SCITT ?
PGCE is an old fashioned model and typically lower in the pile to get jobs as many academies and MATS offer SCITT very early in the year and never go out to a wider field

That's such a generalisation!

Agreed.

Be conscious that if she is a primary school teacher, that transition days are usually in July and she wouldn't want to be away for this. I would advise going once the schools have broken up personally or booking nearer the time once she knows the school she'll be working at and their schedule.

Lots of different opinions but all really helpful. Shame one poster chosen to steer it completely away from my original question and chuck in the unhelpful negativity.

DS did a year teacher training after uni, it was a SCITT though I'm sure they are all similar.
It was relatively demanding, mainly the essay side of it rather than the teaching, but the NQT year was much, much harder. I don't think it would be viewed favourably to take time off in term time because by the end of the year you are pretty much time tabled as the teacher.

Also consider hols can vary. Unless you know school , county I have been out a week with my daughter and also nephew at Easter and Xmas so check. Good luck . It’s a tough job but I do love it x

Don’t worry OP!

Your daughter won’t be taking time off if you time it after the course has finished. Just be organised and clear. Both our trainees had hols booked in mid July before the school had finished. It was fine as they had finished their course and weren’t contracted at their employers until September.

Feel free to PM if you want any more info.

Much appreciated.

It isn't about the school not accommodating it - it is more the fact that her life will be a lot easier in September if she is lucky enough to have been able to spend time in the school before the Summer break, and be able to get everything ready

Job interviews are usually between October and March for starting in September. I’ve never known job interviews right at the end of term - that would be for teaching posts starting in October/ January otherwise there wouldn’t be enough notice.

Not my experience at all.
Teachers resigning have until 31st May, so many, many, many schools don't know what vacancies they will have and the adverts start coming out in June IME.

It was a typo in my comment you have quoted re May not March…I did address that up the thread.

I stand by my comment about job interviews though. You’ll get some early June but not all vacancies are advertised so late.

We need to encourage prospective teachers - so many are leaving the profession. A one week break after the PGCE has finished isn’t going to lead to Armageddon.

No-one is in anyway suggesting Armageddon.
People are being helpful and pointing out how much easier your first half term as an ECT is, if you are lucky enough to have been able to have spent some days in school in July.
Obviously, lots and lots of teachers manage fine without, but, it is just a thing that someone who hasn't taught, might not have considered, so it is helpful to throw it into the mix.

It sounds, like with most things in life, experiences can differ a fair bit and I guess it depends a lot on the particular school amongst other things. In the end the choice will be DDs but with a bit of family discussion, as it's a family holiday.
Last year our long awaited dream holiday was cut short by a hefty dose of Covid. Infact I could make an excel spreadsheet of not so dream holidays thwarted by illnesses over the years but that's a whole other thread. Hence, though, why I am researching here to try again for next year!