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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

Anyone done PGCE part time?

19 replies

LucyEllensmummy · 17/02/2009 11:04

I didnt realise you could do this, but was talking to a mum the other day at playschool and she does this - have any of you tried it - she says she is struggling with the work load. My DD starts school in september but it will be half time until xmas i think - so a part time course would definately fit in with us better - one day a week apparently. Surely too good to be true?

OP posts:

Oovavu · 17/02/2009 11:17

Not too good to be true; I guess 1 day a week is possible but I wouldn't recommend it tbh. I can't see how i day pw would fit both the college sessions and school placements.

I've got several pgce trainees doing the p/t course at my school at the mo - either 3 or 4 days pw - (I oversee their training) and I would say 3 days pw would be the absolute minimum that I would recommend, looking at factors like continuity (for you and for the classes you will be teaching); the workload for school plus the college side and the studying. One day pw would take you about 4 years to complete I would have thought, with the allocated days you'd need in school!

Lots more schools are open to the idea of p/t nowadays but it is a lot of pressure on you, with this and running a family. It would obviously take more than one academic year as well, unlike a f/t pgce.

MrsMattie · 17/02/2009 11:19

I looked into the PT PGCE in Post-Compulsory Ed at one stage. That's one eve a week study and 1-2 days a week placement.

Oovavu · 17/02/2009 11:21

There would be a limit to the amount of schools that would agree to this though due to the classes they'd have to 'give over' to the trainee. The best bet might be to try to get a placement with a specialist training school who might be more flexible.

Original poster

LucyEllensmummy · 17/02/2009 12:41

oh sorry, i should have said that the placements were full time, but not starting until after xmas. So whilst the college work is one day a week the placements are full time and they recommend one day a week self directed study. Apparently the course runs for 20 months. Will have to look into this more - i just like the idea because it means i can start this year with minimum disruption with possibility of part time job alongside.

OP posts:

Oovavu · 17/02/2009 16:50

Oh well in that case I guess it's perfectly possible. The trainees spend a certain amount of time in college to begin with then go onto their placements and then only go into college one day every 4 or 5 weeks during the placement.

It'll be hard-going though, but well worth it I hope - it's a great job teaching. What subject?

Original poster

LucyEllensmummy · 17/02/2009 20:32

If i do secondary then it will be biology, but im thinking i might actually like to do 7-11 so i suppose that would be more general?

OP posts:

frannikin · 18/02/2009 22:22

Where can you do primary PT? The only PT secondary ones I found where the Open Uni ones, which I really don't want to do (secondary, not OU).

saadia · 18/02/2009 22:30

I have applied - late - and am awaiting decision. Around London there are a few places that do part-time Primary PGCE - Institute of Education, Uni of Hertfordshire, and I think Roehampton.

roquefortlover · 18/02/2009 23:09

I did p/t primary at Brighton recently but they have now stopped that course. Someone else I know did it at Greenwich I think and I seem to recall it was very flexible in structure so might be worth checking.

I loved my course - I did it over 2 years and whilst the placements are very full-on (and childcare quite hard to get sorted for such short periods) the rest of the time i did about 2 full days study p/w which sounds like it would fit with your plan.

cat64 · 18/02/2009 23:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Oovavu · 19/02/2009 15:55

some universities have creches and childcare. You'd need to find the college's website and make further investigations.

Two of the current trainees I oversee have small children and they are finding it hard-going but it is possible with good support. One doesn't have family living anywhere nearby so that makes it harder as far as flexibility goes but she's doing well despite all the pressures.

TheyCallMePeachy · 19/02/2009 15:58

Gloucester does both PT and module absed PGCE (of course it is subject dependant), something I am interested in also.

kdk · 24/02/2009 21:23

I'm currently doing post-compulsory part-time pgce and finding it incredibly hard to keep/catch up with the work load.

I do a full day at college 1 day a week, one placement class a week (between 2-3hours) and realistically need about another day for study/lesson planning/ assignments. With two young kids it is proving to be a real struggle but hopefully worth it.

I'm supposed to be handing in most of my module 1 assignments in on thursday but there is no way on earth I can do that - have until end of march for the final submission and will just have to get it all done by then!

mslucy · 22/10/2009 18:45

Hi there.
I've just started the post compulsory pgce as well.I've been doing some VT work at a college and have joined their in-service training a couple of weeks late.

We enrolled at the Institute of Education today - very exciting as you can apply for an NUS card which gives you lots of cool discounts.

I teach media at the moment - I've worked in the industry for years - but with the PGCE can teach my degree subject as well, which is kind of useful.

I literally only asked about the course a week ago so this has all happened very quickly.

I have two small kids too but am used to balancing part time work (for a real twat) with work, so this should be fine. I did the PTLLS last year, so the first bit of the course is quite familiar anyway.

I've just applied for a student loan - I can use it to pay the childminder!!!

kdk · 03/11/2009 21:48

Hi msl

what day are you at the IoE? I'm in the second year of the PGCE Literacy course - like you I've got two small(ish) kids and getting used to the balancing work/college/children thing.

Did you get your loan and how are you finding the course?

mslucy · 05/11/2009 21:35

Hi there.

I'm only first year and do the classes at the college (City of Westminster). I go to the IoE next year.

No sign of loan money yet - I think it may be a while as there is a huge backlog (recession = lots of people going back into education).

Where do you live/work - sorry but I'm a very nosey person!

kdk · 06/11/2009 22:43

I live in north London and work in west London - but not sure how long that will go on for as last week only two of my learners turned up - it's a train to gain course for adults with literacy needs so high dropout is apparently not unexpected ...

have you got a placement yet - what are you teaching?

woahwoah · 28/12/2009 22:49

Hi
I did my PGCE part time (Primary). It was 1 or 2 days a week (varied) at college, with full time placements. I also worked part time 2 days a week. My employer was great about giving me unpaid leave during placements (but then I was working in a school!)
At the time I had one child at secondary school and one in Y6. It was hard work but manageable, and I enjoyed working in a school while doing it. And it definitely helped me get a job afterwards.
I'd originally intended to do the full time course, but I'm glad I took the scenic route! And most of the people on the course were parents / more mature, so I probably had more in common with them and we supported each other.

allgonebellyup · 04/01/2010 12:49

The part time pgce i want to do involves full time days/weeks at the uni, but it is the school placements that are part time, ie 3 or 4 days a week.
This sounds perfect for me, and its stretched out over 16 months instead of the usual 10.

Anyone doing this?

The bad points are that i wont be entitled to grant, loan or the full time bursary. :-(

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