How to go about getting an a-level/higher in English to get onto teaching course

[geordieminx]

I've just started back at uni this year to finish a degree in Business and Management that I started years ago. The hope is that once I have finished this I will get a place on th PCGE course to train to be a primary school teacher.

Just been looking at their website though, and realised that I need to have an a level/higher in English - I dont

I left school at 16 with good GCSE's to do a modern apprenticeship with btcellnet, since then have done a BTEC in telecoms, an HNC, and now doing degree.

I guess I need to go backwards and do a higher but not really sure how to go about it. Should also add that I'm not working, so I'm finacing this myself, while its ok at the moment I havent got unlimited funds

I thought you only needed a GCSE C grade

Apparently not - a level in english, and "your application will be looked upon more favourably if you also have a level maths"

A Level English and Maths are offered as adult education courses at a lot of Sixth Form/Further Education colleges - generally they are run as evening classes over one or two years.

DD1 is doing a PGCE in Septenber, She doesn't have A level English or Maths.

You can do courses at college for this - maybe an access to teaching course would be useful? Its A'Level equivilent.

I thought you needed a national curriculum degree to do primary PGCE.

Its all so confusing.

I just wish I could speak to someone at either Uni or teacher type college and they could say "to get onto the course you need to do xx xy and yy". Every website that I look at seems to have conflicting advice

Have you tried looking at the websites for the unis you want to apply to for the PCGE?

They should say the qualifications you need .

Do you have a particular university in mind, or do you have a reasonable selection you can go to?

There is certainly not a general requirement to have A levels in English and Mathematics. The minimum requirement is a C at GCSE or equivalent, and they test you again anyway.

The GTTR website says:
Before you can start a PGCE course in primary, middle years or secondary teaching in England or Wales you must have:

a degree awarded by a UK university or college or a recognised equivalent qualification
*

a GCSE in English at grade C or higher, an equivalent qualification or the standard of English required to obtain this level of qualification
*

a GCSE in mathematics at grade C or higher, an equivalent qualification or the standard of mathematics required to obtain this level of qualification.

If you want to take a PGCE course in primary or middle years teaching, you must also have:

• a GCSE in science at grade C or higher, an equivalent qualification or the standard of science required to obtain this level of qualification.

If you do not have a GCSE at grade C or an equivalent qualification in English, mathematics and, if applicable, science, you would need to take the training providers' own tests to show that you have the required knowledge of these subjects. Only some training providers offer these equivalency tests. There is more information about equivalency tests below.

Are you applying to a very competitive course?

Which uni is it? I thought for primary you also had to have a degree in a NC subject - you do at the Uni I'm at anyway.

I'm currently at UWS, doing Buinsess, no idea where I will do PGDE, the only thing is, that info is for England and Wales - I'm in Scotland

this says higher english

So fecking confused.

Hang on a second - a bit further down that page under the english bit it says higher or GCSE English Language and English Literature ? passes at C or above (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) I have that

Certainly (am looking at secndary PGCE myself, friends doing primary) you need GCSE but the local Uni is massively over subscrived; when I was considering it the Prof recommended a Masters to guarantee a place , so go by the individual Uni website: mostb primary places over subsctribed now so competition high, and local uni just reduced places by a significant prortion for finance reasons

Sorry, geordie! That is confusing. I'd contact them, and if you phone also get them to email their response to you, so that you have it in writing.

Did you go to school in England? I think (should know, but don't) that most people in Scotland do Higher English, so it's more like the GCSE to that extent, whereas A'level much more optional.

I think your degree subject will be the problem - not the Maths and English. Sorry to be pessimistic but places are indeed very limited these days and competition high.

Its gonna take me another 2 and a bit years to finish degree, I'm hoping that by then there will be the major shortage of teachers and places might be a bit more available?

You may need to have a Science GCSE at A*-C or similar as well as Maths.

I must admit I thought you had to have a NC topic as part of your degree in order to be able to teach u-16s - I went to uni 11 years ago and it was certainly a stipulation then.