Teacher training..has anyone done the GTP?

[allgonebellyup]

I am hoping to apply for the GTP training as have 18mths experience of being a cover teacher/supervisor and hold a degree in the subject i want to teach.
Anyone have any experience of being on the GTP?

My dil has a degree and wanted to go into teaching so started as a teaching assistant as it fitted with her little girl at the time. The head told her she would get her on to the GTP but we don't think the head really understood about the programme because my dil had to apply herself and didn't get a place - apparently these programmes are very over subscribed.

She did a PGCE and it was incredibly hard work and very intensive (though only over about 9 months not even a full academic year) This was 3 years ago and she is now an established primary school teacher and has just been promoted to an assistant head!

SO it is possible but it is hard work. Good luck

Incidentally my son is also a primary school teacher and I don't want to put you off but teaching seems to have taken over their life and they work one day each at the weekends, often in the evenings and even for several days through the school holidays.

Hi, yes I have. I did GTP Primary last year. It was hard work but great spending so much time actually in the school. It means that I feel more prepared now that I am in my NQT year.

Thanks.

I am very used to working in secondary schools full time and also having to spend my evenings do my OU work to finish off my degree! In some ways Primary teaching sounds more hardcore than secondary! My mum is a Primary school teacher and never got a break!

What subject are you doing allbellyup? I know a couple of people who've done the GTP. I keep getting suggestions myself from school, but I'm not interested as I don't want to be a teacher! (I've worked in secondary for 5 years in CS and Learning Mentor roles.)

Btw the basic salary for GTP is probably lower than what you get as a CS, but if your school value you, you should be able to persuade them to top it up.

Have you looked on TES? It's worth doing some research first to determine what you think is a reasonable timetable commitment, as different schools approach it in different ways, and some people end up with an unrealistically high number of student contact hours.

I did a science-chemistry GTP in 2006 and have never looked back. It really is the best way to train, my NQT year was a doddle and I have moved through the ranks quickly. GTP places are hard to come by though outside of the real shortage subjects, maths, physics, chemistry, ICT etc.

Kritur - Was it massively hard work for the GTP year?? I am worried about the workload!!
My subject is English and although not a priority subject in UK, apparently it is in Surrey?!!

Yes it was hard work but my timetable was stepped up during my time. 25% 1st term, 50% 2nd term etc which made it much easier to get up to speed. It depends on the school really. It is a very personalised programme. I wouldn't have trained any other way. All teacher training is hard work although they seem to get much more hand holding on the PGCE.

I used to assess GTP in school, including English which is also my subject, and yes, it is hard work, more so than the PGCE initially as you have to teach from the off but I think you have an easier NQT year as a result.

As a GTP you can have up to a 70% timetable, the rest of the time given over to assignments and prep. But the 70% should be a gradual build-up, you would start with KS3 classes and maybe a yr 10 GCSE group. If you had A Level you would share the group. Ideally with any exam groups you would be paired with another member of staff so you mirror what they do, and you can plan together and also get support with assessment. You might also be paired with a form tutor so you get some experience of that role too.

A lot of GTPs do anything from a few weeks to up to half a term (often unpaid and taken out of holiday leave) to prove to themselves and to the school that they are serious and can hack it in front of a class before embarking on the GTP in Sept.