Considering training as maths teacher, for second career

[Apricus]

Any advice on the plan I’m considering, to retrain as a maths teacher? I’ve got maths & stats degree and related PhD. Had successful career in data science, quit just before covid when I had opportunity for consultancy work instead, as was fed up of long commute and no part time opportunities at my level. During Covid I really enjoyed home ed with my teenagers but now they’re back at school/off to uni soon I’m bored with the consulting work - I’m mostly being offered wfh projects and I like getting out the house. The most interesting work is also generally being offered for over Christmas and the summer holidays - the times I want to be free to spend with my family.

I know there’s a maths teaching shortage and I like teaching. No school teaching experience but I did some teaching to undergrads during my PhD, and maths tutoring to teenagers when my kids were tiny, which I enjoyed and made me first consider teaching.

Some questions… is there any difference in routes into teaching training with a phd in hand? I do want to be trained; I know little about educational pedagogy, and if I’m going to teach I want to be a good teacher, so going straight to an independent school without a PGCE is of no interest. (A friend did this a decade ago; I don’t know if it’s still even an option.)
Is work experience possible at senior school level? Another friend worked as a TA in a primary school for a year to help her get onto a primary teaching course some years ago - is experience of similar type expected from senior school applicants?

And finally, as a NQT could I get a part-time contract immediately, or would I have to put in a few years of long hours first?

Any other thoughts gratefully received.

Sounds great Op.

It's been a long time since I did my NQT year but I would imagine you'd probably have to do a full time year first, completing all the standards etc before you could drop to PT

Good maths teachers are in high demand, but not many pt roles as most secondary classes have maths lessons every day or four out of five days so for continuity for the students they do prefer to keep the one class teacher. Though obviously there are always exceptions.

Good luck. It's a great career IF you get a supportive SLT

Ah, that’s helpful about NQT year @givemepiece, thanks. That’s not insurmountable, but might mean delaying a bit longer before I apply.
And good to know at this stage about schools preferring FT for maths. I don’t want to end up in a position, like I did with prior career, of it being all or nothing, with long hours and no part-time option, so I’ll do some more research.

Honestly, if you manage to prove your worth at a school they will probably find a way to accommodate you. That's what I ended up doing, I work 3 days a week which is perfect for me. Good luck, it's a great career once you find a school with supportive slt etc.

Interesting, thanks so much.

I’d post on the staffroom board-there are some really helpful existing maths teachers on there

Hi. I just wanted to point out that it’s now a two year training period called ECT (early career teacher) so NQT doesn’t exist anymore. It was possible to do the NQT part time it’s just that it would have taken you longer.

I would definitely spend some time in schools before committing as it’s very different to teaching motivated pupils in comparison with children who don’t want to be there. I am currently a secondary teacher early in my career (not maths) and am currently being driven up the wall by how much damage is being inflicted on my classroom on a daily basis, the graffiti, kids throwing things around, dropping stuff out of windows, contacting parents about rudeness, kids refusing to use dictionaries or get equipment out of their bags, constantly being interrupted and told your subject is useless etc. I spend so much time trying to control the behavior of the pupils and I’m really not enjoying teaching them at all. I’m currently looking for other jobs despite being in a very supportive school i don’t think I can handle being in this environment for the next 30 years so definitely try and experience it first!

How much did you earn as a data scientist? Teachers, particularly when first qualified, don't earn nearly as much as other maths graduates. And if you worked it out p.h. ....

Definitely look at the teacher pay scales. More newly qualified teachers start on M1 it is possible to start higher for maths but usually M2. As a maths teacher it’s possible to get a part time role straight away.

You would definitely be able to negotiate time - as a maths teacher you could pretty much negotiate anything you want- schools are so desperate to find them.

This likely won’t be a popular statement on this board but maths teachers are massively in demand and unless you want to teach in a state school you don’t need any qualifications so long as you can actually do the job.

A friend was head of RE at a private secondary school for a while as her first school age teaching role as she had experience teaching adults and a degree in theology. The same place had been after a maths teacher for eighteen months without success offering £50k, house, and living expenses (but they had to have a maths degree).

I would contact local private schools outlining your position.

Teaching top set year 10 is amazing. Teaching bottom set year 10 is like shoving bamboo splinters under your nails.

Try to do some volunteering and see what you think.

Tutoring is fun and reasonable money. You get to select your students. You do need to know the GCSE curriculum inside out and all the latest teaching techniques.

Private and selective schools have far more motivated pupils.

Prison education is a brilliant challenge, associative counting in the morning, MSc maths in the afternoon. Plus an awful lots of E3 - L1 - L2 functional skills.

my DH is a maths teacher at a large well-known independent school. he enjoys the actual teaching, but finds the constant pressure from SLT, the reporting, and marking expectations very stressful. he got a new HoD in the last couple of years and she's made it worse so much pressure, and as a result he worries through the holidays which is a shame as that's partly (mostly) what makes all the stress and time outlay worth it during term time! he works 6 days a week, 2x afternoons a week are sports coaching and 1x evenings a week he supervises a boarding house until 9.30pm.

Thanks for all these thoughts.

I’m aware that some Indy schools might take me without PGCE but I would like to be trained as right now I’d only feel confident teaching an interested student. I wouldn’t feel at all confident that I had the strategies to engage a child who had significant gaps in their learning, or a poor attitude or lack of confidence (let alone significant behaviour problems), though I am up for the challenge.
Getting a job in a school with supportive SLT seems key.
It’s good to hear that part time hours for maths is a goer. I might be happy to do a few years full time but not very long.
Data science paid well enough that I don’t need to worry about paying a mortgage or saving into a pension… I’m incredibly lucky to have been (over) paid so well that I don’t need to keep up a long City commute, but neither am I ready to end the challenge of learning and working out of the home.

Any views on whether to go the route of PGCE at local uni or Teach First or whatever? I like to understand the theory of what I’m doing so my instinct is the former. It appears it wouldn’t cost me anything as I’d qualify for a scholarship?

I would recommend PGCE route with QTS. You will have more time at uni and I believe you will get a decent bursary to teach maths.