'To be an ASN teacher you don't need a PGDE' ???

[Ispywithmycynicaleye]

According to Teach in Scotland, to become an ASN teacher you need to either hold an undergraduate degree OR have done the one year PGDE.

Can anyone tell me if this is correct please. Unfortunately my experience with the advisers you call for advice has been poor with every enquiry being met with 'don't know best call local uni'.

Scottish universities all say that completing the PGDE is the ONLY way to teach in scotland, contradicting what Teach in Scotlad say.

I am Scottish and this is where I completed my degree Education Studies (Primary) with a First Class last year and have been volunteering in an ASL department and loving it. My children have an ASD diagnosis and I'm also going through my own assessment. It is an area of teaching I would love to work in.

So is Teach in Scotland right? And if so how would I get started? Following their links has led to information that contradicts what they say hence the confusion.

Thankyou.

You can teach with a relevant undergraduate degree in Scotland - they include the teaching placements you’d do on the PGDE.

But if you’d done one of those, you’d not be unsure about it. You’d know.

Some wires have been crossed somewhere. To teach in any state school in Scotland, including ASN, you need to be qualified with a degree and PGDE. However, you can teach subjects other than your degree up to a certain level within your timetable.

What is this please? I have heard about Teach First but read that they are only running I'm England. I also enquired, can't remember through who since it was a while ago, about gaining a PGDE while working in a school/ on placement instead of through brick uni and was told again this was only available in England.

This is what I was told, hence the confusion to see Teach in Scotland say undergraduate degree OR have done the one year PGDE.

What is your undergraduate degree?

Primary education won't need a PGDE. Did you do placements in primary schools?

BA (Hons) Education Studies (Primary)

To teach in Scotland you need to have completed an Initial Teacher Education accredited course - either an undergraduate education degree (usually Primary) or a subject based degree followed by an PGDE to either in secondary or Primary. There are no 'on the job' training options available in Scotland.
If you have completed an Education Studies (Primary) degree then surely you have done placements and should be eligible for your probationary year? With a Primary Ed degree you can teach nursery- P7 and ASN in those age groups (some authorities request teachers in ASN based to have additional training but not many). My OH is primary qualified and has taught in an ASN base for the last few years.

The best thing to do is contact General Teaching Council (Scotland) for information.

You are qualified to teach in Scottish Primary schools then but would need to complete your probationary year. Were you not given any information about probation when you qualified last year?
Your best bet is to contact the GTCS as you need to be registered with them to teach in Scotland, they'll also be able to confirm your degree is accepted and what categories you can teach under. Did you not get any of this info from uni when you graduated?

It doesn't if you've done a subject specific degree rather than an education one.

Aaagh! Fat fingers! 🤦🏼‍♀️
@lilybloom2 it 'does' require a PGDE if you've done a subject specific degree rather than an education one

But the op has a degree on primary education so she shouldn't need a PGDE.

If you have completed an Education Studies (Primary) degree then surely you have done placements and should be eligible for your probationary year?

I studied through the OU, placements were organised by ourselves by finding a school to volunteer in if and when we could. There was no formal assessment of our time during placement.

My degree didn't include the PGDE element and the OU do not offer that course which is why I was going down the brick uni route.

That bit doesn't matter so much as presumably the schools completed a report for your placement but it's more that you would have been eligible to start your probationary year last August if you graduated last year.
As suggested previously I'd contact the General Teaching Council (Scotland) as you may be eligible for a guaranteed probationer placement this year but if not you can complete via the Flexible Route. You won't be able to apply for a permanent post until you've completed your probationary days.

Sorry I though you were meaning in more general terms rather than about the OP specifically.

I think I now understand the confusion. My degree, although Education Studies (Primary) is a subject only degree with primary education being the subject. I have just looked at brick uni undergraduate primary education degrees and their programme includes the PGDE. Mine didn't.

My degree didn't include the PGDE element and the OU do not offer that course which is why I was going down the brick uni route.

But as @lilybloom2 and I have said we don't think you need to do the PGDE to teach in primary/primary ASN (or even possibly secondary ASN) as your undergraduate degree is in primary education but you do need to contact the GTCS to register and sort out your probation.

I haven't heard of a Flexible Route, can I ask what this is?

Flexible route is where you teach on a supply basis - you have to do a certain number of days (look it up on GTCS website)

It's flexible so you can choose how many days you do and where. But you won't be assigned a mentor in a school which is usually very helpful.

I can't believe you did your placements without assessment. How did you get signed off? How does anyone know you can teach a class of children effectively? It was a big deal when I graduated and we were all terrified of failing the last one and having to re do placements!!!!

Sorry I wasn't meaning that to sound rude! Just was a bit surprised

That confused me too Load.

@Ispywithmycynicaleye

I think I now understand the confusion. My degree, although Education Studies (Primary) is a subject only degree with primary education being the subject. I have just looked at brick uni undergraduate primary education degrees and their programme includes the PGDE. Mine didn't.

A PGDE is a separate course/qualification taken after your undergraduate degree, I don't see how it would be included in an undergraduate degree as it's a further qualification.
By subject specific degrees I mean History or English for example then a PGDE is needed to either teach that subject at secondary level or to teach at primary.
I did a degree in primary education (many moons ago) so can teach from nursery to P7 mainstream & ASN and in certain cases secondary S1/2 learning support/ASN.

I assumed the schools completed reports? We've had a few post grad students recently where there has been no tutor visit but the school based reports were quite lengthy.