PGCE - not sure how the heck I'm gonna do this!!

[mybumpsaboy]

well, I'm due my first baby in December & have a deferred offer to begin pgce secondary at warwick in sept 09....

I'm absolutely terrified how I'm going to manage it as a single mum, but somehow I just HAVE to if I'm going to provide for the baby & I alone....& I know if I don't go back & do it this year, I quite possibly never will

I'm going to have to commute to Warwick from about an hour away, but am v much hoping that I'll get placements somewhere inbetween as they've known my situation for over a year & hopefully nobody else will want to be travelling this way for placements...& I'm INCREDIBLY fortunate that my mother has offered to live with me 5 days a week for the 10months of the course to provide free childcare. I know I'll never get another offer like that again!!

I have some savings (about 3-4k) but had been majorly banking on the grant which I've just heard may be cancelled by 2009?! don't have a clue what I'll live off without it....just child tax & benefits won't pay the bills on my 3 bed house, let alone feed the baby & run my car will there be no funding for PGCE at all then???

& how do other PGCE'rs cope with only seeing their children on weekends - & even then inbetween work & marking??? There's a chance my ex will get one weekend day so I'd literally have one day a week with my child....just keep telling myself that it's a sacrifice for the good of our future...& it IS definitely the job I want...

but gaaaah!!! Any words of wisdom greatly appreciated

x

The training bursary is being cut to £4000, because of falling rolls and increased recruitment. However as this will be your sole source of income, and you are a single parents, you may be able to apply for other pots of money through your university as well, once you're there. You can also train via one of the Graduate Training Schemes, by training on the job and earning more than the bursary would give you, but it takes a bit longer.

PGCE year is very hard but well worth it in the end. You will survive!

Nag, nag and nag again to get a teaching practice placement near your home. Find your own if necessary by contacting all the local schools and seeing if they can help. If you could do your TP up the road from where you live that would be excellent.

i did somethign similar and it has been stressful but fine - DCs older, my mum did childcare.

you have to give yourself a bit of slack on things like housework, warn friends you are going to not be keeping up with them so much and count off the months.

it will be bloody hard but also it will be well worth it. Just keep telling yourself it isn;t forever and there is an end in sight.

You WILL be up at 4am doing assignments and you WILL wonder at times why the hell you are bothering.

You WILL also gain a huge sense of achievement and self worth.

You WILL be a teacher at the end with a wonderful career ahead of you.

Good luck.

I know you've got a place and don't know how this would affect it, but have you thought about doing a GTP? You would get a full time wage then as an unqualified tacher. This is what I'm planning to do as we just could not survive on me doing a PGCE

I was one of the first to do GTP. I think you end up a better teacher at the end of it, actually.

Does anyone have a link about the bursary being reduced? Thanks

Good luck mybumpsaboy

There's a letter from 2007 written by the then Schools Minister Jim Knight, on TeacherNet.

www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=11476

I am not happy they have done this, as it may save a few ££ but it rather undermines the profession.

The OP is doing a secondary PGCE though, and that letter seems to only affect those doing primary. I hope so anyway as I am planning to apply for secondary PGCE when I finish my OU degree next year.

Good point, LadyGlen, I originally read it as all bursaries, because of the reference to English, but just re-read it and it certainly could be taken that way.

I think clarification from the TDA would be very useful, so perhaps you should give them a ring to find out current position. Best to be on the safe side.

Thanks for the link BoffinMum. Not good news considering I was planning to apply for Primary PGCE

That's a bit of a bummer then.
Have you considered the GTP route as an option?