Ds1 wants to be primary teacher.

[FreakinScaryCaaw]

Ds1 (yr 12) recently did work experience in a local primary school. He's great with dcs and loved being there.

He needed ABB in his As results to get into his first choice of uni. He got AAB. Plus a U in chemistry which he's dropping.

I was talking to a friend last night who said her daughter studied to be a primary teacher but couldn't get a job.

Would he be wise to have a rethink?

TIA

Job market depends on what area you are in but he has the distinct advantage of being male

Thanks for replying.

He'd have no problem moving.

I would recommend doing a degree in a subject he likes and then topping it up with a 1 year PGCE course. That way he can always do something else if teaching doesn't work out. Plus should he decide he wants to do secondary, it is a lot easier to make the transition.

As PP stated, being male will be a definite advantage, but there is a lot of competition for primary jobs.

Could he add in a language? They are desperate for primary MFL teachers.

I am in Bucks and know of several schools who are struggling to employ good teachers.

There are, of course, a myriad of other reasons to dissuade him!

I second doing a normal degree first. Leave his options open.

Dcs go to him like he's a magnet. Dn is 5 sees him rarely but begs to 'keep' him when she does dsgs is 18 month and sees him occasionally but goes to him over anyone even his parents. It's bizarre but nice.

I'll ask him about his chosen study. He's gone to bed now. Just finished baking choc chip cookies. He has this new baking hobby. I don't have a sweet tooth but am still sampling them

Yes I've heard it's a hard profession.

Thanks for the advice I'll pass it on to him.

I would do the degree route and then pgce unless he is completely sure that's what he wants. He may change his mind in three years.
Also my pgce was really really hard work! Much harder than my degree as I was working and studying. Does he want that for three years! Very tough when all your mates are rolling out of bed for lectures at 9.30
and you have to be ready at 7.30 am bright and sharp ready to teach a class. And it will be that early if he wants to be well prepared.
Save that for the pgce. It's a great job but to do it well you have to put in the hours. I wouldn't of been mature enough at 18/19 but you ds might be different.

I will be another vote for degree-then-PGCE - more options later (he might find he wants to do something else in childcare, or something else altogether) and the chance to have in-depth knowledge of something, whatever he studies.

Here in Essex there is a desperate shortage of teachers in primary. A head teacher friend of mine in a good to outstanding school is three teachers short for September.
Teachers are leaving the profession in droves... I would recommend taking subject at uni he is passionate about then doing the PGCE or graduate teacher programme.

Yes to doing something at uni that he's passionate about - the nice thing about primary is that your degree doesn't need to be an NC subject, or even child development, so he can be really flexible.

I would also add if possible he could do some volunteering/working with children throughout his degree - most places you apply want some experience with children, and obviously if he does it through his degree it's going to be nice and up-to-date. Depending what he studies (not all students get loads of free time!) it's also likely to be a really good time to get this sort of thing in, as hopefully he'll have time and energy!

Whether it's helping with Cubs or summer holiday activities or actually in a school, it'll be really useful when he's applying - it's definitely something they look for.

Thanks everyone for the great advice. We've been away without WiFi so couldn't reply.

He's not home until tomorrow so I'll send him a link to the thread.

My ds is just about to start his NQT year ( secondary) , he got a 1st in his degree and then did his teacher training with a local supplier ( on a very good bursary) , when we went to graduation there were several that had done primary and they have all got jobs to go to - some in the schools that they did their placements in and some out of area . Overall most of the trainees had got jobs to go to in September so I wonder if it's easier to get a job going down this route rather than doing a PGCE at uni . My DS had also been offered a place to do it this route at a local uni but opted for the local supplier as he wanted to go to the school they were offering as his main placement .

He needs to do shadowing, talk to current teachers and look at job vacancies. I have been teaching for nearly 20 years and loved it, but wouldn't recommend anyone go into teaching now. I hate hate hate hearing myself saying it, but it's true.

Yes I've heard people say the same rollon. Very sad.

As an Irish teacher I wouldn't go into teaching in the UK - I know so many people who headed over to teach and the system is breaking them. I'm assuming that's where you are so I'd say no, unless he's thinking of moving (plenty of work abroad - one girl I know having a great time teaching in Milan).

Why are so may Irish teachers heading over to England to teach, SmugairleRoin? I can't speak for primary as I haven't met any where I work, but it was quite noticeable when visiting secondaries for DD.

Are there lots of differences?

Lack of jobs here - lots of recruitment agencies advertise to Irish teachers to go, especially those just out of college. The thing with teaching here is most do have to sub for a while (don't know if it's the same there?). When you're fresh out of college and facing into a year or so subbing, that position offered in the UK is tempting...many going to the international schools in Europe, Dubai etc.

The Irish curriculum is a lot more open ended in terms of what you can do with your class from what they tell me (apparently more choice on topics here? I know I can choose whatever I like as a topic for example, as long as it's integrating the curriculum), obviously there's Irish in there too though and a lot of religion which does make for a packed curriculum.

Funding here not great - a school on the Aran islands (very remote) are in the news today for finally getting a second teacher - funded by an insurance company!

I think my friends who have gone have found the assessment, planning, shifting targets all very hard. Here planning etc is hard too of course but it seems much more taxing on them.

Oh, and in secondaries you'll probably see a lot of Irish as well...they've emigrated, a fair chunk of the country has :/ and English or History teachers for example are oversubscribed here. But I'm primary and so are those I know who went, so I'm not sure what it's like for them.

Thanks for the information.

Ds1 has read the thread and said thanks too.