Can you teach without a PGCE?

[Awholelottanosy]

I've not worked for a few years as I've been a carer for my dad who had dementia. I used to be a trainer for a charity so have a lot of experience teaching adults. I know teaching children is very different but I'm struggling to find employment and wondered if it was possible to teach without the PGCE. Or even a good idea? I was reading the thread about teachers being asked to teach subjects they weren't qualified in and the difficulties in recruiting teachers and as I have A levels in English, French and Psychology and 2 degrees, one in Law, there are quite a few subjects I could potentially teach. Is this a ridiculous idea?

Technically you could get a job as an unqualified teacher in an academy, or an independent school. Both would prefer you to have QTS in some way though, ime. I am not sure it would be a good idea either for yourself or for education systems as a whole though.

Is there any reason why you don't want to consider a PGCSE or one of the other routes into gaining QTS?

There are schools direct courses you can do which give you QTS 'on the job' and you get paid to do them. They vary by area so you'd need to do some local research. I worked in schools prior to doing my PGCE and did lots of small group teaching, but doing the PGCE helped massively with classroom management strategies and basic pedagogy. Since qualifying I've always worked in independent schools where QTS isn't mandatory, but even so the vast vast majority of people are properly qualified teachers. Those who aren't tend to have doctorates in their subject or teach a practical, sporting or artistic subject where they have abundant expertise and are experts in their field. Good luck if you decide to go for it

It seems quite a vague idea - perhaps it is worth exploring more about teaching as a career... there are lots of options, some of which need a qualification, some of which don't... particular reasons for not needing a qualification might be:

• training on the job (e.g. teach first which moves graduates into teaching before they go into their career)
• working in an environment where other skills / qualifications are sought after, maybe more vocational (e.g. specialist sports or arts), or perhaps bringing in outside experience - e.g. maybe involved in business studies but with experience of entrepreneurial work etc.

generally though teaching children is not as simple as adults (though sometimes easier in other ways!), and there is value in what you can learn from a teaching qualification - have you considered doing one?

You can teach in a college with those subjects and you won't need a PgCE neither.
QTS doesn't apply to college lecturers and as long as you have or are prepared to to take level 2/ GCSE in maths and English you'd be fine.

You could complete a PgCE within a year and maybe your college would keep you on for at least your probationary year.
I did my PgCE with 3 dc at home, one was a toddler.
It isn't easy, very time consuming especially considering you need to have a placement too, but doable with some support.

With your Degrees you could teach up to this level so definitely A level.

Thanks for your comments and advice and yes it is a vague idea, not even sure if I'd be cut out for teaching children, just exploring options at the moment.

As I said, this was inspired by reading the thread about how there are teachers teaching subjects like French who don't even speak the language! Teaching adults is a v different ball game from teaching children as generally you're teaching pp who have chosen to be there and you are trying to draw on their life experience rather than filling them with facts and enforcing discipline.

There's an unqualified teacher pay scale so you'd probably be paid less than a qualified teacher. Teaching teenagers is tough so you'd certainly be better to train on the job (salaried route) to get some support. What's your other degree in? There are bursaries available if you train to teach certain subjects.

You could also teach in adult education /post 16 sector, although you would need to be working towards a Certificate of teaching for Life long learning sector. some adult education colleges will put you thru this as you teach.

There are plenty of routes into teaching that don't require a PGCE, however I think by and large it's preferable in high schools for teachers to have QTS. So getting a job might be difficult without it.

I'm due to finish my PGCE in post compulsory education and training this year (deferred to have DD), and it's a very interesting and up and coming sector. It's not necessarily working in a high school but in colleges with vocational students, prisons, etc.

Have a good think of the kind of individuals you would like to teach, that might give you an idea of the best route to take.

My other degree was in American studies, a modular degree, so a bit of history, Spanish, politics, film studies, foreign policy, literature, a great course from a good university but pretty useless in the real world!

I work as a teacher. I have QTS but not a PGCE. It's never been a problem.

Definitely more attracted to teaching in a college tbh. I have an NVQ in Learning and Development, that was in the 90s, do I need another qualification to teach in a college?