TA to teacher

[WhineCellar]

I have been working as a TA in EYFS and KS1 for the last 6 years and am thinking that it's time I upgraded to QTS before I'm too long in the tooth.

Is it true that you can get QTS via an assessment route if you've got enough TA experience? Rather than doing the PGCE / School Direct / Teach First options?

I am mentoring someone on the assessment only route. He is currently a teacher (unqualified) rather than a TA. You have to be teaching in order to get the evidence against the teaching standards.

Yes you can do the traditional routes assessment only but I'm not sure if its possible with TA experience rather than unqualified teacher experience, I may he wrong though. You'd be observed the same amount of times and will complete your folder (PGCE will more than likely require a couple of essays too). Definitely read into it.

Thanks Fallen. How much input do you have to give? Do you have to be in every lesson he teaches? I ask because I have the chance to teach Reception in a new school and I was wondering what level of input they might have to give to support me.

Have you got a degree? You need one to be a qualified teacher.

For the assessment only route you will probably need two years of teaching experience (in order to meet the teaching standards) in at least two schools.
getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/teacher-training-routes/specialist-training-options/assessment-only

You'd probably be better off doing on-the-job training via Schools Direct.

Have a degree from a Russell Group uni.

That's ok then!

The assessment-only route is really just a way for people who have already been working competently as teachers to get a qualification, it's not a training route. You'll need training, so you should sign up for a training course, otherwise you'll just be dumped in the deep end with no obligation to give you any support.

You could do Teach First?

But, (unless you're in the private sector) how to you get to teach unless you have QTS? Seems like a Catch 22 situation to me.

Yes I could do Teach First, but that is mainly in areas that are crying out for teachers. Much as I would absolutely love that challenge, I'm too far away from the areas that are recruiting.

Academies can hire unqualified teachers. Unqualified teachers are a lot cheaper than qualified teachers. They promise that a few years down the line they'll put them through QTS but chances are they'll just burn through them then discard.

Great. The reverse of Scrapheap Challenge (Teacher edition).

Pretty much!

I work in alternative provision. I observe one lesson a week. I couldn't observe every lesson because I am teaching my own classes. However, you do have to have been teaching for a while to do assessment only, as noblegiraffe says. I don't actually think it's unreasonable to train to be a teacher before being one (sorry!!).