Drop out rare PGCE anyone know?

[PGCEwoes]

We’ve lost 12% so far, all officially state they want to “spend time with their families” but unofficially say they feel demoralised unsupported and struggling with the course work load expectations.

I don't know why this is but nearly all of my NQT fellows (the ones I know about) are still in teaching. most full time. Two (male!) are headteachers. Even my DH is still teaching, 20 years of moaning later. I don't know many people who have left teaching. Not very many of my colleagues over the years have left the classroom, other than to go into school improvement work. I can think of one who ahs left the profession and form what I can gather he is back teaching now.

Point taken, but I’m primary. So NQTs are often part of a planning team, have no curriculum responsibilities and are not expected to run an after school club, unlike many who are not NQTs. The problems often seem to really bite in the second year, when all the extras are taken away and the rest all piles on.

The problems often seem to really bite in the second year, when all the extras are taken away and the rest all piles on.

I totally agree with this and have posted about it before. The PGCE year was hard, the NQT was harder but the year after NQT when the additional release time is removed, you get subject responsibility thrown at you and are just generally not considered ‘new’ any more, was the hardest point of all!

Am nqt in a pretty good school, with plenty of support. I will be much happier once I've been through the whole spec for each course once - the planning is the bit that's killing me.
And am also a career changer and think many, many bits of teaching are quite beyond belief. I was public sector before and it was still nothing like this inefficient.

Am nqt in a pretty good school, with plenty of support. I will be much happier once I've been through the whole spec for each course once - the planning is the bit that's killing me.

This is what’s killed me over the years-thinking-‘oh, I’ll just get this year’s planning cracked and it will all be done for next year and I won’t have to change it’ and it NEVER is because things change so bloody often. I’m in my 20th year now and it’s worse than ever!

Piggy that's interesting. Different schools?

I wonder if because you qualified so long ago, back in the 'good old days' the current situation has been more like frog in a pot of water being brought to the boil than current NQTs being chucked straight in, and because all the extra crap has been brought in after you have got your teaching sorted and can wing it a bit, it's more workload, but not on top of a ridiculous amount of planning.
Are your colleagues SLT on majorly reduced timetables? That's the other factor that keeps people in teaching - not actually teaching much.

I only know two headteachers noble and am not that old!

We are all in different schools but most of them (not me) started off in a tough school together. there was a heavy workload in those days, honest. It wasn't some golden era. But there was definitely more camaraderie amongst teachers and moaning wasn't frowned upon either. I would argue HODs were more supportive then, too, in terms of discipline issues and training was better. Teachers could have individual style and be a bit maverick. That's all been sanitised and squeezed out. young teachers are definitely much more serious. We went out and got pissed every Thursday!

There was also only one route available (other than BEd) for training and we spent a lot of time at uni during PGCE. I'm not sure there was so much political interference in teaching either : SATs were just beginning and then league tables ...

I agree about the reduced teaching load for SLT though. My friends are stressed out HTs. But I look at the DHTs and especially the AHTs at my school and they do not understand any more what it is like to be in a classroom , or to have shitloads of marking, or a form group.

Also, waaaaaaaayyyy more jargon in teaching now and much more constant contact with each other, and parents (bloody internet)

This is all v fascinating. we of course didn't have fast track in the Stone Age either. It almost feels like there were better trainees before they started faffing with all these routes : more determined, more driven by a 'calling' (for want of a better word), and less feeling of being able to get out if it all when tits up too! Teach First's retention after 5 years is actually appalling isn't it?

Out of interest miaow what is the general background of the Fast Trackers?

Teach First's retention after 5 years is actually appalling

I would imagine so-I’d like to see the stats on this-does anyone know?

I wonder how many of the Teach First people on the tv program they made are still teaching?

I heard only one!

Apparently 40-43% are still teaching 3 years after gaining QTS. How many teachers that actually us, I don’t know.
I’m still waiting for that massive influx of fit, disciplined squaddies we were promised. Would have enhanced my last couple of years in the profession...

Claudenia the science teacher is still teaching, I think SLT? I’ve got a friend who has worked with her. Meryl, the English teacher who had a complete nightmare on the show presented a session at ResearchEd this year, she’s still teaching too. The guy who wrote a poem in the toilets quit teaching, I think I read his blog about it.

That troops to teachers scheme that millions was pumped into got I think a grand total of 17 people.

Sorry. 28 people.

It cost £4.5m
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/education-35595424

I didn't think I would be somehow different at all, nor did I think teachers were lying. I spent 3 years seriously doubting whether or not to do school direct exactly because of all the threads like this. Eventually decided to try it or I'd never know. However, after the latest day of working 8 till 7, then home, no time to read stories to my own children , work at home till 9 .30, I've had enough. None of the teachers at the school seem happy or seem to work less hours than me, and it's not a life I want. I am not failing, my marks and observations are all great, but I just don't think the good bits outweigh the bad, sadly. Considering at the moment whether to struggle through the year knowing I'll never be a classroom teacher, or quit this term and save the fees.

I don't even sleep properly,I'm so stressed - I hate the thought of waking up in the morning and going in. :(

Mainly because I never feel as if I've had enough time to prepare, and there's always another hoop to jump through.

Hi Mijkl I feel as you do. I researched teaching very carefully, asked current teachers lots of searching and difficult questions and agonised for months before applying. The moment I went to my placement school I hated it, I couldn’t find anything positive but I’ve plugged away hoping it will get better but tonight I finally came to my senses and I decided that it it’s not for me. I was going to try and continue until next term in case it was going to be better at another school but I think I’ll still I hate it and like you the prospect of going in tomorrow was making me feel ill. I can’t tell you the relief I feel.
Am going back to my old job, crappy hours, much more stressful, more money, but a better atmostphere with lovely supportive colleagues who just make me feel better about life.

Thanks all for your very interesting comments. I wish all teachers on here well, I hope the situation improves for you.

I graduated from my pgce this year. The whole cohort (including early years, primary, all secondary subjects & SEN specialists) was 271 in September. There was 36 of us who made it to graduation. 5 of those didn’t gain QTS.

:-o

What the hell, WORK? how on earth did that happen?!