Can anyone put my mind at ease?

[picklejimmy]

I'm in my first year training as a secondary school Art teacher and will be starting my NQT year Sept 19. I'm really panicking about finding a job. I've been on TES and looked at the jobs and there is 52 for the whole of the UK for art. I can't relocate because of my children and I can't travel too far as I can't drive yet (1st thing on my list of things to do when I have a job). I'm not going to be able to find anything am I? I know Sept is a while off but this worries me so much. Has anyone got any advice or reassuring words that's going to stop me worrying too much. My dp has put a lot on the line for me to be able to train (no bursary for art) and I don't want it to be for nothing.

Jobs for September won't really start coming up until about Feb time and will continue to come up until May. Don't start panicking yet!

Thank you, this is what my dp keeps saying but I'm an overthinker haha. My main worry is coming from a few art teachers in my placement school saying how they had to start part time and take whatever they got and how difficult they found it to find a job as an art teacher. And my course leader was saying how I might want to think of doing a maths class on top of this one because 'art jobs arent as common'. I don't want to teach maths, mainly because I wouldn't be able to do it justice as I'm not the best at maths haha!

It's too early to look for September jobs and not everyone advertises on TES,

Maths. There is no need for such a drastic strategy yet!!!

I hope not haha, Im really not the most mathematically minded haha!
I've been looking on school websites too. I'm going to try not to panic too much yet then :)

Check out eteach too - this is where most advertise. Plus look at the local council sites as schools can advertise on them much cheaper

Oh thank you!!! I'll start looking there

Don't teach Maths unless you love it!

Jobs aren't advertised yet, as others have said. You could try sending a CV to local schools nearer the time, but next September is a long, long time off yet!

Do you have a 'second subject' you could get experience of whilst you are training?

Now is not the right time to look for jobs, they always come up in batches as teachers can only resign at specific points during the year.
Jobs will come up from February.

Does your county have a teaching recruiting site? Recruitment fairs for teachers? Around here many if not most schools will not pay for tes ads.
Keep an ear out in your training school and in any other school you visit and have a chat with your training provider, they are often “matchmakers”. Good luck!

Do you have a 'second subject' you could get experience of whilst you are training?

I have photography and textiles also :)

I think the reason I am also worrying is that two people on my course have got jobs for next year already and I was thinking that I should too, but now reading this I really don't need to worry yet :)

Don't panic!

There are often netwroks amongts trainees and training providers,and schools talk to each other locally. Focus on being the best trainee you can and your name will get mentioned in recruitment conversations.

It's great that you can offer other subjects , especially textiles.

Whoever told you to try and get some maths skills is being ridiculous. Yes, the country needs maths teachers. No, the country does not need bad maths teachers!

Although it is true that art is a subject where unqualified teachers are often employed if a school is cash strapped.

I’d really advise you start learning to drive now. I know you have a ton on your plate but it will really open options. I learned in my last term of uni which was stressful but worth it for job hunting.

I would love to but at the moment we are living off of my partners wages alone. There is no bursary for art trainees unfortunately! So I just don't have the money.

I agree with the others it's early and in my experience, jobs have a habit of appearing when you least expect it. For my NQT year I got the only job in my subject that was advertised that year in a 15 mile radius and that was right at the end of the school year because a member of staff had become very ill and resigned. I hadn't got a job at that point because of childcare issues and I needed to be local, like you. It may just slot into place at the point you are most despairing!

You could also consider supply as an option if nothing suitable comes up by the summer - it will give you experience in local schools and if you get yourself known and asked for (because good supply is hard to come by), you start to build relationships in schools and it's you they think of when a job comes up. You may need to be bold, take general cover and march your way to the art department at lunch time and speak to staff! And maternity leaves start at all points in the year, not just September and people who are healthy today are long term sick tomorrow. Indeed, round where I am, the later in the year it is, the more the staff in charge of supply moan because it's hard to get people as we're all in long term positions already.

Look at private schools - they usually advertise on their own website

What career advice do you PGCE tutors provide? They should have a good idea of the job market locally.

Unless you are in a big city, the lack of driving license will severely limit your options.

I know but there's not really much I can do about that right now :/