PGCE at age 35?

[BaileyBoos]

Hello all, I’m just after some advice.

I work as a TA currently albeit only part time. I enjoy the role, and I like being around children but I’m under no illusions that life as a TA and teacher are worlds apart.

If I apply for a PGCE in 2021 I’ll be age 35. Am
I a dinosaur in the teaching world? Is it worth doing?

For context, I have three children and next year they will be aged 13, 11 and 8. I’m worried if I leave it any longer I’ll just be too old. Does anyone have children that are similar ages, and do you have any work-life balance? I couldn’t have done it when they were toddlers/babies.

Thanks.

Hi- I was 40 when I did my pgce, not the oldest on the course either. We have many older NQTs at my school too. I had similar aged kids and I’m a single parent. Good childcare is necessary so you can commit to after school activities, meetings etc. it has worked well, only have one in primary now with good breakfast/after school provision. I’m limited in where I can work as have to do drops off. Lots of work in the evenings/weekends especially around mock/exam time but I know now where I can cut corners. I’d say do it now.

Thanks @Rosie2000 that’s helpful. I have been wanting to do it for a while but there’s just no way I could have managed when mine were smaller.

I know it will still be challenging but I didn’t know if I should go ahead and complete it now, or wait until I’m 40, when I’ll have a 19, 17 and 14 year old.

At least I will only have one child at primary. The other two will make their own way to school and DH is supportive.

Might just give it a bash and if it doesn’t work out I can just go find another job.... lol !!!!

I did my GTP year when I was 33. Was fine, but I was single. I went quite quickly up the leadership scale due to transferable skills from a previous career, so I haven't felt particularly old at any point. In my last job I employed a 52 year old NQT.

Oh great, feeling more positive now. I’ve read all the horror stories but I can only try. Nothing to lose, everything to gain. Perhaps I’ll do a salaried route nearer the time. In my forties mine will all be late teens/early twenties so I’m hoping ill be at a bit of an advantage then.

Thanks for your replies.

I qualified this year at 44. DC are now 7, 13 and 15. I have never worked so hard in my life but it is doable. This is partly thanks to Covid which has led to DH working from home, which made the childcare and housework more manageable, but if the world ever returns to normal and he goes back to the office we will get a cleaner again and up the hours with the childminder (and hopefully reduce the amount of time I spend on cleaning and rotating resources in my reception classroom). I was the oldest in my SCITT group by several years but I had a brilliant time training, and being an older NQT has not been an issue at all - I think for the school I now work at the fact that I was older and had wider experience was an advantage when I applied. I worked as a TA for years and when I get too old and knackered to crawl around on the carpet in EYFS I would consider going back to TA or HLTA roles but for now I have no regrets about stepping up to teacher.

@Doraemon

Brill you’ve really put me at ease. I have a similar philosophy. I am hugely lucky in that my living costs will always be low, so if i can’t hack it, I’ll return to being a TA.

I’m starting scitt next September and I’ll be 45! One of the first questions I was asked at interview was why the wait?!! I think life experience is very much appreciated in teaching!

@Emski76

Good luck!!!

@BaileyBoos thank you

I found out this afternoon that I have a place on a scitt for September!! I'll be 44 then.

School Direct here, which is especially popular and suitable for TAs, I would say.

So far this year we have offered 7 places on our course - 3 straight out of uni aged 21/22/23, one 29, one 35, one 39 and one 52. The 52 year old has been a (fabulous) TA for 6 years. We have a so far fairly average trainee on placement in her class at the moment and I think that is a large contributor to her deciding to take the plunge. She could see how much better at teaching she was than the trainee!

Last year our oldest was 39, also a TA, and she did struggle to get a job, if I'm honest. She was told she came second 8 times and given the feedback that there was nothing extra or different she could have done. Just pipped at the post (by someone younger).

She finally got her job two days from the end of the summer term - and the school has been so pleased. I can't understand why a school (especially in a pandemic when they couldn't see candidates teach), all other things being equal, would opt for a young NQT over a career changer who has made a big commitment for her family and comes with a proven track record- for the same NQT salary.

@Scarby9

Thanks for your input. Younger ones are easier to mould I would imagine.

@BaileyBoos In normal years, yes, but this year all but one of the NQT posts around us was just for one year initially so if I'd been the HT heading into a coronavirus year, I think I would have gone for experience and tried the older NQzt out.

@BaileyBoos I am 32 with three young children and have just been accepted onto a SCITT course.
Let's be dinosaurs together

@CaviarAndCigarettes

Haha!! Good luck!!

I’ll be doing a primary PGCE with a baby when I’m 35. Am I mad? We do have plenty of help from grandparents.

In my previous job I was professional tutor for NQTs. Had many trainees 35 plus, several in their 40s. Made excellent teachers all of them, committed and with useful life experience. You would be more than fine.

I hate to be the voice of doom on an otherwise positive thread but I would think really carefully about this. A number of my colleagues are jumping in the opposite direction because of workload. So, they are looking for teaching assistant posts and going to earn extra money in side hustles if they need to at times that suit them and their families. Most teachers have huge transferable skills we just don't always recognise them ourselves.

If you can afford the time out to do the PGCE then it's a worthwhile qualification to have in its own right. Just go into the profession with your eyes open. I would not recommend secondary teaching for anyone at the minute, most of all those with a family.

Hi there,

I was 32 and slap bang in the middle of my cohort, age-wise. I'm now almost 35 and don't regret a thing about making the switch from my previous career.

Hope you make the right choice for you.

I did my PGCE at 40 - secondary subject and qualified for a 'golden handshake' at the time. Quickly became HoD and then AHT.

I think for the next year Heads are going to prefer NQTs without any potential childcare issues (at least until the vaccine is sorted)

Thanks for your replies.
It will be primary, not secondary. Had experience in both and secondary is categorically not for me.

I know the workload is heavy but my kids aren’t little anymore so I’m not your typical woman in her thirties. I absolutely couldn’t do the job with babies/young kids/ or with no supportive husband.

Going into the job with my eyes wide open. If it’s truly terrible then I won’t think twice about looking for something else further down the line. I guess I can only try.

Thank you all so much.

I’m a TA and about to turn 41. I am seriously considering retraining and doing my PGCE (I was a barrister before this but hated my work, so unpredictable and the criminal bar is becoming more and more soul destroying from what I can gather from my friends still ‘in’). Anyway, I won’t be able to start a pgce until at least September 2022 so I would be 43 on finishing and starting my NQT year, so at 35 you won’t be the oldest I am sure!

Good luck with your choices, they say everyone has at least 2 careers in them...

I did my PGCE at 40. It is hard work but doable. There are financial implications that you need to plan for. You also need to accept that some schools want teachers who are young and that are predictable. They have followed a standard path of school, university then school. Career changers offer something different and not all schools want that. Didn't bother me at all - got my jobs and my schools accept that I have life experience.

Good luck.

I'm 44 with two young children and doing SD (salaried) Primary this year after being a TA and having a previous career. I don't think I'm the oldest on the course (although have only met the other participants online!)

It is hard going and I am up late several nights a week to get it all done but it's so rewarding and a huge amount of fun too. I'm lucky that like a pp DH has been wfh so childcare has been easier than it would have been otherwise.

The school has indicated that if things continue to go well, there would be a post for me next year.

I am currently doing my PGCE, there are plenty of people in their thirties on my course. People with school experience seem to be finding it much easier, actually.