Starting a PGCE in September 2021?

[WalrusWife]

I have a place on a PGCE Primary. I’m just wondering if any current teachers or students have any advice?

I’ll have a baby by then - my DH is sharing parental leave with me and will be looking after DD. We have some parental help too.

Is the PGCE doable with a baby? I’ve read that students this year haven’t been able to go on placements due to Covid, will this mean they won’t qualify and what does this mean for those starting a course in September do you think?

Many thanks.

Yeah, don’t 😉

I'm a PGCE student on a Scitt course and i have been in school since September. Can't comment on how it is with a baby though!

Would anybody recommend starting a PGCE or should I give it a wide berth?

I'm doing my PGCE with two children. I was in school full time for all of my first placement, and have just finished six weeks of an online teaching placement. I'm going back into a face-to-face teaching placement in March. Absolutely feel that I will qualify - I've been working my socks off to get the evidence I need. There aren't enough hours in the day, sometimes I've come in from placement, fed my children and once I've put them into bed had to get on with 4/5hours of planning or reflecting or assignments, it's exhausting but not impossible.

Hi OP,

I think one of the crucial factors here is how old your baby is. Many people return to teaching from mat leave around 9-12 months so if your baby is that age then I would say it’s going to be hard but doable.

However, you’ve said that you will have a baby by then not that your baby is already born, which makes me think that your baby will be very young. Teaching is incredibly demanding (as you will know), even more so at the moment, as everyone is trying to deal with the fallout of covid.

You've mentioned that you have support which is great but I honestly don’t know how doable a PGCE would be with a newborn. Doing a PGCE with children is definitely doable but a newborn is totally different. The university and your school placements might not cut you any slack if you struggle to meet deadlines or you’re exhausted and stressed etc, they will probably take the attitude that if you’re on the course then you need to fully commit. Do you have the option to defer until your baby is older?

I’m actually going on mat leave in 2 weeks and I can’t imagine doing the job successfully and being able to take care of a newborn.

Sorry to put a downer on things OP, ultimately though, only you know what the right decision is. Having a baby is hard and doing a PGCE is hard but combining the two just feels like you will be making an already hard year even harder and not giving yourself the best chance of success.

Can you talk to your university about your options? ❤️

I meant to add, I’ve mentored a couple of students with young children (around 18 months old) and although they were able to do it and they passed, they found it hard as there were so many demands on their time. They had to be extremely organised and proactive to ensure they met the course requirements and could do things on time. I would just think carefully about your support network and your own personality and capabilities. Good luck OP ❤️.