Options - career change from corporate world to teaching

[JudiRuliani]

I’d like to become a teacher. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but life went in a different direction and until now I’ve had neither the time nor money to change careers.

Can anyone please advise me on how this can be done - the info I get from researching is ambiguous. I’m in the UK, with UK qualifications.

The stumbling block seems to be that I don’t have a degree. For personal reasons I didn’t go to uni after A Levels. However, in my early 20s I studied a professional qualification which meant I also achieved a PGDip. Usually people needed a degree to study the prof qual but I was accepted on my GCSEs, A Levels and work experience.

Despite the exodus of teachers and the tales of stress, overwork and unhappiness amongst some teachers, it is still something I would love to do. I am - for the first time in decades - in a position to be able to afford both the time and money needed to do this (I think/hope).

Career wise I’ve worked in the private sector within HR / Learning and Development, designing, delivering and evaluating training courses covering personal skills, leadership and management skills, coaching and the like.

Can anyone please advise on the route(s) available to me. Ideally I’d like to teach secondary age or further/higher education.

Thanks 😁

https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/train-to-be-a-teacher/teacher-degree-apprenticeships

There is this - but I have to say I think you'd struggle to find a school to support this.

I am a "Professional Tutor" in my school which means I look after anybody trying to get QTS and in their first two years of teaching.

Without a degree you are pretty limited. QTS means you can teach in any setting, and its important you can prepare students for university.

Having said that - teacher apprenticeships which include a degree do exist. I just don't believe it's the best route to becoming an effective teacher. It's sort of a sink or swim situation and if you've not had the opportunity to observe expert teachers then it's very difficult to know what a good lesson looks like. I also think it's rare for schools to offer that route - and they're likely to offer it to a teaching assistant or cover supervisor already known to them. I wouldn't offer it to a random member of staff.

If you are desperate to be a teacher - I would be looking to get a degree. It may be worth considering if there's a way to convert your PG into a degree?

It is a difficult but rewarding job - I love it - but I do think without a degree it will be tough for you to get into. Good luck!

Personally I would go and do some work experience first - see if you like it. And I would choose a typical school - not a super nice one!!

Can you use your PG credits and ‘top up’ to get a degree perhaps? As PP said, rightly, you do need a degree to teach - this should be in or closely related to your chosen teaching subject for secondary.

Thank you both for the advice and excellent suggestions, I’m very grateful and will follow up on the ideas.

Agree with PP - you need a degree and I would strongly advise that you get some work experience in a school for year to see what it's really like!!

Totally agree with @shardlakem you need to know what you’d be letting yourself in for.
This comment concerns me;

‘Despite the exodus of teachers and the tales of stress, overwork and unhappiness amongst some teachers, it is still something I would love to do’

You’re playing this down massively! I would do some research on the number who have left in the past 5 years. They aren’t ‘tales’ of stress, overwork and unhappiness’ they are very real! Pretty sure I read somewhere recently that teaching is the number one stressful occupation. The overwork is real, most full time teachers work 50-60 hours a week. If you don’t think teachers are unhappy then join the ‘Exit the classroom’ group on FB. The situations and way some teachers are treated are horrendous!
Definitely get some experience in schools. I can guarantee you it is unrecognisable from when you were at school and that these ridiculous ‘get into teaching’ adverts are utter bollocks.