I want to change career and become a primary school teacher... Any advice??

[louloupoo]

Hi

I'm currently on mat leave and due back at my job as a store manager in march '11. But the thought of going back just makes me depressed :-( I've always quite fancied being a primary school teacher and feel that now is the time to look in to it.

Does anybody have any advice on how I should go about it? I have a degree in retailing so would like to start training as a gradute in order that I can keep earning rather than go back to uni. Any tips on how to improve my chances of being accepted on a placement would be appreciated.

Any advice on what steps I should take or... anything in fact...??? Greatly appreciated :-)

I believe it's v competitive; GTT places even more so

Have you contacted the university you might want to attend for further info?

If your degree is not relevant to the national curriculum, you may have to do some subject training on top of your post-grad teacher training. Teacher training is available part-time (including via Open University) so you could in theory carry on in your current job - but you would need to get some classroom experience in order to qualify. Have a look at the Training & Development Agency website (used to be the Teacher Training Agency).

I would recommend you try and get some voluntary experience in the classroom if you possibly can, to make sure this is really what you want to do. I think some PGCE providers insist that you have this if you don't come from an education background (e.g. TA etc.). Even if it's not a formal requirement it might give you the edge when you're applying as it's competitive as BlackandGold says.

The OU don't do primary but they will help you with subject knowledge. It's not necessary to have an NC degree but you will find it much more difficult without one. Think stunning experience, real flair for teaching mentioned in your refs and a really cracking interview to stand any chance of getting in. It's a box you don't tick so you need to tick all the others lots. Think about how you could relate your degree to the NC, also about any training you've delivered in your job.

I'd advise you to get experience in both primary and secondary, preferably involving hands on work rather than just 2 weeks observation which is compulsory before you start the course. Then get the head, or one of the teachers, to be your referee.

You need Eng, maths and science passes at GCSE, plus a degree.

SCITT is hellishly competitive and the best way in to that is as a TA in a school which could support a GTP teacher.

All of the above .

Definitely need to get as much experience as you can - I think some people (and I'm not necessarily suggesting this applies to you) have a very rose tinted view of what primary teaching is actually all about, and I think you need to see it for yourself to make that decision (in a variety of schools too).

It is very competitive and there is currently high unemployment amongst trained teachers so it is getting more so. Buy a copy of the TES and have a read - both for jobs and current issues - to give you more ideas of what is happening in the field right now.

Good luck, if it's really what you want to do it's a fantastic job, but if you're half hearted about it and doing it because you think it will fit in well with childcare (which it doesn't btw!) then you could hate it!

Get yourself over to the TES forums-there will be lots of good advice there. Unfortunately, you might need to read the NQT/supply/unemployed teachers forums too to see things aren't terribly rosy at the moment in education. Jobs are also expected to go imminently. :(

Yes as well to all above. You could road test the teaching environment as well by doing a stint as a teaching assistant (pays about £7ph but you have a short working day and get school hols off). This will give you a pretty good idea of how viable a teaching post is in the longterm. All my family were/are teachers - it's not the teaching that's stressful, it's all the paperwork, marking/reports/extra hours and the fact you have to keep jumping to the next new fangled government initiative. And Ofsteds - don't get me started!!

Test out what skills could transfer to teaching with this short online test: www.venturenavigator.co.uk/skills

Where are you in the country? South has more jobs than midlands and north.
Doing A GTP is a lot of work. You willbe working from 7-11 most days and will rarely see your dc. A PGCE is not much better. Lots of students with children drop out as the workload is too much. Do you have a DP who is flexible with work hours or family nearby? It might be better to return to your job for a few years and try the teacher traiing in a few years when your dc need you a bit less.