Teaching professionals - PLEASE help me find a way back to work, save me from my fate of Admin work!..... Some questions.

[justonemorethread]

Right, so this is the situation.

Did a GTP 7 years ago, did my assessment, passed, portfolio all complete, etc etc.

Then moved abroad, happily taught in International schools thought nothing of it.

Came back to UK low and behold, GTC have no record of me ever having done my assesment. They have me down as getting funding for the training and that's it.

Training provider has no records, apart from a lovely lady who remembers me so at least I didn't feel like I had dreamt the whole thing up.

The same month I 'qualified' the school was put in special measures, then I moved abroad, blah blah..

Anyway, that's all by the by. I was stupid not to follow it up, but young, just married and off on an adventure, naive to think paperwork sorts itself out. Stupid me.
School was disastrous in not forwarding my paperwork, but you can't imagine the state that school was in.

Now I need to focus on what to do next, so
(SORRY THIS IS GETTING LONG!)

From September DD has 3 days a week in nursery. In an ideal world I'd walk in to a par-time job in a lovely school round the corner.

Was thinking of registering with Reed education, and hopefully finding at least cover work or maybe a job in a private school (wouldn't be my first choice) Questions:

1)Is it still the case that QTS is not essential to work in a private school?

2)How regular is cover supervisor/supply work in London (west london mainly). I have a car. Is it a reliable income?

3)Does anybody want to volunteer to check my CV and letter, don't know anyone in teaching that I could ask, I'm so out of the loop, I would really appreciate an honest opinion!

4)Would you randomly send your CV and letter on a speculative basis to all schools in the area or is this a massive waste of energy?

For info I trained to teach English in secondary school, no experience of A level.
AFter training I had to teach primary as I was abroad, and only option.

I really want to get back in to secondary school, just need to find a way in.

IF you're still reading thanks for staying with me!
I do have an alternative career path in mind but it is merely a pipe-dream...
(look out for my next thread, gardeners!)

By the way nothing wrong with admin. work. That is probably what I'll end up doing. Just is not my first career choice, that's all, don't mean to offend anyone!

1. You don't need QTS to work in a private school.

1. My friend did ok in London on supply as a primary teacher. Not sure about secondary.

1. Yes speculatively send out yr CV and a covering letter. Now is a good time.

It doesn't matter that you can't teach A-level, there should be plenty of opportunity for English at KS3 &4.

All the best with sorting out your paperwork.

Thanks. Just bumping in the hope for mote advice!

sorry not much help other than i got lots of supply by sending out letters and my head now will look at letters if he cant get our regular supply teachers (primary)

I am really shocked at the situation regarding your QTS. Did you ever get a DfE/DFES number? It will look something like: 99/87632

Have you tried tracking down the HT? Anyone who worked at the school? Did you have student membership of a union?

You need to kick up a fuss about this, this is outrageous.

Branching I can see how you would be shocked, it is pretty poor!

For my part I don't know what my excuse is. I was in Africa with no internet or phone for ages before being connected, then I got busy with a new teaching job, then pregnant, and suddenly England seemed so far away.

But mainly I'd been told that QTS expires after 5 years if you don't do your NQT year, so I'd given up the ghost on it long ago.

Now I find out that it WOULD have been valid, but don't have it!!!

the HT disappeared in to a puff of smoke after the ofsted thing, it was all very dodgy, his wife was the bursar, I think there were also problems on that side. The school was beyond shambolic. I felt so sorry for the students. Most of the teachers left, the school no longer exists as it stood and is now an academy. One of the admin ladies remembers me but she said none of the original staff are there anymore.

Reed education advised me to write to the Board of education to make a complaint.

Does anyone know of any other route where I could start to kick up a bit of fuss? It may be worthwhile after all.

And yes Branching I was with a union - we were all advised to join with pending ofsted failure, but that was 2005 now, not sure what good it would do.

Ash did you get supply work directly with schools without using an agency?
Presumably this is possible only with QTS, but worth looking in to.

I'm so out of the loop it's a bit scary really!

(gets admin CV updated)

f you taught before, you should have you DFEE number - can you contact them? They can tell you your number if you don't know it.

I can't imagine many schools employing someone without QTS, since it's so competitive now. But you might be in luck. Not sure what to suggest but didn't want to read and run.

I had issues returning to teaching after a long-ish stint overseas so I sympathise. At least I had all my paperwork

Yes they found me on the system and a teacher number, but apparently this is just a training number or somehow temporary, and that's when it transpired they had no records of my qts assessment.

Oh, sorry. NIghtmare

Re. private schools - do you have something else you can offer as well as teaching? One of my colleagues walked into his job (private school) because as well as his degree, he has lots of Outdoor Ed qualifications so can offer loads of extra-curricular stuff. He then did his teacher training on the job.

I think that it is worth a bit of time and trouble to investigate this further, especially if you look at the pay differences between QTS and unqualified staff.

you don't need qts to work a free school either but it's up to the school to decide so it's worth asking.