fast track teaching

[squirmyworm]

anyone had experience of the fast track scheme?

a friend of mine has....I know a little bit about it too....what would you like to know?

Hi Popsycal...just what it's like really - is it very high powered? does it work as a way into teaching? what do you need to have done to do it? basically, if you are thinking of a career change, is it a good way to go into teaching...

It is, as far as I know, high profile rather than high powered. I think it looks good on your cv, but in my experience it doesn't get you anywhere faster than being an ordinarily ambitious teacher. I looked into it when it first came out, I had been teaching 2 or 3 years, and you could join up at that point, but I had actually already been promoted faster than I would have been on fast track.

I would recommend the graduate trainee programme more.

My friend trained late (early thirties) and it is pretty much the same as a normal PGCE but harder work.....
if that is possible....
hold on...give me a moment

government fast track teaching site

i agree with fisil - look as though you should progress through the ranks more quickly but in reality, once you have a job, it makes very little difference - in my humble opinion anyway

I think that you have to be prepared to move about a bit. So not good if you are tied to a geographical location because for dp/h dd/s.

i got a big promotion after 3.5 years of teaching due to sheer hard work.....

Where are you squirmyworm, and what age range/subject are you thinking of?

south east currently (just inside M25) thinking of primary

thanks for msgs everyone...and website. slightly put off by all the potential moving around

would a normal PGCE not work for you???

I agree with what has been said already. Once you are in the job the fast track is nlikely to get you promoted any quicker than a 'normally' trained teacher. I was offered promotion after 3 years of teaching, but actually declined to concentrate on having a family.

I am doing my PGCE at the moment at a Uni who do Fasttrack. I didn't do it because of the moving about part, but a friend has and she has found that a couple of schools have not been interested in her because she was Fastrack - don't know if it's political or ignorance, but it's information that might be of use to you. You do get an extra £5000 to train and a computer as well, which is always an option!
Good luck

thanks everyone - still weighing up the options really popsycal...