Maths Teacher training?

[MamaTess]

Has anyone become a Maths teacher with just an A-level in Maths, no degree!

I'm thinking of re-training a bit and getting my QTS. I currently work in secondary education but I'm not actually a teacher, and although I'm well paid, I think it's holding me back alot!! I'm considering getting a Maths A-level and then training as a teacher. I think this is possible?

I have an undergraduate and MSc in non maths related subjects, I was reading about bursaries etc but not sure if be eligible as my degrees aren't in maths? 😬

I know there are quite a few routes to become a teacher, I can't really afford to go back to uni for a year and pay tuition fees etc. I'm not interested in primary...

Any advice, anyone done similar?

My daughter started with an a level and degree not in maths and an 12 week access course was blinded by the bursary. She least till the end of October by then 3 out of the 6 on her course has quit. It’s a shit show.

What is your degree in? Maths isn't the only subject offering a bursary. Do you particularly want to be a maths teacher? There are train on the job type opportunities so you get a salary while training. I think bursaries are only if you do a uni or Scitt route though.

If you have a maths a level you can do a two year pgce where the first year is getting your maths up to scratch.

getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/how-to-apply-for-teacher-training/subject-knowledge-enhancement

I wouldn't be encouraging anyone to go into teaching at the moment.

If you have a degree in a national curriculum subject you can get QTS by the assessment only route. (I assume you are teaching already).

was blinded by the bursary

Yep! I know too many people who have wasted 1/2/3 years of their lives training to be a teacher and then dropped out when they realised just what a dreadful job it is!

I have a psychology degree and MSc is in education. I like the idea of teaching maths and do teach it a little in my current role, obviously would need to work hard to get the a level though, I don't actually have the knowledge to qualify as a maths teacher at the moment. My A-levels are in biology, sports, and psychology. I'm not interested in teaching science, I would love to teach psychology and I have other psychology related qualifications but theres not enough demand at KS4.

Oh sorry to hear that? Which route did she take? What were the issues?

Train to teach in a different subject e.g. psychology. Then once you have your QTS you can apply for maths jobs.
I've taught maths and physics before but that's not what I'm trained in. I only have a GCSE in physics yet have taught it to GCSE because schools are desperate to be honest! You learn on the job.
I know a biology teacher that's now teaching psychology.
There are art teachers teaching cookery. PE teachers teaching biology.
So many teachers end up teaching other subjects they have little qualifications in!

I have been working in the field for the past 17 years so under no illusions on how hard it is. It's really tough and I totally get the burn out, but I'm not planning on leaving, I just need to upskill a bit so I have flexible options.

I don't unfortunately, and I do teach but it's not my main role in my current position, I would have to take a full time unqualified teacher position for a couple of years and then do the assessment only, it would be a big pay drop for me, but could be an option.

How do you get a bursary to become a maths teacher?? I have a maths degree and am keen. Thanks.

This is the same where I work, the issue is I can't earn at the same time as training as a psychology teacher. 😩 At least as far as I can tell....

but I'm not planning on leaving

Do you mean you’re not planning on leaving teaching once you’ve trained as a teacher?

Your psychology degree may have enough mathematical content to count as a numerate degree.

You do not need a degree in maths to train to teach maths, a numerate subject will do, this is often engineering or science or similar but there are some fairly left field degrees that count.

I'm not sure how you check.

Sorry I didn't word that very clearly, I mean that I'm not planning on leaving education...despite it being really shitty at the moment. I am already right in the thick of it in my current role. ☺️

As you already have classroom and some curriculum experience you could complete a maths SKE and then move to a paid apprenticeship or itt route, you can do a qts only Pathway or opt for qts with PGCE, this may negate the need for maths a level, entry criteria changes so you would need to check the sept 25 entry requirements.

Totally shocked by this- why is it ok to teach a subject when you don’t actually have a full and in depth understanding of it yourself?

Maths is not an easy subject to grasp well and if it’s taught poorly by people who don’t have the necessary passion and thorough knowledge then it can have a lasting negative impact on kids.

Glad that the Scottish system only allows subject specialists to teach their own subject. I would have been furious if my own kids were taught maths by someone qualified in a totally different subject.

Oh that's interesting, would I do the SKE before applying? Or apply then the course put you on the SKE? I don't mind doing the Alevel if I'm honest I'm not in a huge rush...and need to check I really do like maths! 😂

I think all the routes make it quite confusing!! I feel like all the teachers I work with have done something different.

I don’t think anyone going into teacher training thinks they’ll leave, though!

Of course, but I am not new to the field. I have been doing this a long time, and aware of all the issues, that's all I meant. ☺️

Our secondary school advertises for people to come and be trained up as maths teachers. They don't seem that picky tbh. Some of the maths classes permanently have no teacher.

They typically would do a subject knowledge enhancement course before switching, at least the teachers I know have done, which upskills them in that area.

Even if I did a maths A- level and wanted to teach maths. I would have to do the SKE as part of the training as my degree doesn't contain enough maths. At least that's my understanding. Similar to just doing a maths PGCE at uni instead of a maths degree then teacher training.

You do have to have a degree to get onto any teacher training course -as far as I'm aware.

Schools won't give your kids teachers that don't know what they a teaching, they are very results driven! ☺️

I don't have a degree at all, just a lowly old HND, but have been a teacher, currently a HOD in secondary science for 22 years.

Its probably easier to get in with a degree these days, but many hold degrees in subjects other than what they teach.

I left my teaching job a few years ago, as I was taken off my specialism subject (arts) and told I had to teach maths to year 7 to year 10. I struggled to pass GCSE maths 20 years ago - so it was just appalling.
I managed half a term and a near nervous breakdown.

Was doing via a school and uni after completing her sociology degree

she’s working in a school now and has technically deferred but we will see.