Applying for Graduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Margaret Derrington 22 Jan 2016

Choices…. Now or later… Experience life and work first…?? Industry experience and mature entry can enhance starting salary…or not. Teaching can be a good second career combined with raising a family Can generally defer offer of place for a year. The SUBJECT Your qualifications Bursaries and job opportunities It IS possible to change mid career The PHASE Career structures and job opportunities Again, it IS possible to change mid-career The type of Course QTS means you are qualified to teach….anything to anyone… it is up to you and your head to negotiate your timetable…what you teach and to whom… So you CAN change subject or phase during your teaching career.

Primary or Secondary…. CS/Maths degrees… could do either primary or secondary. Now specialist primary teachers (MaST) (need A level maths (Grade C or above) ITT programmes must cover TWO Key Stages Typically primary KS1&2 Secondary KS 3&4 (optionally + A level)  most will allocate suitable candidates to schools KCL’s course is 11-18, candidates MUST be capable of and will be trained to teach KS3, 4 and A level Maths, CS or IT options/teach-primary-as-a-maths-specialist schools with sixth form colleges or schools Some LEAs have both

Various different routes Teach First Two year salaried course in challenging schools. University PGCE Courses Designed by Universities in collaboration with a large group of ‘Partnership Schools’. School Direct Salaried or unsalaried Based in a particular school SCITT programme A network of schools provide ‘on the job’ training explore-my-options NB a SALARY is taxable and might mean you have to start repaying your student loan…. Educational Bursaries and grants are tax free.

Teach First Apply online and if successful you will be invited to an assessment centre Requirements 2.1 or above, 300 UCAS points excluding General Studies Relevant Degree or A levels (Maths and CS OK) Grade C in GCSE Maths and English Flexibility to work in any location selection/requirements/teaching-subject-requirements

How does it work… Six weeks basic training (during Summer Vacation) Two years in a challenging school on the ‘Leadership Development Program’ You will have mentors in the school and tutors from Teach First who will come in and assess your progress If the course is successfully completed you will have a PGCE and QTS During training salary is year 1 basic salary for unqualified teacher Year 2 basic salary for Newly Qualified Teacher teachers-cheap/

University based PGCE Apply through UCAS Search on GTTR website for available places Currently in London there are places at all institutions Requirements can vary Mostly 2.1, and GCSE (C) Maths and English bin/hsrun.hse/General/gttr_search/gttr_search.hjx;start=gttr _search.HsForm.run or (KCL)

How does it work~ funding One year course, costs £9k Tax free bursary and scholarships available ( up to £25k) (equivalent to taxed salary of more than £30k) Course is 120 days in school and 60 days at university And provides 60/180 credits towards MA (Education) TWO school placements; first one teaching ~ 6 hours a week, second one ~12 hours a week Schools usually chosen to give good balanced experience. Many students get offered first job at one of their placement schools.

School Direct (unsalaried) Apply (via UCAS) to a particular school that is offering a place to train in the subject you want. The course will be run in conjunction with the PGCE course at a particular university and will be almost exactly the same as the university PGCE course EXCEPT that you will be based at that one school with the exception of a few weeks at another (probably similar) school in the same district The school will (if they like you and you do well) probably offer you a job at the end of your training… or (more likely) you will be invited to apply with others when they advertise a job at their school.

School Direct (salaried) Apply (via UCAS) to a particular school that is offering a place to train in the subject you want. The training will be school based, and will probably begin with a couple of weeks in in June/July before you start. You will be paid as an unqualified teacher during the training and will be required to teach 90% of a full time teacher’s teaching load. The school will (if they like you and you do well) probably offer you a job at the end of your training… or (more likely) you will be invited to apply with others when they advertise a job at their school. This is a good route for experienced teachers trained overseas without UK recognised qualifications or experienced TAs.

SCITT based training Networks of schools that have been approved to run school- centred courses are known as SCITTs. They provide school based training run by teachers from the group of schools. This will normally involve days spent at a central school with other trainees in addition to classroom practice. 'SCITT' is also a type of school-led course, similar to the non- salaried School Direct option. There is an ‘assessment only’ option at some SCITTs for experienced unqualified teachers. my-options/training/scitt

What’s best???? Universities hold that a research based training (ie university based) is best for children, teachers, education, the country... everyone train-teachers-report-says train-teachers-report-says research-in-teacher-education-reviewing-the-evidence/ research-in-teacher-education-reviewing-the-evidence/ other reports find little to choose between the options as far as outcome for the teachers and schools themselves are concerned and the ‘best’ candidates don’t choose any particular training option /430783/Newly-Qualified-Teachers-Annual-Survey_2014.pdf /430783/Newly-Qualified-Teachers-Annual-Survey_2014.pdf

So…… Apply for one of places on a course. Pay £9k fees, out of a tax free bursary or scholarship to follow a university based PGCE course designed to give to a balanced experience at two different schools training you to teach your subject anywhere at any type of school. Make a difference to disadvantaged children in a challenging school on a two year salaried course…First year paid as an unqualified teacher, second year as a NQT Apply for a single place advertised at a particular school. Pay £9k fees, out of a tax free bursary or scholarship to follow a university based PGCE course at that particular school, and hope that they will offer you a job at the end of it… and that you will still want to work there! Apply to a SCITT offering a few places for teachers of your subject and be sure of training at one of the network’s schools either as salaried or unsalaried trainee. Training provided by staff from the networked schools and teaching practice provided in those schools Apply to a particular school advertising for a student teacher and be paid as an unqualified teacher to teach 90% of a full teaching load whilst you are training. This works out well for the school… they can get 4 teachers for the price of one, so they can afford to lose a few!

So…… Apply for one of places on a course. Pay £9k fees, out of a tax free bursary or scholarship to follow a university based PGCE course designed to give to a balanced experience at two different schools training you to teach your subject anywhere at any type of school. Make a difference to disadvantaged children in a challenging school on a two year salaried course…First year paid as an unqualified teacher, second year as a NQT Apply for a single place advertised at a particular school. Pay £9k fees, out of a tax free bursary or scholarship to follow a university based PGCE course at that particular school, and hope that they will offer you a job at the end of it… and that you will still want to work there! Apply to a SCITT offering a few places for teachers of your subject and be sure of training at one of the network’s schools either as salaried or unsalaried trainee. Training provided by staff from the networked schools and teaching practice provided in those schools Apply to a particular school advertising for a student teacher and be paid as an unqualified teacher to teach 90% of a full teaching load whilst you are training. This works out well for the school… they can get 4 teachers for the price of one, so they can afford to lose a few!

Skills Tests All ITT routes require GCSE grade C (or equivalent) in Maths and English Language (Science also for Primary) You will also need to pass the SKILLS TESTS in Numeracy and Literacy before you begin your ITT course There are practice tests on line and booklets of advice on Amazon and also some very useful tutorials on YouTube… You can get extra time if you have a dyslexia diagnosis or English is not your first language. First attempt is free, only three attempts allowed so take the tests seriously!

Advice… Apply as soon as possible, places are allocated as successful applications arrive. Write a good Personal Statement explaining your choice of career…why you want to teach. Refer to experience on this course and other relevant experience with young people. Give academic referees.. Your tutor here and a teacher at your placement school (ask their permission) Applying to school based courses VISIT THE SCHOOL Use your UCAS choices wisely… Especially if you are not sure which route to take Include applications to universities as they have most places to offer APPLY TO British Computing Society, or Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, for scholarships….. NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE APPLY!!!! Do the skills tests; get them out of the way. An applicant who has already passed these has a distinct advantage. annual-survey

Useful links salary-and-great-benefits salary-and-great-benefits

hing.education.go v.uk/bursaries- and-funding Trainees in Maths or Computing with 2.1 or above are eligible to apply through BCS