On journeys into the teaching profession in Great Britain and career paths in education
Here at Bright Young Things we get ask a lot about teacher and tutor recruitment. For applicants for the tuition centres and for the shows, like the Hertfordshire Schools Show.
Here is quick break down of ways into the teaching profession including working in tuition centres.
With the aim of becoming a Qualified Teacher to allow one to work in state maintained schools the requirement is to complete the Initial Teacher Training.
This leads onto the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England and Wales. Neither Initial Teacher training or QTS is compulsory in many independent schools, academies, free schools and tuition centres.
Types of teacher training
Teacher training usually consists of twenty four weeks of practical experience in two or more schools, usually in the same catchment area.
Other focal points include:
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The academic study on how to teach classes and the understanding of what makes a good school teacher.
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Developing core teaching skills, such as classroom management, through mentor-ship.
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Ongoing professional development.
A Post Graduate Certificate of Education is the most popular way into the teaching profession. It stands for what is say, a post graduate certificate on completing developing teaching skills.
There are a number of examples where one’s graduate subject is not entirely reflected in teacher requirement at school. E.g. Anthropology or Accounting. In this instance you maybe offered a Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course.
Working in Schools
Schools will often recruit and develop teachers on the job. Along with partnering with other local schools in the catchment area offering QTS and perhaps the full PGCEat masters level . Naturally, as schools put in a large amount of resources into the training their QTS, there is an expectation of employment with the school at the end of the initial training.
Nonsalaried
Graduates who have achieved a 2:2 or above at a UK university. Depending on location and school, the UK Government can support trainee teachers up to £30,000 during training.
Salaried
Working and training on the job. Essentially the school employs you and with training on the job to reach your QTS.
What is Teach First?
Simply the aim to keep the teaching career as a stepping stone onto corporate businesses. By focusing on struggling schools the Teach First brand gives graduates an affiliation and differentiation with high achieving, big impact routes to teaching. A higher level of UCAS points and degree level (300 UCAS points and usually a 2.1). With Teach First graduates developing leaderships skills through the Leadership Development Programme. All of the Teach First graduates in primary and secondary gain a PGCE and QTS during the two year programme. Starting with an intensive 6 week programme in the summer before commencement at a school..
Premier Pathways in a school based training for graduates with a 2.1. or above. In the first year trainees work along side as support staff. Graduates who complete the course with gain at QTS or PGCE.
Researchers in Schools is available to Non Selective state schools designed for researchers who are close to completing their PHD. It is a pathway designed for professional academics entry into the teaching profession.
Early Years Initial Teacher Training
For the 0–5 year old teaching, graduates can apply for early year programmes on either a 12 month full time course with school placements or a part time 12 month programme while working within the industry.
Post Compulsory sector:
Post Compulsory education:Also known as the Further Education, some colleges will hire teachers who no teaching qualifications.
Choosing a teacher training route:
Volunteering in schools, tuition centres and colleges is a very good way of getting a broad view into the best way into teaching. Each organisation will have a different ethos and spirit de corps.
When you feel you have got a good handle on where you would like to teach look at the routes available in the area, as briefly described above.
Alternatively, if you feel you have a specific requirement with the route in rather than an a specific area check which part of the country does your preferred route.
Do note, it is usually available to teach in free schools, tuition centres, academies and of course independent schools WITHOUT the Qualification to teach status (QTS). The QTSis required for almost all the teaching in state maintained schools.
Although, having QTS and working in a place that it is not compulsory will usually result in one’s career prospects improving somewhat.
Edward Webster is the director of Bright Young Things Tuition