Routes into Teaching UK | PGCE, BA HONOURS, TEFL? Real Experiences! 

For Teachers

I am an Indian and I have a Bachelor's and Master's in Computer Science (acquired in India) with 3 years of experience in Software Development field. I have a lot of passion for teaching and I want to switch over my career to teaching. What will be my prospects as teacher in UK, if I do a PGCE in UK?

I just finished my degree (BA Honours, Education - Primary, with the OU). I did a CELTA, have 11 years experience teaching overseas and I was an ESL manager in a big school. I'm 37 years old and can't get a job as a TA and was rejected for ITT. I need to resit my math GCSE, I have no doubt I can pass it with C or above, but have been unable to find anywhere to retake it in the past year. I see/think people who volunteer in schools have the best chance of getting a teaching job. Today I had an interview and did a demo lesson/activity that went so well but I am left with the feeling I was never going to be given the job. I have a family of 5 to support and regret spending all that time and money doing a degree if it is useless. I am seriously fed up being back in UK, it is so depressing and unfair here.

Thank you for the feedback! Where are you taking the PGCE? Any videos we can make to support you further?

For Teachers hello I am currently studying at uni and I am thinking of doing my PGCE and just wanted to ask you that through the program other than the study skills test is there other exams that you must do thank you

Thank you so much for sharing this Nadia! I’m sure if anyone has questions for you they can add them here. I wasn’t aware this was a route into teaching and I’m happy to read about your upcoming journey! Best of luck with it ☺️

Hi Nadia, is that LUTSA (Learning Unlimited Teaching School Alliance) through St Thomas of Canterbury school in Sheffield? This route was suggested to me by my current headteacher as she is the executive of another school nearby that runs it. I'm still undecided!

Ciretta hello! I think the school direct is personally the best route. There is more hands on learning and less assessment for the uni side. It’s been 4 years since I been to uni at Hallam and I didn’t fancy doing more uni work. I think if you have the backing of your head go for it! Hope that helps x

Thank you so much for this lizzy!! I know that a lot of our subscribers will read this and find it useful. I find it useful too to find out more about your route. I can’t believe so many dropped out (well I can in a way, but you know what I mean) you should be so proud of yourself for passing!! Did you get a job in your host school? Or did you move on?

For Teachers I actually got offered jobs in my host and complimentary school on the same day - it was very flattering but also very tricky! In the end I chose my complimentary school to start in September but ended up doing maternity cover at my host school for the last few weeks. Doing Schools Direct meant I had already been teaching 90%of lessons for that class so it was quite a nice transition (if tricky to take over at the end of a school year!)

Hi Lizzie! I'm doing a PGCE Schools Direct in September (Friday's at university, the rest of the week in the school). I'm so excited but so nervous too! Are there any tips or advice you wish you had before you started the course? :) x

We are working on a series all about planning right now so we will definitely be able to help you out! Thank you so much for leaving us a message. We love getting feedback ☺️ happy to share more of our Teacher tips on this channel over the next couple of weeks. Good luck with your PGCE!!

Hi Naomi! Thank you for sharing your route into teaching. I know this information will go on to support others. Please stay in touch and let us know how your journey goes. It would be great to find out when/where you end up working out here! Good luck! Katie @ForTeachers 😍

Thanks for sharing this info. I hope that this might help others who watch our video. We appreciate you helping us to support the teacher community :)

Thank you so much!! Where do you teach? I’m happy to hear positive comments about our content ☺️

Let me know if you end up applying and if you have any questions ☺️

Excited for you! Where are you taking your NQT year? Good luck with everything and feel free to message us questions or video requests ☺️

For Teachers thank you! And I’m going to be doing my nqt year I’m Essex 😊

Have a great year! It’ll be busy but amazing at the same time xx

Don’t worry about your age at all. The kids won’t worry about it so you don’t need to either! I haven’t met many other teachers who started as early as I did so it feels nice to know you’re taking the same route. You’ll be fine! It’ll be exhausting but so worth it. Be sure to keep us posted on your journey!!

I hope everything goes well for you too!! Where in China did you teach? I live in Hong Kong and love teaching here ☺️☺️

For Teachers - Thank you! I taught in Chengdu, it was such an amazing experience and I’m definitely planning to move back to China at some point! Your videos have been so helpful to me too so thank you very much ☺️

Stay in touch if you end up back in Asia! We can show you HK xx

Thank you very much ☺️

How are you, are you having a nice weekend? x

For Teachers you welcome ✨ yeah having a relaxing weekend (binging on youtube videos) x

A For Teachers binge? 😉 Have a lovely relaxing weekend! X

Honestly the children don’t seem to mind your age (they didn’t know it, to be fair) the children will judge you on your personality and ability to teach. I did feel young but I also believe I had the right amount of experience and drive required to do it at a young age. It’s just a number 😉 you’ll be fine as long as you work hard, stay focused and manage your time well! Please keep us posted on the PGCE journey!

For Teachers I will xx

@@beigelover95 children don't care about your age. Anyone looking over about 14 they generally class as an adult haha, especially younger years x

For Teachers When I was at school, teachers were barely older than the pupils! But it’s nice to see younger teachers, they have to start somewhere

I understand how you’re feeling. It’ll be tough and you’re right to be nervous, but at the same time it’ll be such an incredible experience! Check out our ‘student teachers’ playlist. Hopefully the content will help you ☺️☺️

Potentially, yes. For example, you can’t even teach in Scotland with that. You would ha e to do a conversion course

goodmorning Shoukat!

Practical is definitely best with teaching however there is plenty of practical in a PGCE too! Great that you’ve managed to do lots of WE. I’m not sure what the correct course for you would be honestly - keep on researching and make a pros and cons list. Speak to lots of people who have done the different courses too. If anyone on this video has left comments about one route you can message them and ask for opinions too. Whatever you choose we wish you luck and feel free to stay in touch with questions!

Hi, would anyone be able to tell me the differences between a SCITT and a PGCE? Thanks :)

Did you go for PGCE or SCITT in the end? I'm currently figuring out which one to do! :)

Same question i am from India and i want addmission in masters in UK teaching course now i finish my b.a

I’m so sorry but I don’t know about language courses! Have you had any success in finding the answer to this? If you message us on Instagram @forteachers we can try to puzzle it out together ☺️

I sometimes worry that this may be the case. I’m in that boat right now (Katie) whereas Ryan has an English lit degree too. But at the same time I think teaching is very transferable anyway and there are so many opportunities for a different career. Teachers are generally organised and it can be seen as a desirable job to other employers. In our video ‘reasons to become a primary school teacher’ I left a link in the description about other jobs teachers can get after teaching. Maybe check it out and see if it helps you ☺️

Hello! Did you make a decision on this yet? Sorry this comment was lost under a few others. I hope you found your path!

In the same situation. I don’t want to study anymore and I know the usual way to get into teaching would be with a degree and pgce. Have u had any luck or got any tips for me ??

@@n.mia.h1733 same question

Hello! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! I appreciate the comments so much. I'm afraid i'm not too sure about your question, however I do have friends who have moved over to the UK from other countries and now have work, so I believe there is a chance there. I suppose everything is a little confusing with politics and work opportunities in the UK at the moment... I really wish you the best of luck with applications and I promise to ask around and see if I can provide a clearer answer! Feel free to stay in touch on instagram @forteachers and let us know how you get on. x

@@ForTeachersChannel thank you so so much for replying! It's been a very stressful week with school and everything, and I've started second guessing my every decision. I will definitely contact you through Instagram very soon. I greatly appreciate your help, thanks again!

You will be able to teach primary, yes :)

I have an ordinary degree in business and finance . Not the usual honours degree but it was in the UK. Will it be possible to get into primary teaching please ?

Its just as legit! It just wasn’t an option when I studied (or maybe it was a less popular route.) I mentored teach first students and they seemed to have a really positive experience. Where will you be studying? X

For Teachers UCL! I’m in my final year doing English there now ☺️

How are you finding the course and workload? x

For Teachers I’m enjoying the course! The workload is quite intense but I’ve only got half a year left and then I’ll be graduating in the summer 😊 I’ve actually got my assessment centre for the Teach First graduate scheme this coming Monday! Wish me luck! xx

Same question i am from India

I too have the same doubt. Can someone help please

Even I have I am a pg in physics with b.Ed and 2 yrs experience

Please suggest me if you know about teaching route and which masters course in jan 2022 intake

Hey Ryan! It might be tricky without A levels as the general route is A level- uni for a BA Primary Ed degree or a regular degree plus a PGCE. You could look into a course called Schools Direct or perhaps consider a TEFL as you could use this to travel too. Let me know what you’re thinking and I’ll see if I can provide some extra information! And thanks for visiting the channel ☺️

For Teachers Thanks for the reply! A TEFL is out of the question i'm afraid as I have a partner and a young son. I was also thinking about starting as a TA in my old primary school and seeing if they will put me through qualifications that way. The more I think about it the more I like the idea of being a teacher, so even if I did have to get A levels and do uni I wouldn't be totally against it :)

Hey! You can do primary teaching at the open university without any A Levels, it doesn't come with NQT so you have to do a PGCE afterwards. You can do this part time or full time so you can still work, hope this helps ☺️x

Deus Nibyo do it :) apply

Primary, the work is easier, classes are usually smaller, and secondary students usually have no respect for the teachers making their jobs very hard as they are already piled on top with stress and work, so primary is easier

I don't see why this would be an issue, when you say you "studied" PGCE do you mean you already have one, or plan to get one soon? If you have one there would be a chance for work in the UK I assume. What is your qualification?

@@ForTeachersChannel Thank you for your reply! I mean I plan to get one soon. I've got BBA Logistics Management - which is not related (in my opinion) so I can study right?

I’ve mentored schools direct students in the past and it seems to be a great route into teaching. It’s still relatively new but seems to be gaining popularity. I’m sure this route will suit you well ☺️ I’ll try to find out more info and see about popping it in a future video if that helps?

For Teachers Ok thank you

PGCE é o equivalente de uma licenciatura. Tem dois tipos de PGCE, aquele para o ensino fundamental e outro para o ensino médio. Depois de um bachelerado em 3/4 anos, na inglaterra vc faz um PGCE para poder ensinar numa escola pública. Numa escola particular, é desejável ter uma formação pedagógica mas QTS (obtido através um PGCE) não é necessário (pq assim podem justificar um salário mais baixo). É claro que vai ter escolas particulares que querem atrair os melhores profissionais e essas irão pagar melhor que a rede pública. A diferença com o sistema brasileiro é que não precisa estudar pedagogia durante 5 anos para ser professor do ensino fundamental. É perfeitamente possível cursar letras e fazer um PGCE para trabalhar num ‘primary school’ - na vdd, às vezes vc é até visto como um candidato mais competente que tem uma visão mais global e que poderá assumir cargos mais importantes na escola. Uma formação celta é completamente diferente e te permite ensinar inglês em escolas particulares a pessoas de diversas idades (e, portanto, ganhar um salário DE REDE PARTICULAR, isto é, uma merreca). Na inglaterra, não é mto conhecido, na verdade serve mais para ensinar inglês a estrangeiros que querem demonstrar os seus conhecimentos da língua com um certificado. Hoje em dia o salário de um professor na Inglaterra se situa na faixa de 28-44 mil libras, oq faz com q ele seja um profissional de classe média. Ele ganha mais ou menos o mesmo salário que um contábil/policial. A progressão de carreira é mto boa à diferença daquela dos enfermeiros… um enfermeiro começa ganhando 26 mil mas dps de 5 anos a maioria fica estagnada no valor de 32mil, já um professor pode até mesmo ultrapassar 44 mil se assumir mais responsabilidades. Outra diferença considerável é q diretores de escola (quer do ensino fundamental quer do ensino médio) ganham de 55 mil para mais, acho q a média é 70 mil libras anuais. Tem lugares do país onde a renda rende mais e outros onde comprar uma casa é fora de questão a menos que o seu parceiro ganhe mais que você (londres, por exemplo, onde um apartamento na periferia custa 500 mil libras). Vale lembrar que postos (igual postos concursados no br) são extremamente competitivos especialmente na educação básica. Tem muitos postos só para cobrir licença maternidade e muito professor infelizmente desempregado. É muito mais fácil encontrar trabalho num ensino médio e é lá q tem carência em muitas matérias: matemática, física, química, línguas estrangeiras (francês/espanhol). Tem tanta carência nessas matérias que o país quer atrair profissionais de fora. Tem muito professor americano/canadense/de outros países europeus que conseguem uma vaga fixa aqui graças a essa carência. Porém não se pode dizer a mesma coisa de todas as matérias. Outras matérias como biologia, história e educação física são mais difíceis para encontrar emprego e os profissionais dessas matérias encontram muita dificuldade na hora de conseguir um emprego. Outra diferença é que aqui a carga horária é 32.5, mas existe uma certa flexibilidade em relação a isso, dado que é possível compartilhar uma turma com outro professor. No entanto, uma escola NÃO pode obrigar um professor a lecionar mais do que 32.5 horas… claro q ele vai trabalhar e MUITO fora da sala de aula. Embora seja melhor remunerado em comparação com o brasil, não é um mar de rosas aqui. Conheço professores que são excelentes profissionais e poderiam estar trabalhando na indústria mas escolheram ensinar por amor à profissão e mesmo assim somos sempre tachados de incompetentes que ensinam por não saber fazer outra coisa. O governo atual também vem querendo privatizar muitos setores que sempre foram públicos. Eu sou professor aqui e tenho visto sérias mudanças com a implementação de academies, mas isso é mais um problema político do que qualquer outra coisa visto q minha irmã (médica da rede pública) também vem sentindo a mesma coisa. Outro problema é aquele geográfico: infelizmente, o lugar onde tem mais cargos é londres (um lugar onde não é mto divertido viver com um salário de professor e onde mtas escolas são precárias e perigosas IGUAIS ÀS das preferias das grandes cidades do Brasil… estamos falando de alunos que vem pra aula drogados, que fumam na sala de aula, que são violentos, que levam facas pra escola). A maioria dos professores quer trabalhar em áreas rurais perto das suas cidades natais… onde as escolas são boas mas não há demanda alguma. Conseguir emprego na Escócia é uma tarefa quase impossível a não ser que vc deseje ensinar física dado que há muito mais professores do que demanda… as condições de trabalho são melhores daquelas na inglaterra, o salário é maior, o professor tem mais poder em sala de aula, mais progressão de carreira, sindicatos mais fortes… mas uma taxa de natalidade inexistente e portanto quase nenhuma vaga.

Same question

Did you apply for any jobs in the UK in the end?

For Teachers no not yet But uk embassy requires 18000k salary for work permit approval So guide me what to do

Sir,If you got any idea about it pls share..Even I am from India I have 2 yrs teaching experience and B.Ed but the cost,course,fee structure also the finacial support to live in UK everything matters ..I dont know about it

Try the website TES.COM as this is where I have found my previous jobs. Good luck!

I know a bit yes, what do you need to know?

Same question

Hello! I really wish I had some tips, but i'm not too sure how to help. Is there a bursary you can apply for to help cover your PGCE cost? I know my friends have done their PGCE while working via. Sunderland University. I think media studies would be amazing to teach. Good luck with your journey!

Hey, There are many bursaries for secondary teaching depending on what you want to teach I would say check the “get into teaching” website for more info on bursaries and routes into teaching , they also have a page that can set up work experience for you which will help entry onto your preferred route Hope this helps all the best.

Hello komal .. Did you take admission ???

@@justwow9445 admission in what?

Same question

Same

Good question! We were getting so many messages about alternative routes into teaching that I decided to research and find a TEFL company that I could suggest to my subscribers. I asked a lot of my contacts who have experience with these companies for advice and interviewed them to get the answers I needed. Hopefully this video shows an open minded approach to several different routes into teaching and that tefl is one of your options. Not the route I took, but a step in the door. I hope it helped you! Let me know if you have any further questions I can help with!