I want to formally introduce myself as Agnes, the founder of Simplified Education.
This will be the first blog post of many chronicling tips, experiences and the highs and lows, of becoming a teacher. I hope this will help despite where you are in any stage of your journey. Also if you're based in South East London and are in need of work experience feel free to contact me to see if you can become a tutor to the various Simplified Education tutoring centres around the South East area.
This first post will address the qualifications and routes that are currently needed by any individual to certify that they have a chance in teaching in England.
There are different paths you can take to becoming a teacher; School Centered Initial Teacher Training (SCITT), School Direct, and Teach First. I'll briefly go over what each of these entail but I would advise you to look at what each of these entail and see which one fits you the best.
SCITT - SCITT programmes are made and delivered by schools and colleges around your local area. At the end, the course will give you a qualified teacher status, and not all the time will the course award you with a Post-graduate certificate in Education (PGCE) which we will speak about later. These courses generally last for one year full-time.
School Direct - School Direct places are available in some of the best primary and
secondary schools across England and programmes generally last for one
year. At the end of the programme you will get a qualified teacher status (QTS), and
may also include a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE). With this route you are eligible for a bursary up to £25,000 but you have to pay fees.
Teach First - This one is a bit detailed so here's a direct link to what you'll expect http://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/teacher-training-options/school-based-training/teach-first.aspx
PGCE courses seem to be the popular route because they are more than able to landing you a teaching job. These courses last a year or 2 years part-time. They are available at universities and colleges throughout the UK or maybe long distance learning. You have to already have a UK undergraduate degree or a recognized equivalent qualification. You also might be eligible to receive funding while you train for your PGCE.
Hopefully this information has helped give you an insight on what teaching entails..click back for more posts.
