Dear John - How important is a PGCE qualification? - TES Career clinic - Forum - TES Career clinic

Dear John - How important is a PGCE qualification?

Muttley_in_the_Midlands
Member since 18-1-2012

It's not as silly a question as it might sound!

I have the option of training to teach via a SCITT course leading to PGCE or alternatively via GTP in a school with a low achieving 6th Form (it came out of special measures last year). The GTP does not give a PGCE qualification, just QTS.

Is that PGCE really going to be very important when it comes to getting my CV noticed?

I am a "mature" entrant with an MSc in my subject and 20 years of work behind me. My subject is Business Education.

Thanks in advance

Posted 19-4-2012 14:46

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Rowntreegirl
Member since 15-3-2011

You either go through the pgce course route or the gtp route, but both give you qts so no, neither one is favoured just different ways to train. The gtp is entirely school based but pays a small wage - just depends whether you want to throw yourself in or not. Not many schools take on gtps so if you've found one then you're quite lucky - if it works out you might be taken on properly next year.

Posted 19-4-2012 18:10

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Muttley_in_the_Midlands
Member since 18-1-2012

Thanks for the reply

Posted 20-4-2012 10:26

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Moony
Member since 23-5-2005

Because the PGCE is a university qualification it has recognition in other countires.

Posted 20-4-2012 15:26

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John Howson
Member since 23-2-2004

Unless the school has a track record of GTP students in business education you will probably receive a better grounding in teaching the subject on a PGCE course. But, on the GTP, you will receive a salary, not have to incur tuition fees and be immersed in the life of a school. As to finding a job, the PGCE offers a known standard whereas the GTP will have provided the school experience. On balance if you can afford the PGCE, and there is a course nearby, I would go for that option, but if you need a salary and travel to a PGCE course is time consuming, go for the GTP option if the school has experience in training teachers.

John Howson

Posted 23-4-2012 10:44

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Muttley_in_the_Midlands
Member since 18-1-2012

Thank you for the advice John. It's very difficult to know which way to jump. I have interviews next week at both schools - one for the GTP and the other at the SCITT school. I am hoping that having been there I will get a better idea. All I know about the GTP school is that it has one third of pupils with SEN, mainly behavioural and autism etc (eek!) it came out of special measures a year ago, the 6th form is low achieving and 6th form attendance is poor (how's that for lack of motivation!) and the latest Ofsted report is not very edifying. On the plus side, there is a Professional Tutor in the school so it has had GTP students before. I think it could be a very lively year! The SCITT schools have a rather better profile but none are Outstanding. The SCITT course provides a LOT of time in school - almost half from what I can gather. I have a MSc already and the thought of going through all those assignments again is pretty mind-numbing to be honest. We had approx one per fortnight plus end of term exams in the first 2 terms and the final term was for dissertation only. I'm not too sure what the academic requirements/pressures are on a PGCE. I guess I'll be able to make a decision, or it may be made for me after interviews

Posted 25-4-2012 17:33

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John Howson
Member since 23-2-2004

As a PGCE is a professional preparation course I hope the assignments aren't as onerous as on your MSc - that sounded over taught, and with a lack of time for you to think! But, any teacher preparation year is very demanding; it cannot be easily achieved alongside an active social or even family life by most students. I hope both interviews went well, and you were given the opportunity to decide for yourself and not faced with Hobson's choice.

John Howson

Posted 1-5-2012 11:03

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Muttley_in_the_Midlands
Member since 18-1-2012

Thank you for your support John. Both interviews went very well I thought. The GTP school was attractive in a very-shabby-buildings kind of a way! The deputy head was super and I was given a tour by 2 delightful Year 9s - handpicked I'm sure. The school also seemed like quite a good fit with my own opinions on education The most attractive thing about it was that the 2 teachers are retiring next year and the school wants to extend its provision to GCSE. Hence there is clear progression if the GTP year goes well. AND not so much hanging around in classrooms! The SCITT interview was today and I was less keen, partly because I saw this year's cohort in a lecture at 4pm! Unfortunately during the briefing we were told that Heads prefer PGCEs over QTS. I asked the same question on another thread and Theo Griff responded that it made little difference, one of his reasonings being that someone with a BEd doesn't have a PGCE. Who knows! However, the chance of a job straight away, teaching straight away and feeling like a full member of staff straight away really is very attractive. Even in a shabby school where the intake is the lower achieving end of the scale. After all, if you want high academics and smart offices, you wouldn't go into secondary teaching would you!

Posted 3-5-2012 21:51

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kritur
Member since 11-1-2005

I did my GTP in a school that sounds very similar and went on to spend 6 years working there. Doing GTP has made no difference to my employment prospects at all, I have been shortlisted alongside people with PGCEs and have beaten them to posts just as they have beaten me to posts. I have never had any inclination that being GTP qualified is a disadvantage except that I would find it more difficult to teach abroad which I have no current desire to do except for maybe some VSO in a few years time.

Posted 4-5-2012 9:45

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Muttley_in_the_Midlands
Member since 18-1-2012

Thank you for your reply, it's good to hear your experience

[edited by: TES_Bev at 12:38 (GMT 0) on 16-5-2012]

Posted 7-5-2012 16:09

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