I studied at Kingston. I was on the three year course so can't say specifically about the PGCE but the tutors are great and really easy to talk to/get along with. They're also very helpful when it comes to any sort of problem you may have, be it assignments or stress etc.

The campus and the town are lovely and as I was leaving, there was a building company half way through building a new block on the Kingston Hill campus so that could be good. The library is great and from what I hear so is the social life.

My younger sister is currently finishing a Dance degree at Kingston and has also been accepted onto the PGCE there so you might meet her. I think she's specialising in English.

Enjoy it!!

Hiya! I'm on the Primary PGCE starting in September too! Really looking forward to it. I'm also moving to the area, nice to hear of someone else who will be doing the same as most people in my interview said they were going to Kingston because they could live at home. Quite worried about trying to find somewhere to live!

[edited by: Kat182 at 0:08 (GMT 0) on 15-1-2012]

Hello I'm on the primary PGCE course at the moment - it's really good! The tutors are lovely and try to help you as much as possible. The workload is high, but I think it is on any PGCE course. The first placement is seven weeks Christmas and then you're back at uni until April doing all of the assignments. Good luck! C

Kat182

Hiya! I'm on the Primary PGCE starting in September too! Really looking forward to it. I'm also moving to the area, nice to hear of someone else who will be doing the same as most people in my interview said they were going to Kingston because they could live at home. Quite worried about trying to find somewhere to live!

My interview was the same,everyone local! It is good to know someone else is moving there too. Im a bit worried about living arrangements too, I'm keen to get somewhere organised asap. Can't wait for sept though,its so exciting :)

I'm excited too. Also looking to get somewhere sorted to live asap because I work abroad during the summer and won't have time to house hunt when I get back as it will be straight into things. Are you coming straight from uni? I graduated a couple of years ago so I'm a bit worried about getting back into essay writing and using my brain again!

I graduated a couple of years ago too and definitely a bit apprehensive about the workload, my job at the moment is stressful but I also have my weekends free which will probably change!! 

I e-mailed the accommodation dept at Kingston because they do a service advertising accommodation, but they told me they don't start it up til June. Seems a bit late!

HI!!! I have an interview on Thursday!! Very nervous! I was just wondering what the math and english test were like?! What questions did they ask you in the interview? Thanks so much for your help :)

I think so too. Where did you go to uni? I went to Leeds and everyone sorts their accommodation out around this time of year to move in for September. I'm so excited to live in London, I just want it to be sorted. I've been working part time in a primary school for the last few months, so going to full time studying will be tough. Trying to get all my procrastination out of the way now whilst I have loads of free time, reading every book and watching every tv show I've ever wanted to, so next year I have no distractions (in my head this is a fool proof plan!)

Hey Buff86. For English you have to mark a passage, correcting spelling and grammar etc. Maths test is made up of fairly simple questions. I used Key Stage 2 Bitesize on the BBC to refresh my memory, it was really helpful, and I found the test fine. For your interview they'll ask you questions basically about why you think you'll be a good teacher, your experience working with children, how children learn, any recent educational policies or initiatives you're aware of, things like that. Hope that helps. Good luck!

I went to uni in Bournemouth, yeah I thought it was normal to get the accommodation sorted by at least Easter. I can't wait to be in London too, I've always wanted to live there so it's so exciting to finally be going. I'm awful at procrastination...your plan sounds great, think I might jump on that bandwagon and see if that helps!

 

Buff86

HI!!! I have an interview on Thursday!! Very nervous! I was just wondering what the math and english test were like?! What questions did they ask you in the interview? Thanks so much for your help :)

Buff 86, the interview is fine, I was worried about the maths test especially but I also used the bitesize revision website and it wasn't too bad at all. The tutors seem really nice too, it was all very relaxed. Good luck!

Elsies

I went to uni in Bournemouth, yeah I thought it was normal to get the accommodation sorted by at least Easter. I can't wait to be in London too, I've always wanted to live there so it's so exciting to finally be going. I'm awful at procrastination...your plan sounds great, think I might jump on that bandwagon and see if that helps!

Even if I'd watched/read everything in the world I'd still find some way to put off doing work! But yeah, hopefully we won't be so busy that we actually get time to enjoy being in London. What did you study at uni?

[edited by: Kat182 at 20:24 (GMT 0) on 19-1-2012]

Hope so! I studied interior architecture...i did a bit of a u-turn career wise! Also had quite a few years working as a support worker with kids & adults. How about you? Are you having to move far?

Oh wow, that is a bit of a departure! Did you enjoy it? I read English and History, loved the History but English was a bit of a drag. What subject did you say at the interview that you wanted to specialise in for primary? I went with history. Yeah I'm from Lancashire so it's a bit of a trek down to London! How about you?

I did enjoy it but soon found out you have to able to afford to work for free to get into Interior Design so it's a no go really! Actually I really wish I'd studied something more useful now! I'm not totally sure what to specialise in yet, I was thinking art or design, but they mentioned that special needs might a subject to specialise in too so I think I'll go for that if I can.

Where are you travelling in the summer? I'm working til mid August so I can save money, but definitely going to take a couple of weeks off to chill out before Sept!

Ah that's a shame, it seems like more and more jobs now expect you to be able to work for free and spend months interning just to get experience, it's tough. Although essentially that's what I'm doing as I'm only part time in school so only get paid a few hours but volunteer the rest of my week there just to get experience. I feel like the more I learn now the less I'll have to learn next yeah haha. I work abroad in France during the summer, I run the kids club at a campsite. I've done it for quite a few summers now, I love it. Good experience for teaching too, basically running activity sessions twice a day, things like sports and games, arts and crafts, treasure hunts, themed days, water fights, lots of water fights! It's hard work and will have less than a week between returning home and moving to London, but at the same time, I'll have spent the summer in the sun and chilling out on the beach during my spare time so it's not all bad!

[edited by: Kat182 at 19:59 (GMT 0) on 23-1-2012]

Working in France sounds amazing...jealous! Not looking forward to slogging along in my job for another 7 months...roll on Sept!

I've been looking at accommodation in Kingston and there are privately run postgraduate halls called Malden Hall...they're pretty expensive though. On the other hand it is a simple option!

Haha it is pretty good! At least you're earning money now though and you can save up for September! Ah yeah I remember looking at Malden Hall before. I was sort of expecting somewhere around that price for London. I paid £52.50 a week in my last year in Leeds so I knew even somewhere cheap in London would be at least double that! I don't think it's too bad considering that's with all bills included I think? I like knowing I won't be surprised with massive electricity bills, and you can have the heating on lots without worrying about the costs and putting another hoody on instead!

Hey, Has been good to read other people's feedback on kingston, its putting my mind at ease as i've got an interview there this month! Just wondering if anyone could give me a bit more information about the maths test? To which level of maths does it require? The letter said something about GCSE- which made me panic a bit!