I hope with some of the teachers on the forum I can get a little bit of help with sorting out some experience!

I need to apply for my PGCE in September, and after having several discussions with the admissions tutors for the two courses I'm thinking of applying for, they've all said they've welcome my application and I have a brilliant chance of getting in as long as I get some experience within an English Department. I just need to do maybe one or two weeks, either en masse before the lectures start at University, or one day a week for a semester (as I have every Friday off at Uni).

I'm currently studying English Language & Linguistics at Sheffield University, but not being from the area I know nothing about secondary schools in the Sheffield area, so any advice would be very much appreciated :)

Being at Sheffield Uni, I think you're best bet is to contact King Edward VII Lower School in Crosspool. They recruit student to work at lunchtimes supervising the yards etc. Hours are 12.30-1.45, but what you can do is go in early or stay later and get some experience in class.

With the PGCE application, there are all the 'buzzwords' - differentiation, inclusion, behaviour management. There's the Government paper as well - Every Child Mattters - will be worth reading a summary of that.

I would get experience in 2 schools if you could, a nice suburbia school (King Teds, Silverdale, High Storrs etc) and an inner city/ deprived area school. That would give you an broad experience and something you can always reflect back on, particularly for interview questions.

Being at Sheffield Uni, I think you're best bet is to contact King Edward VII Lower School in Crosspool. They recruit student to work at lunchtimes supervising the yards etc. Hours are 12.30-1.45, but what you can do is go in early or stay later and get some experience in class.

With the PGCE application, there are all the 'buzzwords' - differentiation, inclusion, behaviour management. There's the Government paper as well - Every Child Mattters - will be worth reading a summary of that.

I would get experience in 2 schools if you could, a nice suburbia school (King Teds, Silverdale, High Storrs etc) and an inner city/ deprived area school. That would give you an broad experience and something you can always reflect back on, particularly for interview questions.

Thanks for the advice,

I'll give them a call and see what they can manage! I can't really committ to something like lunchtime work unfortunately because of my hours at Uni, I have lectures between 12-1 3 times a week this semester :(

Hi,

I was looking at teaching and got several routes of experience.

I jopined something called a student associate scheme through uni (I get the impression it runs nationwide) where I worked one day a week in a classroom assistant type role in the department I was interested in, for about £42 a day I think. It may be worth asking if the uni you are applying for the PCGE in have that kind of arrangement, but the idea was to encourage people to apply for PCGEs.

Through my Masters course I also did supply teaching iN Secondary schools. I was in Middlesbrough nd there was a shortage so I could supply teach with just a degree and no teaching qualification. Don't know how it works here but that was amazing experience (put me off teaching in someways, but if you are sure its what you want I think that would be ace experience) and pays pretty well (I got £80 a day). An agency should be able to hook you up with some work, even if you just tell them you can only do Fridays. I had really odd days I could work and never had too much problem finding enough work, especially in the winter with lots of colds etc. But as I say, I don't know what the rules are round here regarding the need for qualifications.

Good luck! The world needs good and dedicated teachers!