Guest Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Hi everyone As some of you know I am a preschool manager, and I co-own and co-manage my preschool with my friend. With all the emphasis on early years managers having a relevant degree-level qualification I am currently considering my options (as lots of us are) for further training. I have a Maths degree so it seems to make more sense for me to do a PGCE for FS/KS1 rather than the Foundation degree as it opens up more options for me career-wise. However I live in Southampton and haven't found anywhere locally that does a Foundation/KS1 PGCE (Southampton and Winchester only offer KS1/KS2). Can anyone suggest any other routes to PGCE that may be possible or know of any Early years PGCE courses within commuting distance of Southampton. Is it possible to do Primary (3-7) PGCE by distance learning? Or does anyone have any other suggestions? Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Hi Carolyn. My geography isnt great but are Portmouth or Chichester anywhere near you? If not have you considered the GTP or SCITT route into teaching. In both cases you would have to work full time in a school for a year which would mean making alternative arrnagments for your pre school. You could check out what provision there is in your LA by contacting you LA education division or by going through a search at the TDA (teacher development agency). You would need to have GCSE english and science (if you were born after 1979), obviously the maths wouldnt be a problem for you. Im not aware of an early years PGCE by distance, the OU does one but I think its just secondary. The alternative is to widen your location bearing in mind that although there would be travel involved for the college work, once on a placement, most places will accomodate you nearer to home. The uni I am a school based tutor for, places people in schools up to 50 mile away if they just happen to live there!! Finally have you double checked with Southampton and Winchester as new course are coming up all the time and it may be that one of these is in the process of developing a course for the next cycle (2007/8), as you would be unlikley to get a course now for September this year. Sorry cant be of more help, unless someone else knows more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 Portsmouth is about half an hour away by car - do they do early years PGCE then? I think Chichester would be further than I would be prepared to travel. I have considered the GTP route, but I don't know if Southampton would support me in an early years PGCE via GTP if they don't normally do Foundation stage. I don't know much about how SCITT works. I was originally thinking of the flexible PGCE at Winchester starting in January but as that isn't the early years one I am probably looking at Sept/Oct 2007 to start. I could email them and just check if there's anything in the pipeline for 07/08. Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Hi there, I have been reading the board for a while but have only just upgraded. I have recently been through the GTP process and it is tough, it is very very oversubscribed and they seem to prefer people that have lost of impressive qualifications on paper than relevent experience. Another route I have found out about is the Gloucester QTS only route, http://www.glos.ac.uk/subjectsandcourses/t...s/entry2007.cfm however you do need to have been working as an unqualified teacher for a certain amount of time before applying. I hope this is helpful to someone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Hi Jester, welcome on board, and well done for getting through the GTP. Please make yourself at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the information. I am sure it will be useful for someone. I ended up doing the EYPS route in the end (I really do prefer the under 5s!). I hope you will find the forum a help to you. The GTP route is very tough, so well done for surviving it! Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Hi Jester, welcome on board, and well done for getting through the GTP. Please make yourself at home. Thank you Mundia I would like to add that it did not get a place on the GTP (much to my relief!) It appeared that two years experience of teaching a foundation stage class was not enough. Never mind eh? Welcome to the forum, and thanks for the information. I am sure it will be useful for someone. I ended up doing the EYPS route in the end (I really do prefer the under 5s!).I hope you will find the forum a help to you. The GTP route is very tough, so well done for surviving it! Carolyn I have been looking at the EYPS route as well, I really don't think the GTP is the right route for me at all and I had a bad experience at the interview where I was made to feel bad about what I was doing. I think I will be going for this Gloucester route though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 I think Id read you wrong Jester sorry about that. I'm guessing that the Gloucester route is a validation only route? Id be interested to hear how that works. Are you currently employed as an unqualified teacher then? In a school? Im guessing you would need the backing of headteacher to go down this path would you? I mentor on the GTP and the interview process is extremely tough. Not many here get through first time and for some it takes two or three attempts, so don't be disheartened. Is it teaching that you want to do, as the EYP route wont necessarily open that door for you or is your career path in a different direction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 I think Id read you wrong Jester sorry about that. I'm guessing that the Gloucester route is a validation only route? Id be interested to hear how that works. Are you currently employed as an unqualified teacher then? In a school? Im guessing you would need the backing of headteacher to go down this path would you? I mentor on the GTP and the interview process is extremely tough. Not many here get through first time and for some it takes two or three attempts, so don't be disheartened. Is it teaching that you want to do, as the EYP route wont necessarily open that door for you or is your career path in a different direction? I know this is a REALLY old thread but just wanted to say. I am employed as an instructor in a school and my head has been fully supportive of me with regard to choosing an appropriate route to QTS It's funny you should say not many get through to doing the GTP first time, my friend has got a place on her third attempt- before that she didn't even get an interview. I'm not sure I want to be a teacher now, I do want to stick with early years and so EYP route is a good way for me to move forward, also I have a degree so I am sure that I will be able to look at doing a GTP route or PGCE in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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