Secondary School Teaching as a career

Jonathan BodenAssistant Headteacher, St Mary’s College, Hull

Key areas

• Typical day for a teacher• Different routes into teaching

– PGCE– School Direct (training programme)– Teach First– School Direct (salaried – for career changers only)

• Get into schools – school experience programme; open days; volunteering etc

• Teachers’ pay• Career progression• Work/life balance• Good / bad points about teaching

Basic entry requirements

• At least Grade C at GCSE in English and Maths• Must have passed Skills tests (in numeracy and

literacy) for teachers before starting teacher training

• Must have at least a 2.2 degree in a subject closely related to the subject in which you wish to train

Teach First

• 2 year programme -> QTS, PGCE and completion of NQT Induction

• Highly-competitive (only 1260 places this year)• You must have at least a 2.1 degree• Flexibility to work anywhere in England in a challenging

school• Six week intensive summer school before starting • No training fee (Teach First is a charity)• In first year you are paid as an unqualified teacher (approx

£15,700) and in the second year as a qualified teacher (approx £21,600)

PGCE

• 30% of time spent at university• Professional studies lectures• Essays & assignments at post-graduate level• Specialist subject seminars• Two school placements

School Direct (training programme)

• 1 year programme• Achieve QTS (and PGCE, in some cases)

through a school-centred route.• Apply direct to the school (or consortium of

schools) at which you wish to train.• Accredited by an HEI (Higher Education

Institution)

School Direct/PGCE: bursaries available for 2013-14

Other priority subjects = English, Geography, History, Greek, Latin, Music, Biology, Physical Education (ie. No bursaries available for subjects like Art, Business, Citizenship, Dance, D&T, Drama , Economics or Religious Education)

The main pay teacher scale

Career ProgressionThere are TLR points (worth anything from an extra £2.5k to £12.5k available for extra responsibilities –

Head of Department

Head of Faculty

Head of Year

SENCO

Key stage coordinator

Etc.

Good and Bad points of being a teacher

• Constant variety• Making a difference• Helping young people

progress• Intellectually stimulating• Great colleagues• Good holidays• Don’t need to live in

London (unless you want to)

• Stress• Work load – especially

planning and marking (weekends / evenings)

• Difficult to be ill• No let up• Public perception• Fixed term dates• Government interference• Ofsted-obsession

A typical day in my school

• 8.15 arrive. • 8.35 Staff briefing• 8.50-9.15 Registration• 9.15-12.30 Lessons (15 min breaktime)• 12.30-1.30 Lunch time• 1.30-3.30pm Lessons• 3.45-5.30pm Meetings / training / PPA• 6pm Get home (unless parents’ evening, open

evening, school play / concert / dance show….)