I want to be a teacher!

[loving_life]

I have a 10 week old baby and I have been thinking about my career. I am a jeweller and have been since I was 16, I'm now 26.
I've been thinking lots and I've always wanted to be a teacher, preferably for younger children.

Thing is, I left school at 14 due to me being horribly bullied and was home educated. Unfortunately, my parents couldn't afford the fees for the GCSE exam papers so I have no GCSE's.
I do have a BTEC 1st Diploma in Travel & Tourism & I have an NVQ1 & 2 in Hairdressing (I wanted a trade in case I want to move abroad lol).

I'd love to teach but I have no idea what I need or if I can even do it or how long training takes. I'd like to NOT have to go back to school/college as I wouldn't have time with my job and my LO. I'm still on maternity leave till Feb next year though.

Does anyone know if I could do this or how I could go about it??
Any advise!?

Add: Id prefer to learn at home if I needed to

 

[kmbabycrazy]

To be a teacher you do need your GCSEs in Maths, English and at least one science subject so you will have to take them but you can do GCSEs through OU but I don't know about science as when I did it our course work was based on a practical but take a look. You will need to go to university at some point if you would like to be a teacher as for primary education you need initial teacher training and in most situations need a degree (you can do work based but there are only a small number of work based applicants and of course lots wanting to do it) and for secondary school though you'd be able to take the subject degree through the OU they do not do PGCEs so you would have to go to univeristy to do that.

I am wanting to be a secondary school English teacher so have done my research and I'm actually starting my degree in English Language and Literature through the OU in October.

If you go to teach.gov.uk they'll tell you what you need to know and you should also check out the OU website to check which GCSEs you will be able to take. Hope this helps and good luck with it all x

 

[kmbabycrazy]

okay just checked GCSEs aren't done through OU but there are ways of doing them through distance learning. ICS do them x

 

[Toms Mummy]

You can also do GCSEs in evening classes at your local college x

You then either need to do a degree before you can go on to the few of options there is to become an unqualified teacher.... Or you can do a BEd in uni which is a 4 yr couse, and you will be an unqualified teacher afterwards. You then need to do a qulifying year in a school to become a qualified teacher (but you get paid for this) x

 

[loving_life]

Thank you. I will definitely look into it more.
English is my best & favourite subject & I would have done very well in it if I'd have been able to take my exams.
My diploma in travel & tourism is the equivalent of 5 GCSE's grade A-C and I have Key Skills in maths, communications (English) and IT but not sure if any of that would help.
I wouldn't say no to secondary school teaching to be honest. It'd have to be English though.

I'm excited to get researching!

 

[kmbabycrazy]

It doesn't say you need so many GCSEs just that you need a GCSE (A-C) in English, Maths and a Science subject no other GCSEs.

 

[loving_life]

Ok, I think I figured it out.
1st thing of have to do is get my GCSE's with my local college, doing a night course or day course if I could sort childcare for my LO.
Then, if I'm right, I'd need a degree so I'd try for a BA Honours degree in English. I think.
Then go from there.... Somehow lol.

Does that sound about right?

I'm wondering how much all this would cost. My OH (FOB) doesnt live with me and I work just 1 day a week as my work dropped my hours to 1 day a week when I told them I was pregnant. I'm still on maternity leave now. So I had to go on benefits. Not got that much money to spare so I'm hoping I can get help with costs.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere I can go to talk about this? Will the job centre be able to help talk me through everything? Like a careers advisor?

 

[laurajo24]

I think you'd need A levels to get onto the degree programme, as well as GCSES.

I was a primary school teacher and did a totally non related degree (geology) and then a PGCE. I didn't have a child and it was really hard going but lots of mums were doing it and coping well.

The one thing I will say is that teaching is more like a lifestyle choice than a career. It will take over your home life. It is not a typical 9-5 job. I couldn't cope with this and so I gave it up when LO was 18 months old. I'm not tyring to put you off! Just want to make sure you are certain this is the career you want before you spend money and time working towards it.

Good luck with it all! x

 

[kmbabycrazy]

You don't necessarily have to do a levels you might just have to do a foundation course before the degree it's just like doing an extra year on your degree. My brother has just graduated uni with a 2:1 with no a levels and 1 GCSE so it is doable. But to be a teacher you need GCSEs x

 

[loving_life]

So I've checked and I can do a degree with the open university with no gcse's with the qualifications I already have.
I got accepted to my local uni 2 years ago to do an English lit degree but couldn't continue it for personal reasons.
I think I'll still do my gcse's first though of I need to.

 

[Toms Mummy]

I will be starting my Maths GCSE in sept as I too wish to do my pgce. It costs £60 for the part time course for 1 yr and then £25 for the exam at the end of the year x

If you can do a parttime one there's no reason why you couldn't do it whilst in uni!.... get it done with quicker x

 

[Missus_L]

Hi!

I did my GCSE re sits in an evening when I was completing my Degree course and working part time too. It was 2-3 hours in an evening. I believe that GCSE's in Maths and English are now free at colleges too.

If you wanted to you can get into teaching through a number of ways:

Complete a degree in teaching, complete a subject related degree then go onto doing a PGCE for a year or GTP, look into teach first too as that may still be going.

Everything you need regarding teaching is all here https://www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching

BIG TIP: you need to have experience in schools when you get into teaching (I needed 2 weeks) so ask around your local primary and secondary schools to see if they are after any volunteers, whether you can go into classrooms anh help. Also ask in youth clubs too.

Good luck!

 

[loving_life]

At my local college it says it's £250 PER GCSE!
Hope I can get finding for that. They start on the 11th though so I may have missed the cut off but going to call tomorrow and that's a good idea about doing the OU degree at the same time. Can't wait to get on the phone tomorrow and kick start it all!

Thank you ladies. You're all being a really big help

 

[kmbabycrazy]

You might not need the GCSEs for the OU course but as I've read it you need GCSEs to be a teacher anyway in English Maths and Science so you will have to do those GCSEs at some point x