The Start of my Journey
In January of 2020 I decided to start my career in education. I had researched and weighed up all my different avenues and came up with three different pathways.
If you’re interested in finding out more detail about the available paths check out my post here.
To be safe, I started the ball rolling with all three applications – and I recommend you do this too. There’s always a possibility you might not get accepted and you don’t want to waste time with all your eggs in one basket. You can always have a preference but you want your finger in all the pies until you’re successful with one or the other.
So on this advice, I submitted my details onto UCAS and browsed some Schools Direct (Salaried) options that included a PGCE. I sent off an application for TeachFirst which required me to fill in 5 short essay questions and give some details about myself and what I would like to teach. Finally, I enquired within the school I was working in regarding the available training options.
My Baseline
I had a base line of things I wanted:
- I wanted to be salaried & have my tuition covered. My parents had sacrificed to fund me through my degree and I was not about to stretch them and myself further; a salary was a non-negotiable.
- I wanted a PGCE. You can gain your QTS once and so if I’m going to do it I’m going to get every qualification I can along the way.
- I wanted to be in school. I’m a hands on learner and I get bored quickly. I wanted to be in the fray, gaining experience and developing on the job.
My Preference Order
I also had a preference order
- TeachFirst
- Schools Direct (Salaried & PGCE)
- PGCE
- QTS without PGCE
Why I Picked TeachFirst
I was very keen to be accepted for TeachFirst after I had done my research. From the beginning, I loved what they stood for. Their aim was to bring equality to education. To provide a quality education for all not just for those who can afford it.
It isn’t hard to get behind a vision like that.
I looked at some of the numbers and I will share them with you, as educators these factors affect us all.
Did you know
- A child from a disadvantaged background is around 18 months behind when they take their GCSE exams.
- Around £17 billion a year is spent dealing with problems that start in childhood.
- Millions of British children live in poverty. Fewer than half achieved the expected levels for English and Maths by the end of primary.
As you can see this is a national crisis and I wanted to be on the front line of combatting it. This meant that teaching wasn’t just about me, I had a cause to get behind now.
On top of that I had read about the massive amount of training and opportunity they provided, they work their hardest to ensure you succeed. Finally, the package they provide you with is exceptional, from the initial salary to covering your tuition fees. They provide a PGDE which is double the credits of a PGCE and you work for the majority of time in one school throughout your training.
I was sold at this point. I wanted the best and they offered exactly what I wanted.
What Happened Next?
So my school came back to me and said we have a salaried option available, however you only gain QTS and our provider can’t provide a PGCE. So this didn’t meet my base line and I decided to stop pursuing that option.
Around a week after I sent in my application I was invited to the Teach First assessment day.
I’m lucky that I’m not particularly phased by group assessments but I had heard the day was relatively rigorous.
I did my research and got as much information as I could. I was asked by TeachFirst to prepare a 4 minute lesson teaching on a subject related topic – luckily for me I was surrounded with teachers so I prepared and practised this.
Little note – preparation is key. It is something within your control that you can refine and perfect. It seems weird practising performing something like teaching. But, teaching is a performance and if you feel comfortable and in control you’ll present it more effectively.
Assessment day came and I went through their various challenges which included a solo interview, a group interview, my 4 minute lesson and some moments to pause for feedback and evaluation.
Self evaluation and responding and adapting to feedback was a focal point for TeachFirst throughout the day. Every question and every task was assessing how you respond to feedback as well as getting a picture of who you are and your suitability to teach.
I completed the assessment day and headed home. I was pretty exhausted after the day. But I was pretty set on them.
I had a recruiter call me the week after to see how it had gone, but, she had an ulterior motive. This became a big caveat for the entire prospect and a big reason why I needed the other options open. She started off with the casual pleasantries and getting my thoughts on how the day had gone. Then the conversation took a turn.
“Hey I know you are based in London, and you want to teach English. But, as you know we’re a very popular pathway into teaching and there are only a certain amount of places for English in London. So would you be prepared to relocate?”
Now, this was a big deal for me. I did not want to relocate. Of course I would consider it, but I was heavily invested in where I was, I was living at home and so I didn’t know what to do.
This is where the first part of the application process for TeachFirst ended.
I was playing the waiting game now.
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