How to Make a Strong Application for a Teaching degree

1. How to Make a Strong Application for a Teaching degree

2. What basic qualifications will I need apart from A levels?

3. What other qualifications will I need? • Teaching is now one of the most popular degree subjects • You will also need the A level grades , usually three, or equivalent necessary to meet the offers made by the universities to which you are applying • Check with your teachers to find out your predicted grades. Make sure they are good enough to meet likely offers • Offers will be made on the basis of your predicted grades NOT on what you think you can get at the end of the course • Check the ‘Course Specific Requirements’ on the Entry Profile for each course on the UCAS website

4. Qualified teacher status (QTS) • Qualified teacher status (QTS) is the accreditation that enables you to teach in state-maintained and special schools in England and Wales • Anyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained school in England or Wales needs to gain qualified teacher status. To achieve this, you need to complete a period of initial teacher training (ITT), which will enable you to meet the professional standards for QTS; a formal set of skills and qualities required to be an effective teacher. • There are a different ways to gain QTS, and many more individual courses for you to choose from. You can complete your training at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and even take an employment-based route.

5. Primary or Secondary? PRIMARY • You will teach pupils between the ages of four and 11, spending most of your school day with your own class • At primary level you will teach all the subjects of the primary curriculum and your training will prepare you to teach these core subjects. SECONDARY • You usually teach pupils between the ages of 11 and 18. Most secondary teachers have at least one specialist subject

6. What skills/qualities will I need? • An interest in children and the ability to relate to them effectively • An interest in learning and in how children learn • A commitment to the development of children • A high degree of professionalism • A sense of responsibility, • Someone who is trustworthy • Good communications skills

7. You will need to do your basic research on two essential websites • Training and Development Agency for Schools website for guidance and general information • The UCAS website for researching courses and for making your applications through the Apply system

8. Training and Development Agency for Schools website

9. Find out more about what teaching is like on this page of the TDA website

10. Video Teachers’ stories

11. Courses

12. Bachelor of Education (BEd) • This enables you to study for your degree and completer your initial teacher training at the same time and gain QTS status • It is an honours degree course in Education • 3 or 4 years • Popular among those going into primary but also an option for secondary • Apply through UCAS

13. BA/BSc with QTS • You can study for a degree and do your initial teacher training at the same time (QTS) • This would be an hours degree that incorporates teacher training • 3 or 4 years • Popular among those going into secondary where you would only teach one main subject • Apply through UCAS

14. QTS skills tests • In England in order get your QTS status you will need to pass these tests towards the end of your degree • QTS skills tests cover the core skills in numeracy, literacy and ICT needed to fulfil your wider professional role in a school. • You will need to pass all three skills tests • If you want to find out more before you decide to go into teaching see the TDA website

15. Check the content of eachcourse carefully • On the UCAS website, degree courses leading to Qualified Teacher status (QTS) have course codes beginning with an X. You can find these by searching for QTS in the course search • Beware!! Courses can be very different in terms of their content. • Look at what you will do in all years of the course and check on course options offered in each year • Do the course assessment methods suit you ?

16. Look at Entry Profiles on UCAS website • Use ‘course search’ on UCAS APPLY • Choose a course at a university • Look at ‘entry profile’ for teaching degree courses

17. Bachelor of Education at University of Derby

18. Link takes you to further information on the Derby University website

20. Research universities and courses at open days • Book early • Watch out for subject specific open days • Don’t go to too many! Use website to: • Search • Access open days calendar • Book for many of them • Get advice • Subscribe to newsletter

21. opendays.com website

22. Open days calendar Useful article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/may/18/university-open-days

23. What will I cover on a typical course? Primary Education (4 Years) at Edinburgh University

24. Experience of working with children It is essential that you have experience of working with and observing children before you make your application. You could: • Visit a school • Carry classroom observation in your own school or college • Support children in local primary schools • Work with voluntary organisations involved with children • Also, discuss teaching with one of your teachers • A minimum of a week doing these things but check requirerements for each course. Some will ask for more

25. CRB Certificate • As part of the safeguarding of children in schools in order to protect them from unsuitable adults these checks are essential • Successful applicants for teaching courses must have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) enhanced disclosure certificate and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) check (usually processed through the university) before enrolling on a course. • Students will usually be expected to cover the costs. • Following the offer of a place and submission of a CRB form, it will be sent to the Criminal Records Bureau for the CRB and ISA check to be processed, ready for the start of term.

26. Attend one of the TDA ‘Train to Teach’ Events • Usually held February/March • Details on TDA website • Powerpoints from past events and other useful support material on TDA website

27. What should I put in my Personal Statement? • Use the ‘Entry profiles’ for your courses on the UCAS website to give you pointers about skills you will need and what is being looked for by selectors. • Details about relevant experience your reading, and reason for wanting to teach should dominate rather information about extra-curricular activities, gap year plans, etc. • 80% on Teaching 20% on general interests • Concentrate on interests and experiences that are relevant to the course you are applying for

28. Why do you want to teach? • What can you offer that will make you a good teacher? • How do you know teaching is right for you? • What experience have you had in schools that confirms this? • What else did you learn from your school experience? • Enthusiasm for the subject/s you will teach

29. What to avoid in your Personal Statement? • Being pretentious and trying to hard to impress. Write clearly and concisely. • Being boastful/opinionated • Poor written English • Following a formula • Plagiarism. You will get caught out • Talking about long holidays, good pay or good pensions!!

30. The interview Unlike many higher education course it is very likely that you will get interviews for your teaching courses. Interviewers will be looking for such things as: • Issues mentioned in the personal statement guidance • Your personal qualities • How fare you have prepared for the interview • Identifying your strengths • How far you acknowledge areas for personal development and how you are addressing these • What have you learnt from your school experience

31. You may be asked to do prepare a presentation for the interview or take part in group task or group interview • There will also be document checks to do with CRB for examples • You may be asked to do some form of written test such as a numeracy or literacy test, for example. • You could be asked about current issues in education so keep up to date by reading a newspaper, watch news and relevant documentaries on television

32. Keep up to date with education issues on the BBC website

33. General questions • Tell me about yourself? • How would you describe yourself? • Tell us about your current courses? • What are you best at? • What are your main interests? • Do you have any weaknesses These are self awareness questions, so prepare by thinking about: • Your key personality characteristics • Your general and study interests • Try and be relevant and talk about those personality qualities and interests that match the course.

34. Questions about your motivation for the course and the university • Why do you want to study for a degree? • Why did you choose this course? • What do you think university can offer you? • What else, apart from study, interests you about this university? • Why do you want to study at this university? • Why do you want to study in this town/city?

35. Subject related questions • Why do you want to study this subject? • What do you know about the course? • What attracts you to this course? • Are there particular aspects of the course that attract you ? Why? • What have you read recently that is relevant to your interest in this course? • What experiences /work experience/ visits/ independent study have you done which is relevant to this course?

36. You may want to study the subject because: • You want to study it further and in more depth • It is a strong interest and/or your best subject • You will need it for your future career plans • That a particular university has a type of course that is suited to you • Or some other reasons of your own. • Use supporting evidence and examples where possible.

37. Topical questions • Interviewers may ask your opinion on something topical, that is something in the news or related to your subject. • Prepare for the interview by looking in the media to see what is current • You can reading the national serious newspapers online or in hard copy and pick out current stories that seem linked to your subject. • Collect them in a folder and think about how you could respond to a question on these topics. • Watch TV documentaries related to the subject

38. Hypothetical situation or problem solving questions • Be prepared to have to think on your feet and do not over rehearse prepared answers • Give me an example of a time when... you dealt with a problem, or overcame some obstacles, or worked in a team to achieve an outcome etc • If you were asked to....do something creative about ......what would you do?

39. What skills will an Education (QTS) degree give me? • The ability to present oral and written arguments • Communication skills • IT skills • Numeracy skills and the ability to interpret numerical data • Interpersonal skills • The ability to work with others • Self management skills • Ability to analyse, synthesise data • Problem solving skills

40. Prospects.ac.uk website Click ‘Careers advice’ link

41. Click ‘Options with your subject’ link

42. Two page ‘Options with Your Subject’ sheets • Skills the degree will give you • Job options related to your degree • Jobs for which your degree would be useful • Links to each of the jobs for further details • Career Areas chosen by those with your degree • Where are the jobs? • What next: other possibilities after your degree

43. Examples of jobs directly related to an Education (QTS) degree It depends on your degree specialism • Primary school teacher • Secondary school teacher • Early years teacher • Adult education lecturer • Special educational needs teacher • Further education lecturer • Community education officer • Youth worker • Education administrator

44. Examples of jobs for which an Education(QTS) degree would be useful • Learning mentor • Careers adviser for young people or adults • Personal adviser • Museum education officer • Social worker • Training and development officer for a company or organisation

45. Useful sources • If you would like to speak to the TDA about teaching or teacher training contact the information line on 0845 6000 991, or on 0845 6000 992 (for Welsh speakers). • www.prospects.ac.uk