How to Make a Strong Application for a Teaching degree

What basic qualifications will I need apart from A levels?

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

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.

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

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

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

Training and Development Agency for Schools website

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

Video Teachers’ stories

Courses

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

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

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

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 ?

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

Bachelor of Education at University of Derby

Link takes you to further information on the Derby University website

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

opendays.com website

Open days calendar

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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!!

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

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

Keep up to date with education issues on the BBC website

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: 1) Your key personality characteristics 2) Your general and study interests 3) Try and be relevant and talk about those personality qualities and

interests that match the course.

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?

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?

You may want to study the subject because:

1) You want to study it further and in more depth2) It is a strong interest and/or your best subject3) You will need it for your future career plans4) That a particular university has a type of course that is

suited to you5) Or some other reasons of your own.6) Use supporting evidence and examples where possible.

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

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?

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

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

Click ‘Options with your subject’ link

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

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

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

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