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BRADFORD FOR TEACHING
Destination classroom: Different routes into teaching
Becoming a teacher in Bradford has never been easier, thanks to the wide variety of different training routes now available in the city. Here, using imaginary people at different points in their career, we take a closer look at some of the opportunities currently on offer at the McMillan School of Education and Initial Teacher Training, based at the University Centre Bradford College.
Focused Fatima
Fatima has just completed her ‘A’ levels. She has wanted to be a primary school teacher since she was a little girl and has been focused on that goal throughout her studies. Fatima can join the three-year undergraduate course Ba (Hons) Primary Education and at the end of the course, she will have a degree and be eligible to start applying for jobs as a fully qualified teacher.
Evidence based Umma
Unlike Fatima, Umma has been working in schools since she completed her degree five years ago. She started as a learning support assistant but has taken on more responsibility and is now regarded as an excellent unqualified teacher. She now wants to be seen as a qualified teacher, but doesn’t have qualified teacher status (QTS). Umma can take advantage of the college’s Assessment Only route if she has experience in two schools over two years and she can produce a portfolio of evidence for the teachers’ standards. She will need to complete a three-month placement in her school in order to gain QTS, but this will be a much quicker route into teaching than taking a year out to do a post graduate qualification and risk losing her job.
Top up Tim
Tim is working as a learning support assistant in a primary school. He has his maths, English and science GCSEs but he doesn’t have a degree. He wants to be a fully qualified teacher but can’t afford to give up work. Tim could take advantage of the Supporting and Managing Learning in Education (SMLE) programme to do a foundation degree one day a week. Schools are usually keen to support their staff develop and may allow Tim time off to attend college so that he can work and study at the same time. Once Tim has completed his foundation degree, he could do a top up course to give him a full honours degree without having to give up work.
Physics hopeful Faisal
Faisal has a BSc degree and wants to be a secondary school teacher in physics – but is worried that he’s not as confident in his physics subject knowledge as he would need to be to teach it. Faisal could apply for a Post Graduate Certificate of Education Secondary (PGCE) Physics and a Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course in physics. This route, which sees the SKE completed before the PGCE starts, attracts a bursary which means Faisal will also be paid to do it. In 2020-2021 he could be paid as much as £28,000 tax free and a further £6,000 after tax when he is teaching. Faisal could also take advantage of the college’s summer school to get used to working in a lab or using specialist physics equipment.
Taking the next step
These are just a few of the different ways people studying or working in Bradford could get on the path to becoming a qualified teacher. Other avenues include teaching apprenticeships and post-secondary qualifications in education and training for those wishing to go into further education teaching. To find out more log onto
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