1. Secondary School Teaching as a career
Jonathan Boden
Assistant Headteacher,
St Mary’s College, Hull

2. Key areas Typical day for a teacher Different routes into teaching
PGCE
School Direct (training programme)
Teach First
School Direct (salaried – for career changers only)
Get into schools – school experience programme; open days; volunteering etc
Teachers’ pay
Career progression
Work/life balance
Good / bad points about teaching

3. Basic entry requirements
At least Grade C at GCSE in English and Maths
Must have passed Skills tests (in numeracy and literacy) for teachers before starting teacher training
Must have at least a 2.2 degree in a subject closely related to the subject in which you wish to train

4. Teach First
2 year programme -> QTS, PGCE and completion of NQT Induction
Highly-competitive (only 1260 places this year)
You must have at least a 2.1 degree
Flexibility to work anywhere in England in a challenging school
Six week intensive summer school before starting
No training fee (Teach First is a charity)
In first year you are paid as an unqualified teacher (approx £15,700) and in the second year as a qualified teacher (approx £21,600)

5. PGCE 30% of time spent at university Professional studies lectures
Essays & assignments at post-graduate level
Specialist subject seminars
Two school placements

7. School Direct (training programme)
1 year programme
Achieve QTS (and PGCE, in some cases) through a school-centred route.
Apply direct to the school (or consortium of schools) at which you wish to train.
Accredited by an HEI (Higher Education Institution)

8. School Direct/PGCE: bursaries available for 2013-14
Other priority subjects = English, Geography, History, Greek, Latin, Music, Biology, Physical Education
(ie. No bursaries available for subjects like Art, Business, Citizenship, Dance, D&T, Drama , Economics or Religious Education)

9. The main pay teacher scale

10. Career Progression
There are TLR points (worth anything from an extra £2.5k to £12.5k available for extra responsibilities –
Head of Department
Head of Faculty
Head of Year SENCO
Key stage coordinator
Etc.

11. Good and Bad points of being a teacher
Constant variety
Making a difference
Helping young people progress
Intellectually stimulating
Great colleagues
Good holidays
Don’t need to live in London (unless you want to)
Stress
Work load – especially planning and marking (weekends / evenings)
Difficult to be ill
No let up
Public perception
Fixed term dates
Government interference
Ofsted-obsession

12. A typical day in my school
8.15 arrive.
8.35 Staff briefing
Registration
Lessons (15 min breaktime)
Lunch time
pm Lessons
pm Meetings / training / PPA
6pm Get home (unless parents’ evening, open evening, school play / concert / dance show….)