GTP or PGCE?

Are you feeling uncertain as to which course would best suit you? Although by no means definitive, there is a rough outline of the differences between the two courses below, which might help you to determine which way into teaching would be best for you. In both routes when the trainee passes, they ae awarded with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status).

The PGCE course is run by HEIs (higher education institutes) across the country. The Post Graduate Certificate in Education requires you to have a degree in a relevant subject, if you are planning to teach in secondary education. This course is often particularly good for those who have come straight from their undergraduate degree. The atmosphere is very supportive, especially for those who have not really experienced the work environment. Various different HEIs have different formats of the shape of the year but most will include the following:

• Funding in the form of termly grants.
• A short placement in a primary school, including a day or two at one of the secondary schools pupils move on to and a study of this transition.
• Two longer placements in secondary schools (often around 6-8 weeks) where you will be given responsibility for some classes. The number of lessons you take will usually increase as the course progresses.
• A school based tutor in your subject area, responsible for regular mentoring sessions, collating observations and writing your end of placement report,
• A university based mentor/tutor who will visit you on placement, mark written assignments and deliver a number of lectures about teaching practice in your subject.
• You should also attend a number of cross curricular lectures or work shops at your HEI, preparing you for the theory of teaching and the other responsibilities you will have in the teaching profession.
• PGCE courses follow the shape of the academic year, but you are usually required to attend university during non placement times, such as half terms.
• You will be required to write a number of assignments, usually reflecting a balance between issues in your subject and wider issues within the school.

GTP courses are newer than PGCEs and are best provided by schools which have been awarded Training School Status – and only schools which have been proven to be excellent at training achieve this status. Crown Hills has a long history of working closely with HEIs including Leicester, Loughborough, De Montfort, Warwick, Nottingham-Trent, Sheffield-Hallam and the Open University. We were awarded Training School Status in 2001 and have one of the most experienced teams of mentors and senior tutors, ready to provide support and help throughout your training. The GTP course involves:

• Funding in the form of a salary rather than a grant (Approx £14,000 per annum).
• One year on the job training, based predominantly at one school, with a second placement of 2-3 weeks in a contrasting school.
• Weekly meetings with a subject based mentor and also with a senior tutor to provide guidance in the broader aspects of training.
• Subject specific training working closely with experienced members of staff in all aspects of planning, delivering and evaluating lessons
• Practical experience and guidance in classroom management
• The opportunity to undertake research in areas of educational thinking

Obviously, there are pros and cons to either of these routes into teaching. However, GTP does seem to suit some people better, especially those who are a little older than the average graduate, have families and other financial commitments and would prefer the stability of a fixed placement and regular income. Every trainee on the GTP programme who we have supported for qualified teacher status (QTS) has passed. Many of the teachers we have trained are regarded as "high flyers" in career terms, achieving teaching and learning points (salary enhancements) and management / leadership posts very quickly.