How did you come to study with Tes Institute?
Having not even considered teaching as a career until I had my children and started volunteering for the parent-teacher association (PTA), I am now an early career teacher (ECT) in a junior school where I have worked for nine academic years. I gained my degree in my early twenties and worked in marketing for several years, before stepping back from this to be able to do the school run and all the activities that being a mum brings with it.
After taking an active role in PTA at my children’s school, becoming a learning support assistant (LSA) seemed the next logical step. This was a role that I enjoyed immensely but it wasn’t enough for me. Working alongside some fantastic teachers and seeing the difference they made to the children in school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher – I wanted to be the one that sparked those lightbulb moments whilst standing at the front of the classroom! I became a higher-level teaching assistant (HLTA), and then my school gave me a role where I was teaching one day a week. This led to the opportunity to do my initial teacher training (ITT).
After researching all of the different ways to gain qualified teacher status (QTS), the Post-Graduate Teacher Apprenticeship (PGTA) route with Tes Institute was the obvious choice for me and my school.
What did you want to achieve? How has this course supported you to achieve your goals?
The PGTA route with Tes Institute allowed me to gain QTS while I continued working at the same school in an environment I knew well. I was able to share a class with a teacher I had previously worked with, and I was able to still earn a salary.
Completing the course while also working in the classroom gave me the opportunity to gain practical experience, which was beneficial in terms of behaviour management and improving my subject knowledge.
How did you find the application process?
The application process for the PGTA course was very simple. After researching the course at Tes Institute, my head of school and I completed the application together. An interview was held via Zoom at a convenient time and all of the other required elements were explained and conducted with ease.
What did you enjoy most about the course?
Learning alongside my colleagues and mentor was the most enjoyable part; it allowed me to discuss what I had learned and then implement it straight away in the classroom and reflect on the effectiveness.
The mix of independent learning, online group sessions, in-person tutor visits and the more in-depth tasks provided me with the opportunity to learn and apply my knowledge in different ways.
What support did you receive during the course and how did this help you to progress?
Throughout my ITT year, the support I received from Tes Institute, the online learning sessions and the visits and feedback from my tutor were all of the highest quality. My Tes pathway tutor was so approachable and encouraging; she really made a huge difference to my enjoyment of the course. Knowing I could email her about anything was hugely helpful and her positive emails at key points in the year, and even after I had finished the course, were much appreciated. She also emailed me links to articles that would be helpful to my learning or to the assignments I was completing.
The subject knowledge online sessions made a real difference to my understanding of the foundation subjects I now teach and allowed me to complete the assignments, with help readily available if needed. It was very useful to listen to and communicate with an expert in these subjects.
What would you tell another person who is thinking of applying for this course?
If you want to get into teaching and already have a degree, this is the route for you. The communication and level of support from Tes Institute, the documentation provided and the access to the yearly calendar were all fantastic. You will need to be organised and have good time management, but this route makes teaching accessible.
How would you sum up your experience with Tes Institute in a sentence?
My experience was seamless, organised, supported and allowed me to gain the required qualifications to become a fully qualified teacher.
