Teacher Training Ireland & the UK 2002/2003

Teacher Training in Ireland & the UK

Second Level Teacher Training Ireland

Postgraduate Diploma in Education– NUI Colleges (Secondary Teaching)

The Higher Diploma in Education courses are now called the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). There is a central application system for these courses offered in the NUI colleges –University College Cork, DublinCityUniversity, National University of Ireland, Galway and National University of Ireland, Maynooth. and.

Application for all these courses should be made online to

Application to these courses is extremely competitive, attracting approximately 3,000 applications for 800 places. In recent years, only 2.1 or 1.1 honours degree standard was required, based on QCA at the end of 3rd year. A quota is applied to the places available to Business graduates and only 10% of places are available to graduates in Business disciplines.

Points are also available for postgraduate qualifications (3 for Grad Dip, 6 for Masters, 10 for PhD) Candidate has to have completed postgraduate programme by 1st December of year of application for points to apply.

Full details of the selection criteria and application process can be found at:

Closing date is usually 01 December (Application fee is €80). Late Application deadline is early January. (Late application fee is €120.)

Postgraduate Diplomas in Education – University of Limerick

UL also offers a Postgraduate Graduate Diploma in Education in a number of specialist subjects – Business, Mathematics, PE, Music, Languages, and Technology. Applications are directly to the Admissions Office, UL and the closing dates differ for each course, some as early as November. Check the link for more details:

Entry to UL courses is not as competitive as the NUI courses although the number of applications has increased significantly in recent years. The most competitive course is the Grad Dip Education (Business) which attracts about 150 applications for 30 places. Eligible applicants are invited to interview.

Primary Teacher Training Ireland

Postgraduate courses for primary teaching are offered by MaryImmaculateCollege, Limerick; St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra; Colaiste Mhuire Marino; and The Froebel College, Dublin. The Department of Education introduced these courses to cater for a shortage of trained primary school teachers. The courses run from January until June of the following year. Entry is very competitive. The application deadline is normally early in Dec for the following year. You must already have your degree at the time of application so this option is not open to final-yearstudents. All disciplines are considered.

Requirements

Grade C in Higher Level Irish in the Leaving Certificate

Grade D in Mathematics (Ordinary or Higher)

Grade C (Ordinary) or Grade D (Higher) in English

A pass in University First Arts examination in Irish, English or Mathematics

The Teastas/Dioplóma sa Ghaeilge – a 2 year part-time course offered by Aonad na Gaeilge in UL – is also acceptable.

Selection Procedure – Two parts

All eligible candidates will be invited to an interview. The interview focuses on suitability for training as a primary teacher. Previous experience will be crucial if you want to do well at the interview. Also, helping out in a classroom or coaching sports teams will show how motivated you are. The interview lasts approx 20 minutes.

Oral Irish Test –A conversation on everyday topics and books you’ve read, and reading correctly a suitable passage of prose or poetry and then explaining what you’ve read. A high standard of fluency is required. It’s not enough just to have your honours leaving cert Irish. If you haven’t spoken Irish since then, it would be a good idea to take a few refresher classes and brush up your skills. The oral Irish test is appox 15 minutes duration.

Online Postgraduate Course in Primary Education

HiberniaCollegeDublin H. Dip.in Arts in Primary Education

The 18-month course has two intakes of students each year, normally in February and October and graduates are awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Education. This qualification is HETAC accredited and is fully recognised by the Department of Education.

This course differs from other postgraduate teaching courses in that it is primary an online programme and combines web-based and classroom-based teaching. The classroom -based teaching takes place on Saturdays and during some vacations. This will allow students the flexibility to study in their own time and location without moving to Dublin. Consult the college website for more details:

Applications: Application form can be downloaded from the HiberniaCollege website at: that there is no deadline. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis all year long and are considered for the next class with available places.

Useful Websites

Teacher Training in the UK

UK institutions also offer postgraduate courses in education, known as PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) programmes and many Irish graduates apply for these.The PGCE course generally takes one year full-time study but other models of study are also available. The entry requirements vary for primary level and secondary level – see details below.

Many Irish graduates who don’t have the honours Leaving Certificate Irish required to train as a Primary teacher in Ireland, opt to train in the UK. Graduates who want to return to teach in Ireland must then submit details of their UK qualifications to the Teaching Council for approval – Following an assessment of qualifications, provisional recognition may be granted until they meet the relevant Irish requirements

Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE)

Background

The PGCE is the British equivalent of the PGDE in Ireland. It is a one year Initial Teacher Training course, which qualifies graduates for primary or secondary school teaching.

To be classified as a fully qualified teacher the graduate must complete an “induction year”in the UK after qualifying. This is full time employment in a school teaching post with professional support and a reduced teaching commitment. The PGCE qualification is then recognised in all EU countries including Ireland.

How to apply for teacher training in the UK

Graduate Teacher Training Registry

GTTR - An online application system for applying for postgraduate teacher training courses in the UK (primary and post primary)

Fee: £17
Applicant has four choices; no more than two can be for primary teaching courses
Closing Dates: Primary 01 Dec (submit your application as soon as possible though, as universities will start processing as soon as applications are received).
Post Primary 30 June

Online Application process

Applicants have to register and answer eligibility questions.
Applicants email address is used as username.

Any queries re eligibility of degree, then applicants need to contact the relevant institution.
If applicant needs to do a subject enhancement course (languages, maths etc), they need to contact the institution to see if same is offered.
Can search for enhancement courses on website (Training and Development Agency for Schools).

Primary Teaching

To qualify for registration at the end of the course, students should seek to do the general course age 5-11. The Irish teaching Council may not recognise your PGCE if you do any of the other primary courses.

Applications have to be completed by December 1st BUT it is a “first come first served basis and if you leave it to the last moment you risk not getting a place. Places are very competitive.

Candidates apply online at and are allowed to make two choices only so it is important that the candidate checks that there is a vacancy at their chosen college before making an online application.

Candidates from the ROI must have a Grade C ordinary cert or grade D higher level in: Mathematics, English, and Science for teaching in the primary sector.

Secondary Teaching

There is currently a shortage in many subject areas for secondary teaching especially in the areas of English, Science, Mathematics, IT, D&T, Music and RE. Irish teachers, in some parts of the UK are therefore in great demand. Candidates should apply online at and name four institutions they wish to apply for – in order of preference. Applications for secondary places will be received by Universities as long as they have vacancies. All secondary applicants require Maths and English at Grade C ordinary cert or grade D higher level.

Tuition Fees

For all teaching courses there are fixed tuition fees, depending on the University. Student loans are available.

Funding

A range of incentives and financial support are available both during and after your training. All grants and bursaries are subject to conditions and you are not guaranteed funding, but you may be eligible for financial support. Find out what funding is available in England and Wales

The Government bursaries that operate in England do not apply to Scotland Find out more here:

Information for both Primary and Secondary Applicants

Personal Statement

See each institution’s ‘entry profile’ this gives a good overview of what is required of applicants.

TDA website has some useful info – help with the application, the personal statement and help with the interview.

Useful websites for research for the Personal statement:

GTTR
Times Educational Supplement
Training and Development Agency for Schools

What to think about when preparing personal statement: Commitment to teaching; Current issues and developments in teaching; Challenges faced; N.B applicants need to have gotten relevant classroom experience beforehand.

Following guide may be useful:

Activity (what did you do?)
Benefit (What was learned?)
Course (How can you relate this to the course applied for?)

Personal Statement

Make sure that you put down the following

All experience or teaching or/and working with children – This can be in a variety of situations
Tell them why you want to be a teacher (not pay or holidays!!) Remember this is a personal statement so add in relevant details about your Attributes, talents, hobbies or interests that may be relevant to the job or to extra curricular activities.

Referees

Seek permission from your two referees for the GTTR to approach them for a reference. Try to use professional referees. For examples; university subject tutor. The GTTR will contact your referees by email before processing your application.

Interviews

You may be called for an interview before a decision is made by the admissions officer. This could result in you having to travel to the UK more than once for an interview. It is strongly recommended that candidates have a basic knowledge about their Key Stages of the National Curriculum before attending an interview. See here for more info :

Recognition in Ireland

All primary teachers returning to Ireland need to take an Irish examination held in March of each year unless they have a satisfactory pass in Irish at higher level LC

Secondary teachers are required to take an examination in the History and Structure of Irish Education since 1922 held in May and November of each year.

ALL candidates will need to provide a Garda Criminal Record Check before commencing a teaching course.

Some useful advice from a Teacher Training provider in the UK.

Many Irish students and graduates are currently applying to UK teacher training institutions. It’s a very competitive process and quite a few applicants are being rejected because of lack of awareness of some pre requisites or a lack of focus. In one particular UK teacher training institution, out of 30 Irish applicants, only two were called to interview because of some or all of the areas below were not addressed.

Here are some areas to look at if you want to be better prepared and for your application to be seriously considered

You need:

1. To have done sufficient appropriate observation; a minimum time in schools seeing teachers teaching, (not doing it yourself). This is usuallya minimum of two days focused on your subject, in a secondary school other than where you attended or were employed. Specific dates, locations and classes seen and at least a few sentences on what you learned is expected. Applying without this will delay or terminate your chances with many/most providers.

2. To have a suitable academic tutor referee if at university in the last 2/3 years, and definitely not your former head teacher.A tutor (or if employed for some years, aline manager) is needed.

3. To explain why you wish to teach your subject.

4 Regarding sports: even if very keen and experienced in sports you need to convey your subject interest with enthusiasm. ‘Too many are writing whole paragraphs about their sports activities and hardly anything about why they wish to teach their subject in schools’

5. To be aware that now you’ll need to spend at leasta year on an induction year if England after training, in order to be recognised as fully qualified on your return home; and that from 20102 the fees in England are likely to be increased

Useful websites:

Online teacher training applications website UK
Times Educational Supplement
Training and Development Agency for Schools
National Curriculum online

Teacher Training in Wales or Scotland

December 2010

Other Postgraduate Diplomas in Education

Primary Teacher Training Ireland

Requirements

Online Postgraduate Course in Primary Education