Teacher training : Work experience

Do you need work experience?

To ensure teaching is the right career choice for you, it makes sense to get some classroom experience. Training providers want to know that you have the skills and motivation to teach, and you will usually be required to have experience of working with children of the relevant age - preferably in a school environment.

Some institutions only interview candidates with recent observation experience in a state school. For primary PGCE courses, many institutions stipulate that you should have completed a minimum of two weeks’ school-based observation before your interview. Some institutions require 30 days or more.

If you are not able to complete the experience quickly, do not delay sending your application, but state in the application that you have experience arranged in the near future.

How do you get work experience?

Use your contacts through family and friends. You can also contact schools directly to ask for work experience or to observe classes or shadow teachers. EduBase  has a list of all schools. Work experience in schools is popular and it may take time to arrange a placement. There are also a number of schemes through the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) :

• School Experience Programme (SEP): will commence recruitment in September 2011. This is a new programme for students and anyone interested in gaining experience in the classroom. See the TDA for further details.
• Student tutoring programmes: some institutions offer student tutoring programmes through which you go into schools to help with classes. These programmes are often available through university careers services or students' unions.
• Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS): if you are a mathematics, science, technology, engineering or modern languages undergraduate, your department may offer a classroom-based module. This would involve spending around 40 hours working in schools. See Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (UAS) .
• Open Schools Programme (OSP): spend a day observing in a registered school;
• Taster courses and open days: these are organised by universities and colleges offering PGCE courses to provide an insight into teaching and teacher training. Taster courses last three days and tend to be targeted at shortage subjects or candidates from under-represented groups.
• Paid work: you may be able to obtain paid work in schools as a cover supervisor, teaching assistant, laboratory technician or learning mentor, for example. These posts are usually advertised on local authority (LA) websites or recruitment agencies.
• Voluntary work: most local authorities (LAs) run schemes for voluntary mentors to work with pupils on a one-to-one basis. Contact your LA for more information. Many universities work closely with local schools to encourage pupils to consider higher education (HE). 

Work experience tips

• Keep a diary of any work experience you do; this will be invaluable when it comes to writing your applications or preparing for interviews.
• Write notes about anything that you experience. For example, if a lesson did not work, think about how you would do it differently.
• Think about classroom control, different teaching styles and effective uses of presentation or technology.