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Anyone been to a PGCE interview day recently?

7 replies

Tallgiraffe · 27/01/2013 15:53

Hi all,

my sister has been invited to go to an assessment day for PGCE in a few weeks. Does anyone have any tips? What were you asked? What took you by surprise? She has 2 years of experience working in a special needs school as a TA, but only got a 2.2 in her degree so needs to do well on the day.

She's going for primary school after a science degree if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance

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Inclusionist · 27/01/2013 18:35

My friend went to one last year. She had worked for 2 years as a UQT in a special school before applying and I can, hand on my heart, say she is the most naturally talented teacher I have ever worked with.

She had a written task that was a nightmare. The question was nearly half a page long (she brought a copy back) and barely made sense. It was about some highbrow, philosophical abstraction of teaching. She worte something but said she could only come up with complete waffle.

She had to teach a 'lesson'. The interviewees played the students and behaved so badly that she said if the same had happened at our (SEBD) school it probably would have resulted in a restrictive intervention! She was not able to teach anything other than the intro to the lesson she had planned.

There was a maths test. It was A Level/ early degree level statistics. She had a go but reckoned she didn't get it right (she was applying for Primary BTW).

The face to face interview was an absolute grilling in which she felt like they went out to expose and drive home her weaknesses.

She went straight from the interview to the pub and got very drunk. She came back to school the next week and we were all aghast at her story and really upset for her about what an unpleasant experience it had been.

She got in.

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Inclusionist · 27/01/2013 18:36

Sorry, it wasn't the interviewees who played her pupils, it was the panel of interviewers.

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Tallgiraffe · 27/01/2013 19:20

Crikey, that sounds horrendous! At least she got in!

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ninah · 27/01/2013 21:57

Depends on provider
The local one here tests in the morning and calls out your name to send you home at lunchtime if you fail - then small group discussions and interview.
For mine I had tests in the morning and 'taught' a short session - ours was to the other interviewees and I am still in touch with one of them, she was lovely! Then interview. Provider should send out some kind of itinerary?

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MrsSalvoMontalbano · 28/01/2013 11:54

inclusionist - did your friend take up the place? it sounds like a horrendous place to study...

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Tallgiraffe · 28/01/2013 20:47

They sent her 36 pages of what to expect to have to do on the day, all abut overwhelming I think Confused soshe's practising the tests online and trying to beautify her handwriting Grin

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Inclusionist · 29/01/2013 15:34

Yes she did MrsSalvo because it was the only place close enough to home. It is a Russell Group university.

She's not enjoying the PGCE (she's a special needs teacher at heart) but she says it's nowhere near as bad as the interview!

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