Am I understanding this teacher training route correctly?

[AmyFarrahFowlerCooper]

There's fee paying routes (PGCE, SCITT and schools direct) and then one salaried route (schools direct).

If I've already tried a PGCE (I left due to combination of health issues timing badly with the course and realising I am not suited to primary), I can't get any funding help or bursaries, can I? Does this mean my only option is to train through the salaried schools direct as there's no way on this tiny planet that I could ever save up enough for fees and living costs?

Or is there another way to become a secondary school teacher that I'm missing? Or am I being completely think and my leaving a course means i can never be a teacher? Thanks in advance if anyone knows these things! :)

[AmyFarrahFowlerCooper]

Thick not think!

[Frenchvanilla]

I don't know if you can get another loan.

You could get a career development loan?

You have to have a certain amount of experience to do school direct, I think. It's quite competitive to get on and I've heard of schools creating them with people in mind, eg teaching assistants who've been there for yonks

[Bumpstarter]

Hove you looked here ?

Also there is the national scholarship scheme.

[PotteringAlong]

You could try teach first but you will really have to sell it to them why this time it will be diffentbto last time.

[AmyFarrahFowlerCooper]

Thanks everyone. I definitely won't get a student loan because I had one for my degree and the four months I was on my primary PGCE so I've had my turn on that sadly :( That's a shame about school direct but I can imagine them doing that for sure :( I hadn't thought of a career development loan. I know you can't have them for higher ed if you can get loans from student finance but maybe the fact I've had my share of that means it will be recognised that I don't have access to it so they might consider me for a CDL. And I forgot about Teach First. It would be a hard sell I think but hopefully I could do it. I'm kicking myself, absolutely kicking myself, for not finishing the primary PGCE.

[EdwiniasRevenge]

I thought SCITT and GTP were salaried

I assume there is a fee involved as well.

[MrsSalvoMontalbano]

There are 2 School Direct schemes, salaried and non-salaried. Local friend is starting non-salaried secondary, there are fees to be paid to the university, but there is a generous non means-tested bursary for some subjects if you have a 1st or 2:1 in related degree.

[englishteacher78]

I would recommend checking whether the route you choose leads to QTS as this will enable you to get work in a wider variety of schools.
Contact local schools to see if you can get some shadowing experience.
What subject are you considering?

[Phineyj]

There is an alternative, which is to take a job as an unqualifed teacher and then look for training options once employed. I found 3 -- GTP (now Schools Direct), the PGCE at Buckingham, and getting our local university to assess on the job after 2 full years of teaching ('Assessment Only').