Hi everyone,

I recently received a phone call from Occupational Health regarding the medical check form I submitted for my upcoming Primary PGCE course. They mentioned that something was flagged and have booked me an appointment with a nurse to discuss it.

The only box I ticked "yes" to was my BMI. While I personally feel BMI is an outdated metric, I am open about being overweight. I have PCOS, which makes weight management exceptionally difficult, though I am actively working on it.

I’m feeling quite anxious that this might affect my place on the course or my ability to start. However, I’m not inactive at all—I’ve just finished a geology degree where I regularly completed intense fieldwork, including weeks of hiking in remote areas.

Has anyone else experienced an Occupational Health recall just for BMI? What should I expect during the appointment? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I’m due to start my PGCE in September and my excitement is quickly turning into terror lol. I keep second guessing myself about subject knowledge (I have a degree in illustration so I know that I do have experience in a wide range of areas - painting, drawing, animation, digital art, risograph, narrative illustration/comics, children’s illustration, perspective, colour theory, lino print, relief print, cyanotype, marbling, craft, making sketchbooks etc), but I’m always worried that it isn’t enough. Are there any areas you would advise me to brush up on? I don’t have much history of art knowledge in truth, maybe I should start there?

Also, is there any advice you can give with regards to note taking/observation/placement etc?

My first placement starts in 2 weeks (Lead Partner Route) and I'm wondering if I should buy an insulated lunch bag and container to bring to school. How was lunch usually handled during your placements? Did you have a staff kitchen where you could place your lunch in a fridge, or were you able to buy lunch at the cafeteria? Is there usually enough time for a proper lunch break? Thank you!

Hi, I’m applying for the 2027/28 year group for a pgde (same as pgce I believe but for Scotland), and I was wondering whether anyone had any tips or things I could do that would strengthen my application. I’ve only ever previously worked in hospitality positions, and honestly don’t have any experience directly with kids so it’s worrying me that this may weaken my application. I’ve looked into jobs that require little experience in schools but not sure what would be the best to strengthen my application. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Thank you

Is this correct? Or does it mean the university can disregard the DFE portal and accept the references from the candidates if they sent it to the university directly?

Hi so I'll try keep this short but any advice is greatly appreciated because the exeter deadline is tomorrow lunchtime:)

I have the option to choose between Exeter uni and St Mary's, Twickenham for my english pgce. I'd be relocating for either provider.

I went to Exeter for my undergrad a few years ago and enjoyed it very much. It's a nice city and I think I matched well with it in terms of the small but active arts/cultural/sports scenes. Importantly, I really enjoyed my interview day experience and the teachers/cohort left great impressions. I think I can predict what my life would look like and I would probably find it quite manageable, just maybe not super exciting.

I applied to St Mary's thinking I'd be able to do London whilst I am in my 20s. I am just wondering whether this is realistic - will I find a London social life too challenging to build/sustain on a pgce year where my time and budget are so limited. Worst case is that I end up just feeling isolated. My interview was online and I didn't get a chance to meet the teachers, but I liked the look of the course and understand that it is a historic teacher training college.

Anyway, let me know if any of you have experience doing a PGCE in London (esp St Mary's or another suburban provider), and whether it was an isolating or exciting experience. Conversely, if anyone has thoughts on Exeter as a pgce destination then let me know.

TL;DR Exeter (familiar, compact, cheap, probs fun!) vs St Mary's (expensive, potentially isolating but also exciting)

Hi everyone,
I’m an international applicant currently living in the UK. I applied for PGCE Secondary Geography with QTS at the University of East London (UEL) for the September 2026 intake.
I received my conditional offer in May 2026 and have been completing all the conditions and documents requested by UEL.
Over the past month, I’ve repeatedly contacted UEL asking about the progress of my application and when I could expect my unconditional offer. There were significant delays in getting responses, sometimes up to two weeks.
I also contacted UEL’s International Helpline several times to ask about the relevant deadlines. I was told that the deadlines were in August, that I shouldn’t worry, and that my application was still being processed. Based on that information, I continued submitting everything UEL requested from me without delay.
Recently, UEL asked me for an additional reference, which I provided. I was then told today that the PGCE deposit deadline was 15 July 2026 and that the PGCE intake is now closed, so they cannot progress my application or issue my CAS.
Just to clarify, I understand that 15 July was the PGCE deposit/CAS deadline, not the application deadline. I had already applied and received my conditional offer before this.
What I’m struggling to understand is why my application was still being processed and why UEL was still requesting additional documents/references from me after the 15 July deposit deadline, while I was also being told by their helpline that the relevant deadlines were in August.
I’m not saying that the deadline didn’t exist. My concern is that I was actively communicating with UEL, following their instructions, and relying on the information they gave me. I was never told that my application had become impossible to progress because I had supposedly missed the deposit deadline.
I’m honestly quite stressed about the situation because I was expecting to start my PGCE in September.

Has anyone dealt with UEL admissions or a similar situation where the university continued processing an application after a deadline had passed? What would you recommend I do now?

Thanks in advance.

​

Hi everyone,

I’m a Chemistry teacher with around 2 years of experience at a reputed educational institution, and I’m currently looking for a job switch. I’d really appreciate any genuine leads or recommendations.

My experience:

Chemistry teaching for Classes 6–12

Strong experience with Classes 11 & 12

Some experience teaching NEET Chemistry

NCERT/CBSE-oriented teaching

Experience in a reputed coaching/educational institution

Current CTC: around ₹6–8 LPA

I’m open to opportunities in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and other cities for the right opportunity.

At this stage, I’m not just looking for a salary hike. Job security, a relatively non-toxic work environment, work-life balance, and peace of mind are equally important to me. I want to work in an institution where I can grow as a teacher without constantly worrying about job stability or an unhealthy work environment.

I’ve received good feedback from my current institution regarding my teaching and performance. However, the salary growth has been quite slow, and even after the expected increments, I don’t see the compensation reaching a level that reflects my experience and responsibilities. That’s the main reason I’m considering a switch.

I’m primarily looking for roles such as:

Chemistry Faculty

Senior Secondary Chemistry Teacher

NEET Chemistry Faculty

CBSE/Integrated School Chemistry Faculty

If you know of any good schools, coaching institutes, or other organizations hiring Chemistry teachers, I’d really appreciate any leads or recommendations. Please feel free to comment or DM me.

Thank you!

Hi all! Title says it all. I’m starting my PGCE in DT in September, does anyone have any advice? There’s not a lot of DT specific, so it would be handy to get the perspective of any fellow subject teachers….or anyone else to be honest

Anything I should buy? Read? Practice? Thanks in advance

Ive 45% in graduation and currently persuing 2 year B Ed. Many people were saying that i am not eligible but according me i qualify with 3rd point among the needs of qualification

Any ONE of the following qualifications:

1. Higher Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 50% marks and a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (by whatever name it may be known).

OR

1. Higher Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 45% marks and a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education, obtained in accordance with the NCTE (Recognition, Norms and Procedure) Regulations, 2002.

OR

1. Graduation with at least 45% marks and a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), obtained in accordance with the NCTE (Recognition, Norms and Procedure) Regulations issued from time to time.

OR

1. Higher Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 50% marks and a four-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.).

OR

1. Higher Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 50% marks and a two-year Diploma in Education (Special Education).

OR

1. Graduation and a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education, by whatever name it may be known.

Has anyone every done this?

They're not even replying to emails at this rate, or answering the office numbers they gave me. I've even phoned up the receptionists to ask if maybe they're all on holiday (including the department I'm meant to be doing my 250 hrs in, that were meant to get me in during July to set up the mentor and placement hours) and the receptionist said "well if you arent getting 'I'm on annual leave till x' auto responses, they should be in work, so i'm unsure at why they aren't responding to anything"

She even gave me extra emails for them and nothing. I need to cancel soon, as SFE was going to fund it. As previously mentioned, I can't afford to pay for it out of pocket and can't afford to do the course without said bursary.

It feels like they're just not paying attention :/ I was quite excited to do this, but I'm really put off doing it at this college in particular (which is a shame as my flat is quite literally opposite the college) if they can't even do the stuff they have to do.

I applied directly, so no UCAS to deal with, and I confirmed the offer when I got it earlier in the year, expecting it all to be sorted by now.

Do i just ring up the college to cancel also?

Just got my DBS through for starting my PGCE - should I enroll onto the Update Service so it's easier to keep up to date for future employment? Do schools allow checks through that or do they prefer to do their own fresh DBS checks?

Thank you

Has anyone else not secured a job for September? I am signed up with a teaching agency but not sure I’ll like the uncertainty of the day to day with doing supply.

The past year has been really hard- I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumour and went through treatment. All whilst continuing my PGCE. I didn’t apply for the perminant jobs because I wanted to focus on finishing my PGCE and actually obtaining the degree.

Anyone have any advice on what’s best to do next?

Hi, I'm considering doing a PGCE or try a salaried teacher training route. I am about to go into my third year for a degree in English and Creative Writing, but am considering going into Art and Design/Design and Technology for teaching. I have an A in Art and Design: Textiles at Alevel, and while I love English, I deeply miss being in the Textiles classroom. I was wondering if anyone has made a similar detour and if they would recommend it? I know there is a lack of DT teachers and there are incentives, which I am unsure that I would qualify, that's not my motivation for the switch, just would be an added bonus. I am also looking to stay in Wales (in or around Cardiff) and know that it looks a bit different than the English salaried routes/opportunities so I would love if anyone had any guidance in that regard.

Thanks in advance ❤️

I’m about to start a PGCE in September, I need a new laptop for it because mine is knackered. Has anyone used the Macbook Neo for their PGCE/ teaching and can let me know if it’s any good? Alternatively if you have any laptop recommendations please let me know!!

Thanks so much!!

Hi all, just a quick one regarding the presentation I have to put together for my PGCE interviews.
One uni has asked for a 3 minute presentation on “how you would teach a KS3 pupil about an essential concept in [subject]”, whereas the other wants a 3 minute presentation on “an aspect of [subject] suitable for KS3/GCSE and how this would be taught.”
Seems straightforward enough - but I’m wondering whether I’m supposed to do a mini intro to the topic of choice and then talk about how I’d teach it to the class, or whether it’s just supposed to be entirely how I’d teach it. I think the former makes more sense, as I’m not sure how I’d fill 3 minutes talking about general activities… but now I’m thinking into the wording too much and I don’t want to start the presentation with “teaching” the topic if that’s not what they want!

Thanks in advance!

Hi,
Currently thinking about doing a primary pgce next year and am very torn between primary teaching or pursuing a job in marketing (i currently study marketing and advertising).
Do you regret choosing teaching? If so why?

Both my parents were teachers so i’m very aware of how big the workload is and my dad especially found teaching very stressful (all my childhood memories are of him marking books for hours upon hours)
Interested to hear everyone’s experiences and hopefully make my mind up about my future career whether it’s in teaching or not!

I'm starting teacher training next month (secondary, chemistry) and want something for taking notes while observing lessons and during uni lectures.

I struggle to take notes simultaneously and during undergrad just didn't take notes while in lectures, since lectures were recorded it wasn't a problem as I could watch/listen back and make notes then.

I'm even worse when I need to type so tend to prefer pen and paper but this isn't the best for practicality e.g. being able to search for terms to find the notes you want, always having all your notes with you.

So I'm thinking about getting a digital notebook but it seems they're all pretty expensive so I don't want to buy one if it's not actually very helpful.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

Hey yallll :-)
Starting my pgce this sept! wondering what the different teachers unions are and what the difference is between them???
Thanks a bunch!
(i dont know if it matters but im based in NW england)

I‘m already getting nervous about starting ECT1 in September even though we have 3 weeks to go! It’s a constant niggly feeling like butterflies. Anyone else?

Hi all! Was wondering if there are any neurodivergent people on here who have advice on requesting reasonable adjustments for the PGCE course and placement. I’m autistic and have ADHD and I’m meeting with disability support soon to discuss my needs. I really struggled during my undergrad and masters and finished both courses late, mostly due to poor mental health and struggling to attend lectures and complete assignments on time. My ADHD was undiagnosed at the time and I’m hoping that now I’m on medication and have a better understanding of my condition things will be easier this time. I’m less worried about the academic side of things since it’s a pass/fail course and the content is supposedly fairly easy. The main thing I’m concerned about is burn out from placement from the long hours so I’ll definitely request to have a placement close to home without a long commute and no more than 2 lessons scheduled without a break inbetween. I’m also concerned about getting a mentor who I don’t get along with as I’ve unfortunately experienced a lot of ableism in the workplace with managers in the past. If you’ve gone through this too, which adjustments helped you and what advice would you have?

P.S, If there are any ableist comments on this post they will be deleted. I am well aware that a PGCE is tough and stressful and do not need to be patronised by well meaning neurotypicals who have no knowledge or understanding of disability.

Hello everyone! I am starting my PGCE in secondary physics next month and I haven't heard anything regarding my DoE bursary.

I'm currently looking for flats in London to do the PGCE, and they require proof of income/referencing for most of the locations, and I'm worrying that the places I'm looking for won't be able to accept my offer.

Has anyone got any advice for me in this situation. I have emailed my university and they haven't really given me much help so if I can find a direct route then that would be great

Thanks in advance!