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The ultimate checklist for parents ahead of exam results

Fri 11 August 2017 - 15:16

By Exam Results Helpline in UCAS advice

While students across the country are nervously waiting their A Level results this Thursday (Aug 15) or GCSEs (Aug 22), a thought should be spared also for their equally anxious parents.

To help everyone going through the stresses and strains that inevitably come with this time of year, the Department for Education’s Exam Results Helpline opens at 07:30 on A Levels Day and will continue to be a lifeline of support and guidance until the end of the month.

Although students make the bulk of the calls, a quarter are from parents phoning to find out how best to help their youngsters take the next steps.

Here, Exam Results Helpline careers advisor Iwan Williams has outlined the ‘Ultimate Checklist’ for parents to ensure they can help their teenagers make the right decisions when the time comes.

So, what do parents really need to know?

1) The options: Having a solid understanding of the...

Five ways to ensure a successful ITT year - Tracey Lawrence

Fri 11 August 2017 - 09:11

By Tracey Lawrence in Teacher Training

Congratulations! You are about to embark on the best career and this year will, without a doubt, be your most challenging and most rewarding year professionally. To ensure a successful Initial Teacher Training (ITT) year you need to make sure that you are fully focused on developing the craft of teaching. To be where you are right now you will no doubt have an innate way with children but to learn the ever-changing skill of teaching, you need to be fully committed to continual professional development throughout the rest of your teaching career.

Behaviour Management is a skill that underpins great teaching. Without successful behaviour management in your class, you cannot have a learning atmosphere, you cannot deliver that incredible lesson that you have planned and you cannot achieve the outcomes nor the progress that you need to. Not only is it in the best interests of the children to get this part right but it is most definitely in the best interests of yourself to...

Feeling homesick at university

Fri 4 August 2017 - 14:39

By Ellen Ramsay in Support

by Ellen Ramsay, BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, Teesside University

University has been the best three years of my life so far but, at first, it didn’t feel like that way.

I was really excited about my new adventure – I was moving 200 miles north to begin my university course in occupational therapy. But the homesickness set in during Freshers’ Week. I found my new life very difficult – I had arrived with freshers’ flu (yes, it does exist!) and I cried all the time. I can remember saying to my family that, if I...

From trainee to NQT – Lauren Gaisford

Fri 28 July 2017 - 09:14

By Lauren Gaisford in Teacher Training

 
My PGCE has been a tough but exciting year. It’s affirmed and re-affirmed my faith in the profession and my career path, it’s taught me to be patient and made me see that I can learn so much from others, but most importantly, it’s taught me that every single teacher is different.

Embarking on your journey from trainee to NQT is difficult, it’s a tough year that no one can really prepare you for. However, here are six tips that should help you along the way:

1. Ask for help
The most important piece of advice I can give is to ask for help. Seriously, I know it seems simple, but it’s hard to do. Whether it’s asking for resources, asking for advice on lesson plans, or just needing someone to rant to, you must ask for help. No one is expecting you to be perfect, so use the people around you!
 
...

Top ten student money tips

Tue 25 July 2017 - 15:57

By money.co.uk in Money

Getting a degree is expensive, but making every penny count lets you squeeze every drop of fun from your uni days without getting saddled with debt. Here are the top ten essential money tips for students.

1. Work out a budget
It is hard to set a precise weekly budget before you get to university and see what things really cost. However, trying to work out an outline budget before you go is still a good idea – even a rough idea of how much money you will have available each week will help you to avoid blowing your budget early.

The simplest way to do this is to make one list of all your monthly income (e.g. from loans, part-time work...

My teacher training experience: part 2 – Stephen Pearce

Fri 14 July 2017 - 08:57

By Stephen Pearce in Teacher Training

 
This is the second my blog where I’ve been reflecting on my experiences of initial teacher training. You can read part one here. But now, I’m going to look at some of the questions trainee teachers frequently ask themselves:
 

1. Is my subject knowledge good enough?
I am going to probably upset a few people but the answer is no, your subject knowledge is not good enough. Before you grab your pitchforks let me explain. You may be an expert in your subject and have a degree to prove it, however, teaching a subject is vastly different to being able to do it yourself. To really exaggerate this point, let's take 2 + 2. This would be mathematics most of us would have seen at a very young age and now you can tell me that the answer is four. You have...

My teacher training experience: part 1 – Stephen Pearce

Fri 14 July 2017 - 08:56

By Stephen Pearce in Teacher Training

As the end of the PGCE course seems in sight, I have taken the opportunity to reflect on my experiences. If you are reading this you are probably at the same stage of your career or where I was last year, considering if this is what I want to do. If you are in the latter, please just do it, I won’t say you won’t have moments that you regret that decision but on the whole you will love it.
 
I am going to start off with one of the best things about the course. I started teacher training successively from an undergraduate course and your new classmates will seem very different. Mainly, you will notice the range in ages. This diversity means that your new classmates will have a variety of professional experience that you can learn from.
 
Honestly though, the other people on the course will be great for support and for letting off steam but your main asset on the course will...

What I know now: A message from the other side of teacher training - Gabrielle James

Mon 26 June 2017 - 13:47

By Gabrielle James in Teacher Training

As I reach the end of my teacher training, I’ve started to reflect on how far I’ve come. Deciding to apply for teacher training was a big step for me and I’ve had to overcome many challenges since starting but as the end draws nearer, I can see that it’s all been worthwhile.
 
I applied for teacher training whilst working as a Library Manager at an Upper School in Bedfordshire. I took the job straight after graduating with the hope of it leading to a teaching career. I spent the next two years in that job veering from one emotional extreme to the other; yes I was totally committed to working in education, no I absolutely did not want to work in education, and back and forth etc. This rollercoaster of emotions hasn’t abated since starting my training – you have days where you wonder if you’re really cut out for this, and then the next day you’re dancing around in front of your year 9s (as I am want to do) feeling pretty smug about...

From teaching assistant to qualified teacher - Tom Savagar

Mon 19 June 2017 - 10:37

By Tom Savagar in Teacher Training

As I come to the end of my teacher training, I’ve taken the opportunity to reflect on my experience of moving from being a teaching assistant (TA) to becoming a qualified teacher. As this is a transition which many teachers have made, I thought that I would share some helpful things to bear in mind when making the jump. As a TA, you’ve already shown that you can offer a great deal to the children you work with, so with the right support, there’s no reason you can’t become a fantastic teacher.
 
A new role
 
As a TA, you get a daily look at how teachers work. This means that you’re uniquely positioned to learn more about the path you’re about to embark on. The role of a teacher differs from that of a TA, and it’s worth taking this opportunity to speak to the teachers in your school, or any friends or relatives you have who are teachers, about how. 
...

Frequently asked questions: UKCAT Admissions Test

Wed 14 June 2017 - 16:40

By UKCAT in Applicant

What is the UKCAT?

The UKCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) is a test used in the selection process by the majority of UK university medical and dental schools.

It is a 2 hour, computer-based test, which is sat in Pearson VUE test centres across the UK and worldwide. The test consists of 5 separately timed subtests which are designed to test the cognitive abilities, attitudes, and behaviours considered to be valuable for healthcare professionals.

Who needs to sit the UKCAT?

Most UK universities require applicants to medicine and...

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