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ivona_s asks...
I am looking at becoming a teacher of Food Technology. I do not have a degree but did do GSCE Food Technology, have taken my Basic Food Hygiene Exam and have a strong personal interest in cooking, and feel that my enthusiasm for it would be ideal for teaching.
I have been on the TDA website but all the various bits of information make it quite confusing. Please can you answer if I need a degree to get into teaching and if not how do I go about getting into teaching. If I need to take a course in Food Tech or teaching, are there home study options available? As I am working full time.
Any help would be really appreciated.
Thank you
What we suggest...
Hi ivona_s, thanks for contacting q2a.
Yes, you need a degree with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) to be able to teach unless you choose to be a Teaching Assistant instead. You also need English and Maths at GCSE Grade C or above. We guess from your choice of subject that you want to teach in secondary or further education.
The ways to become a qualified teacher are:
# to take a degree which incorporates Initial Teacher Training (ITT) which will give you QTS. To teach Food Technology you would need to specialise in Design & Technology. This involves choosing 2 options from the specialisms available within the Design and Technology option, so in your case you would choose Food Technology and one other specialism from Electronics and Communications Technology, Materials Technology or Textiles Technology.
# to take a degree in a subject related to the one you want to teach followed by a post-graduate certificate in education (PGCE) which includes ITT. A bursary of £9,000 may be available to you for choosing to specialise in Design & Technology
To qualify as a Teaching Assistant no specific qualifications are necessary but you are encouraged to have nationally-recognised qualifications. For example if you have little or no experience the following qualifications are acceptable:
# CACHE Level 2 Certificate for Teaching Assistants
# NCFE Level 2 Certificate
# BTEC Level 2 Certificate
# ABC Level 2 Certificate
There is then the opportunity for further study:
# Level 3 Certificate for Teaching Assistants
# NVQs in Early Years Care and Education at Levels 2 and 3 for teaching assistants
There is more information on being a teaching assistant at:
# <http://www.teaching-assistants.co.uk/contact-teaching-assistants-recruitment.htm>. Email: info@teaching-assistants.co.uk
If you're interested in any of the above courses you can check out the distance learning contacts below, or contact your local further education college to ask about part-time studying options, which is:
# Leicester College, telephone 0116 224 2240. Email: info@leicestercollege.ac.uk . Website: http://www.leicestercollege.ac.uk. There's no address as the college is spread over more than one campus.
Distance Learning - undergraduate
We haven't been able to find teaching degrees offered as distance learning but many universities offer the choice to study a degree part-time so you could check whether your chosen university offers this. You may be able to fit study around your job this way. You can find out which universities offer relevant degrees, and whether they can be studied part-time, by looking on the Universities and Colleges Admission Service's website:
# http://www.ucas.com. The reference section of your local library may have, or be able to get for you, a copy of UCAS's book called the Big Guide, or the CD-ROM version
The following are examples of organisations which provide Teaching Assistant qualifications by distance learning:
# UK Distance Learning College, The Meridian, 4 Copthall House, Station Square, Coventry. CV1 2FL. Telephone: 0845 65 22 187. Website: <http://www.ukdistancelearningcollege.com/category.asp?id=4&Childcare_&_Teaching>
# Home Learning College, 221 - 241 Beckenham Road, Beckenham. Kent. BR3 4UF. Telephone 0800 294 4304. Website:
<http://www.homelearningcollege.com/Courses/Child-Care/>
Distance Learning - postgraduate
The Open University offers a PGCE with QTS by distance learning in Secondary Education Design and Technology which seems tailor-made for you:
# The Open University, PO Box 197, Milton Keynes. MK7 6BJ. Telephone: 0845 300 60 90, open Monday - Friday 8.00am - 8.00pm, Saturday 9.00am - 5.00pm. Website: <http://www.open.ac.uk/education-and-languages/courses_and_qualifications/initial_teacher_training.php>
A search on the Internet will find you many more opportunities for distance learning. We can't comment on the quality of the learning offered, and course fees and methods of study may vary, so you'll need to do some research to find a course that suits your requirements.
Some things to consider:
# All teaching qualifications, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, require you to spend time in schools doing teaching practice so you'll need to work out how you can fit this in with your job.
# Studying part-time or by distance learning can take quite a long time: up to 6 years for a degree and up to 3 years for a PGCE so it will be a while before you're qualified.
If you're concerned about being able to support yourself financially whilst you're studying, depending on your circumstances you may be eligible to apply for the Student Loans/Maintenance Grant to pay your tuition fees and to help with your living costs. You can get information about this from:
#<http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/index.htm>
# The Student Loans Company, telephone: 0845 300 50 90, open Monday - Friday 8.00am - 8.00pm, Saturday and Sunday 9.00am - 5.30pm. Website: http://www.slc.co.uk/
We hope you find the information in our reply helpful. We hope you're able to find a course and a method of study suitable for your circumstances. Please email us again if you think we can help. Good luck with your studies.
Best wishes from q2a.
Expert advice and every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information on this page is trustworthy and reliable, but the publishers do not hold themselves responsible for any inaccuracy as information can go out of date very quickly. This page gives general guidance only and should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. With regard to suggested weblinks given in this reply please note that Lancashire County Council is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
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