I have not posted anything in over a year due to a change in circumstances. I got onto a teacher training program with a private company called G2T based in London. I heard about them through a LinkedIn post. I did an interview and in December 2023 I got onto a program to get QTS certified in Primary. This was very exciting for me as I moved closer to my goal of becoming a qualified teacher.
PHASE 1 Cambridge January 2024
I moved to the university city of Cambridge and started work initially as a HLTA in a catholic primary school which I interviewed at. My gut told me not to accept the position but I called a person already working there and they said the school was good so I took their word on it.
Catholic Primary
It was some of the most difficult 6 months of my life, there were genuine tears, I didn’t want to go into work because it was that bad. I had a teacher talk down to me repeatedly in front of the children, destroying my confidence and the school, St Laurence, did not care, the teacher was reprimanded but the abuse continued and they ignored it. The school then told me I was surplus to requirements without even discussing it with me first. Had I booked long-term accommodation I would have been stuck there. My company were supportive and reminded me that getting the experience would pay dividends.
The behaviour at the school was the worst I have ever seen in a school in my entire life. The disruptive children could essentially do as they pleased and the staff had to endure non-stop abuse. The Headteacher rarely visited our section of the school and I slowly realised why, the kids are in control and the teachers have no power. Good children had to endure years of this and just accept that their learning was going to be disrupted.
The support staff were fantastic and they should have recognition for their work. They had an outstanding foreign teacher who was trying to get UK equivalency but they (the school) never showed her any kindness or wanting to help. The Year 1 teacher suffered daily abuse and had no TA, again the school failed them. A wonderful teacher from New Zealand worked hard in the classroom with most problems and was constantly having to deal with behaviour issues that if ever viewed by the public would highlight the main issues within education.
I was glad to leave because I only received about 7 weeks of actual teaching time and the school used me mostly as a HLTA and TA. I don’t blame the company at all and I got the 6 months experience I needed at the time. Worst part was when I had the unfortunate news of a death in the family, the Headteacher completely unsympathetic said because they were not close family they wouldn’t pay me. Completely heartless and honestly glad I never have to enter that school again, they had great teachers and support staff but management was unsupportive.
Cambridge is London expensive so you live frugal there, nice nature but mostly nothing to do unless you are wealthy. It was quite boring living there but looks good for families and academics. The salary for training is £20000 a year but they pay you throughout the holidays.
PHASE 2 Teacher Training
Second placement was in a great Primary in Hertfordshire on London border, slight salary increase but you get your own class. You do 60% timetable until they build you up to 80% schedule. Great staff, great kids for the most part and I was happy there. The SLT who interviewed me were nice and I felt that the school would be a good fit for me, I had a good feeling.
I moved back to London in August 2024, found a place – expensive of course. I was to do my training in a year 3 class that had previously had 4 teachers when they were in Year 2 so I knew it could get challenging and it was, it was constant. I can’t give exact details for legal and moral reasons but I wonder do some parents send their offspring to school to learn how to behave or give themselves some relief from them at home? I ask because since being a child myself long ago it is clear that education in the UK is no longer seen as a privilege and thus it is devalued.
I once told a parent that their child was hyperactive and they couldn’t understand how despite that three feet away said child was scoffing an entire 5 pack of Mars bars.
I started in Year 3 and met my pupils. As I mentioned earlier, they had 4 teachers last year and no one told me clearly the reason why, every time I asked I was told a different story. They are amazingly bright and endearing but what was clear was the behaviour issues. The class had many EAL and SEN and balancing seating arrangements was always tricky as some children can’t sit next to certain people.
From day 1 my mentor was there, shadowing and explaining to me everything they knew about teaching informing me that this training is one of the most difficult positions to do. It was super difficult, you have to remember so much and do everything you can just to make to the weekend. The workload is insane, the step-up is a huge chasm.
Planning lessons, marking work, checking for every little detail such as if the children don’t turn up for a few days, remembering who has what condition and allergy. The job is immense and you are not only a teacher but a psychiatrist, councillor and diplomat. The schedule often changes and you never stop moving.
I got periodic calls from the company who liaised with me mentor about my progress and as time went on I needed intervention help with my practice. I never felt I had time to be the teacher my pupils needed me to be, I had to be a workaholic to cater for all the admin and it stole my joy of teaching.
I got up at 5:30 every morning and was coming home at 7PM, 5 days a week but often working on Saturdays. You are teaching/learning non-stop. You get planning time and time for observations to improve your practice plus CPD once a week.
You just never have enough time and there is zero work/life balance in the industry and now I can see why so many leave the industry or bring their skills abroad where they are truly valued. In the end as I write this I go into my final week heartbroken but also relieved, I didn’t make the cut, I tried my best but it became too much and my mental health began to suffer and I was becoming a grumpy and unhappy person which I hated so much.
I think my mentor could have helped me more, they and the school will NEVER praise you for doing good work which is such a shame when retention is so bad, its a thankless job being a teacher in the UK. Being nice and kind is okay but better to be solo in intent and purpose, by that I mean, look after number one, some are happy you fail because it makes them feel good.
I have many regrets but now I’m thinking about what is next. I am thinking of going into Secondary because I will only have to teach one subject so it becomes easier for me to focus and plan more effectively. Geography for examples is something I’m interested in, there is a demand for it and government grants but I also expect the behaviour to be worse which it will but it will allow me to pour all my energy into one subject that I like. It’s risky but I love taking risks.
There is also the potential for returning overseas, China is the big market and I love living abroad but I may return to supply teaching in the meantime as teacher applications for secondary education are not up yet. I will keep you posted 🙂
Just send a message if you need some answers in particular or info you need. I will respond to everyone.