Q I am a 35-year-old primary teacher and recently passed through the threshold. Despite better pay, I want to study for a degree in a language with a view to switching to secondary teaching. As a primary teacher (mostly in key stage 2), would I be entitled to the rate of pay I get now? And do I need to re-qualify to enter the secondary sector? If I make this move, I will have a B.Ed, a language degree and 12 years of primary teaching, plus some EFL experience. But how would a school view a 40-year-old entrant to secondary teaching? And what pay level might I expect?
A Much legislation governing schools is common to both primary and secondary sectors. The Pay and Conditions Document, which governs salary scales, doesn’t differentiate between the phases so your position on point 1 of the upper pay scale should be safe, even if you switch to a secondary school. Progress will depend on your future performance in the posts concerned. As a qualified teacher, the proposed language degree should allow you to apply for secondary posts. The main drawbacks of your particular case will undoubtedly be your lack of language-teaching methodology and classroom-management experience of older students. However, regardless of age, your previous classroom experience should make you an attractive proposition to many secondary schools and there is a shortage of language teachers at present. Of course, it may be that languages will be introduced into the primary curriculum; if so, you could stay where you are at present.
Q As a mature adult who wants to become a primary teacher, should I apply for an education degree or a subject degree plus PGCE?
A There are a several factors to consider. Undergraduate degree students are eligible for tuition fees and don’t, at least in England, qualify for any “training grants”. PGCE students, on the other hand, don’t pay fees and are paid a training grant. More importantly, the Government has signalled in its recent White Paper that it doesn’t intend to change matters, although it may pay for some specific short courses or modules aimed at attracting students towards a teaching career. Many primary teachers, however, respect the depth of study that a degree course in education allows. A compromise might be to take a joint degree - for example, in education and maths or English, followed by a PGCE.
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