Obstacle 1: The QTS Skills Tests

The only condition I had to meet to get on to my course was the skills tests. I had the DBS, the school experience and had filled in the relevant forms. Only the tests remained... And that scared me...

There are two tests, the literacy test and the maths test. I gave myself 3 months revision time and set to work.

At first, literacy didn't bother me too much, working on commonly misspelt words (especially the double consonants), perfecting my punctuation and reminding myself of grammar structures I hadn't investigated in years actually calmed me. As long as I concentrated on the comprehension, I was passing the practice tests no problem.

Maths was another story.

Maths + Speed = Sheer panic.

Don't get me wrong, I got a B at GCSE. I am competent at maths and can hold my own as a TA in a GCSE maths lesson, but I just wasn't fast enough.

The first time I tried a practice test my initial response was "what the heck is a proportion?" before proceeding to close down the test and wallow in my own stupidity.

After confiding in one of the maths teachers, I tried again. "You can do this" she told me. "You do this every day in my lessons"

I passed this time, just barely. I kept trying, making notes of the questions I didn't understand and trawling maths sites and apps trying to improve my speed and mathematical ability. Slowly but surely, I saw an improvement. As long as I didn't panic at the formally voiced woman on the tape and made sure to read the questions properly, I was doing ok. My scores were creeping up and I actually started to remember how to cancel fractions down so I could make them into a percentage. I was even starting to like the stately voice coming through the headphones.

When the day arrived, I was strangely calm. I arrived at the test centre early, just in case something went wrong. After witnessing a heated debate between a candidate and one of the assessors over an incorrect form of ID, I registered my presence and started the tests. Maths first, then literacy.

The maths was better than I expected, despite one of the questions being something I had never seen before, there was a lot of the things I was confident in. The literacy was lovely! Not just because English is my specialism, but a lot of the words/ideas in the test were those I was familiar with.

Thankfully, I passed both of them.

Tips for passing the QTS skills tests

Literacy

• Practice spelling words you think you would use in your role as a teacher e.g. achieve, unacceptable, liaison.
• Double consonants! Learn where you have to use more than one consonant.
• Revise punctuation rules.
• Make notes during the comprehension reading. It may take time to do, but it does make answering the questions a lot easier.

Maths

• Learn your tables, especially 6,7,8 and 9's.
• Try and use the 24- hour clock in your daily life.
• Read/listen to the questions carefully.
• Read the graphs carefully.
• Ask friends to test you.

• Youtube is your friend, especially for the maths.
• Use the practice tests, they are similar to the real thing.
• Look at the forums on TES and thestudentroom, there is a lot of advice on there (but don't spend hours on end sitting there scaring yourself silly)
• Download some free apps on to your phone.

And most of all... KEEP CALM!!

Introduction: Who, What, When, Where and Why?

Back in December I got an e-mail that has pretty much changed my life.

After leaving university almost three years ago, after a number of difficult personal obstacles and feeling at my lowest, I found myself in a fantastic secondary school working as a mentor for KS3 students. A year later I was taken on as a TA, specialising in ASD. After nearly two years of challenges, tears and triumphs I found myself applying to teacher training courses.

Now, being the pessimist that I am, I didn't exactly expect to get anywhere. But I smiled and nervously withstood the interview processes sharing a few anecdotes, feeling like an idiot for almost rising from my chair while I was talking and even throwing in a little bit of slang (not randomly, for a reason) for good measure. I proved I could recognise a review and peruse a poem all while under the watchful eye of my fellow candidates.

The day ended, I contemplated heading back into work but deciding against it, I headed home. Not four hours later, my inbox pinged and the decision was made.

"I am delighted to tell you, you will soon receive an official offer from the university"

I read the message again three times. It couldn't be true. Me? No. Never. Really?

Then I cried.

I called my friends and family (only one of whom picked up the phone) and I cried some more.

I was filled with elation, uncertainty and purpose, it was finally happening.

So here I am, 172 days away from starting my PGCE in Secondary English.

Working with children has shown me who I am and what I can be... Hopefully I can do the same for them...