Advice on becoming a primary school teacher?

I guess I need to start from scratch. I didnt do well in school because I missed alot of the exams, so I'll obviously have to go back to do my G.C.S.E's (I'm 23 now). I want to sort my life out and get a decent job I'll enjoy, I love kids. Will I have to go to uni?

Advice on becoming a primary school teacher?
You need to achieve the qualifications necessary for entry to university where you will complete a 4 year BEd (Hons)





I left school with 7 O Grades (Scottish equivalent to GCSEs) and 4 Highers (A levels)





Edit:





The person above me is almost correct. If you want to teach a specific subject at secondary level, then you would complete a degree course then a Post Grad year in teaching. For primary teaching, your entire degree and teaching certifcate is completed in one course
Reply:The typical course to follow (yes, college/university is required): choose an academic major related to the teaching profession; get Bachelor's/University degree; complete one year of teacher-education program that will include "student-teaching", and you will become certified as a teacher.


(At least, that's what I did, here in California!!)


GOOD LUCK!!!! It's a tiring, but VERY rewarding, job!!!!!!!!
Reply:why teaching? there are other jobs you could do with kids that is not teaching - for example I am good with kids, everyone told me to be a teacher. i went to teacher training college and dropped out. Now i am a childminder - i am working in my own home, with kids, getting paid and being funded to do further training (currently working on level 4). you could try that, or working in a nursery. if you really want to teach you will have to get a degree status, but not necessarily GCSE's - you could do an access course. ask at your local college for further information.
Reply:Yes. But I know a lot of teaching assistants who managed to do a part-time degree course whilst working as TAs. You could try that. You need to get QTS (qualified teacher status). To get QTS you have to do a 1: degree and then a 1 year PGCE course, or 2: a degree in education, or 3: a degree and then the 1 year GTP (graduate teacher programme). i highly recommend the GTP, as you get paid as an unqualified teacher, and learn on the job which is more valuable than a PGCE. However, GTP is hard to get on to. On the other hand, it is designed for people in your situation, and for more mature students.





EDIT - yes, if you want to do primary teaching you don't have to have a particular degree subject, though some subjects would be better than others. And then you can become qualified by doing a PGCE or GTP course. Like I said, the GTP is highly competitive. You need to contact your LEA (local education authority) to find out more about GTPs in your area.