Thanks for your reply fredminxis75, it's very helpful to hear from someone else who has gone through this transition. I hadn't considered looking into Teaching Assistant/Cover roles before the PGCE - that would be a good way of bridging the gap if I have extensive corrections. The thing that I'm most concerned about is preparing for and sitting the viva during term time if I were to start the PGCE right away, but I suppose realistically the viva will always have to fit around the next position regardless, so perhaps this shouldn't be such a concern. Thanks again!

Hi, I'm coming to the end of the second year of my PhD. I feel fairly confident that I'll submit my thesis on time, in September 2019. Taking limited post-doc opportunities and my love of teaching (and need for a secure job) into account, I'm thinking about applying to start a PGCE in September 2019 at my current institution. Can anyone who is currently in, or has been through the examination procedure and/or the early days of a PGCE shed some light on the demands of these periods and whether it's sheer madness to overlap them? I'm dreading the prospect of a wasted year in between submission and job applications, and the thought of the PGCE year itself and having a professional teaching qualification are deeply appealing to me. Thanks for any responses!