Not only will experience on one of these schemes (or just contacting a local school to volunteer) look good should you wish to apply for a PGCE/similar, it will also help you decide whether you really do want to teach, or you have an idealised view of it. I have to say, my partner (also a teacher) and mum think I am misguided and will have better opportunities outside of teaching (both have lost their enthusiasm for teaching), but my dad is positively encouraging as he has loved every moment of his teaching career. If you decide after this experience that teaching's not for you, you will have lost nothing, and in fact gained so much in terms of skills and a different perspective. Keep your options open I say!

I am also thinking about teaching after my PhD. Having spent years saying it wasn't for me (both my parents are teachers), I am coming round to the idea after enjoying undergraduate demonstrating and a couple of other 'teaching' type roles. Someone above has mentioned the researchers in residence scheme, there is also a students associates scheme. For an alternative to the traditional PGCE, there is currently an 'inspire' course running at imperial college specifically aimed at phd/postdocs to go into teaching. you should be able to google these to find out more, but if you can't find them, let me know and I will post the web addresses. I for one am hoping that the imperial course will roll out to other unis up north by the time I finish my PhD!

I have recently taken out a mortgage with the halifax (moved in three weeks ago). My boyfriend is a teacher and therefore has a 'proper job', so they took his salary into account and then took my stipend as an 'income stretch'- the same way that they can for tax free bonuses etc. All I needed to do was take in a letter from the Uni. Hope that helps if your ot already sorted!