PGCE Personal Statement

What to Include in Your PGCE Personal Statement

How your pgce personal statement should be structured, example personal statement, final thoughts, pgce personal statement.

Updated November 24, 2021

Edward Melett

A PGCE personal statement is written as part of the application process for teacher training and gives candidates an opportunity to showcase their skills and attributes.

PGCE candidates will only write one personal statement, which is used to apply for all of their preferred choices. Students upload their personal statement to the UCAS Teacher Training system, and it is submitted for all choices in both phases of the application process (‘Apply 1’ and ‘Apply 2’). No changes can be made once it is submitted.

The personal statement is often used as the deciding factor for choosing whom to invite to interview . This piece of writing should explain the experience you have and how this translates into your abilities in the classroom.

It should also present what you might be like as a teacher – how will your personality and interests help engage students and get them enthused about the subject?

A lot is riding on your personal statement and writing it can be a daunting task. This guide will outline what your PGCE personal statement should contain and how to structure it for the best chance of success.

The admissions team will want to know about the skills, experience and personal qualities you have that would make you perfect for a teaching career. They need to see you have the dedication and passion to complete your PGCE and have a successful future.

Simply saying, “I would be good at this role and am well suited to it” isn’t enough. The PGCE provider needs to read real examples that demonstrate your skills and abilities and meet their requirements.

PGCE Personal Statement

Here are some details you may want to include in your personal statement:

1. About You

A teacher’s personality and personal experience will be highly influential, therefore your own experiences are relevant to your application.

Before you start writing, it’s a good idea to spend a few minutes jotting down some key facts that are relevant to teaching. These might include:

  • Your interests
  • Qualifications/achievements
  • What motivates you
  • Your upbringing
  • Relevant skills

Remember to include examples in your list. Coaching a sports team in your spare time suggests you are experienced in motivating young people and getting the best out of them. Maybe you play an instrument and use music in class. Including qualities like these will make your application stand out.

2. Why You Want to Teach

A key element of your application is explaining why you have chosen teaching as your future career. Show an awareness of how teachers can inspire individuals and also the benefits you might see in yourself.

Try to broaden your answer further than simply saying you are passionate about teaching or children. Every applicant will say they are passionate.

Give details of experiences that moved you towards this career or, perhaps, even the moment you realised this was what you were born to do. By using genuine examples, your passion and excitement will shine through.

3. Why You Are the Best Candidate

Try not to pull out a cliché like “I am passionate, dedicated and reliable” – make your application stand out by using a paragraph that the provider won’t see in any other application that day.

Think about what makes you different from any other candidate. Other applicants may say they can take charge of a class and have experience dealing with challenging children, but will they sing an entire lesson just to get the pupils to engage with them, like you did in your work experience? Or will they bring in a structure made out of Lego to demonstrate osmosis, like you did on your degree placement? Think of what makes you, you.

4. Why a PGCE?

Include details of why you have chosen to go down the route of a PGCE rather than doing a full teaching degree. Perhaps you dipped your toe into teaching while travelling after your degree and realised how much you love it, or maybe you are passionate about biology and wanted to decide at a later date whether to go into teaching or industry.

Show that you have done your research and understand the structure of the PGCE and what will be required.

5. Teaching-Related Experience

Include details of any experience you have gained working in schools or with children in another environment. This might include:

  • Work experience
  • Visits to schools
  • Teaching assistant roles
  • Voluntary teaching/supervision roles (like helping out at a scout hut, etc.)
  • Experience via the Get School Experience service
  • Classroom observations

With every experience you discuss, note the skills you gained and how they will benefit you as a teacher and how they have improved your understanding of the education system.

6. Other Professional Experience

Teaching demands a range of different skills – it’s not simply a case of delivering information.

Talk about past positions you have held:

  • Did you manage people?
  • Did you work within a team?
  • Did you negotiate?
  • Have you trained or coached others?
  • When have you communicated information to different audiences?

The skills you have gained throughout your education, work and personal life can be highly relevant to your application. Be sure to include details of why these skills will make you excel as a teacher.

7. What You Learnt During Your Degree

Whether your degree was in the subject you intend to teach or not, it’s important to talk about the skills you developed throughout your learning and how they will benefit you as a teacher.

If you’re struggling to find transferable skills , here are some ideas:

  • Think about how you communicated (presentations, critiquing the work of your peers, etc.)
  • Give examples of how you organised yourself
  • Describe times you helped others with their learning

Remember to talk about the benefits your initial degree will bring when studying for your PGCE and how your interest in it has inspired your desire to teach.

8. Your Knowledge of What Training to Be/Being a Teacher Entails

It’s important to stress your commitment to your training. To do this, you should demonstrate that you have done your research and are fully aware of what is to come.

Although teaching is a highly rewarding career, no one applying for teacher training will do so without being aware of the challenging nature of the profession.

There is no need to ignore these challenges in your application; actually, it will work in your favour if you show that you have thought about these challenges and are sufficiently prepared.

Talk about the positives and negatives that you expect to experience in your training and within your career, and how your core strengths will help you deal with them.

9. Your Future Plans

Discuss your plans beyond the PGCE:

  • Do you have the ambition to be a headteacher?
  • Do you plan to take on pastoral responsibilities?

Show a keenness to immerse yourself in the school system and be open to opportunities that come your way.

10. Extenuating Circumstances 

Your personal statement is the place to openly discuss any extenuating circumstances, such as low grades or large gaps in employment/education. Make sure you show how you have overcome these challenges and what you learnt from them.

PGCE Personal Statement

Write your personal statement in Word (or equivalent) and make sure you are happy with it before copying and pasting it into your application on the UCAS system.

You need to keep your personal statement to no more than 4,000 characters across a maximum of 47 lines of text . The UCAS Teacher Training system may differ slightly to your word processor, so be prepared to amend slightly once you have copied it into the UCAS page.

To keep to the character limit and cover all the suggested material above, you will need to be succinct. Make sure you only talk about topics that are relevant and delete any waffle.

Your opening statement should be strong and memorable – a good idea is to state why you have decided to get into teaching. Back up all details with examples and be sure to say what you learned from the experience or how you can bring the skills you developed into the classroom.

Split your statement into three sections:

  • Introduction – Introduce yourself and talk about why you want to do a PGCE
  • Middle – Use the notes above to cover the key details
  • Conclusion – Tell the reader why you are the best person for the place they are offering

Avoid using bold, underlining or italics, and write in English (or Welsh if applying for Welsh PGCEs). The UCAS system will strip all special formatting out of the personal statement (except paragraph breaks) so ensure you keep it simple.

When you are happy with the content, make sure you ask someone to check your work . Spelling and grammar in personal statements should be accurate. Make sure you have not copied anyone else’s work at all – UCAS screens all applications for plagiarism.

Below is an example personal statement which covers all of the key points you should include in this piece of writing:

A teacher at my secondary school single-handedly transformed my passion and ability for maths; I was predicted an ‘F’ at GCSE and in a matter of months, she helped me achieve a ‘B’ and start to enjoy the subject. I can’t think of a more satisfying job than one in which you can inspire young people in the way my teacher inspired me. After achieving a ‘B’ in maths at A-Level, I went on to study the subject at University College London and graduated in 2018 with a 2.1. It was in the final year of my degree that I had my first taste of teaching the subject, as several of the modules involved presenting topics to large groups of first-year students. I was thrilled when students asked to see me afterwards to share their observations of what I had been discussing – it was clear my enthusiasm had rubbed off on them and they were excited by maths, which is exactly why I want to teach. I currently work as a teaching assistant at St Andrew’s School, where I have been for six months. This position has given me a great insight into the skills needed to be a fantastic teacher; the school has several SEN pupils and I have been exposed to the more challenging side of the profession. Being trusted to run activities with the entire class has helped me build confidence and learn how important it is to adapt lesson plans to engage students who have different abilities. I have gained valuable skills in implementing strategies such as gentle competitiveness between pupils, and tactical seating plans to get the best out of each student. Before working at St Andrew’s, I completed a work experience placement at Bell Lane Academy where I shadowed teachers working across the five different year groups. This experience helped hone my skills in addressing different age groups in different ways. My ability to get the best out of students is further strengthened by the experience I am currently gaining in the position of assistant coach at my local netball team. Having worked with the girls for the last 18 months, I have developed different ways of motivating individuals, helping push them outside of their comfort zones and encouraging them to take on new challenges. In my spare time, I enjoy playing netball and rugby and would be keen to take on extra responsibilities at a school in the form of after school clubs or teams. I also have a keen interest in management styles and personality types. The knowledge I gain from books on these topics helps me understand pupils and their differing learning styles – what works for them and what doesn’t. It also helps me look inwardly, analysing my own leadership style and methods of teaching. I have chosen to do a PGCE because I am passionate about maths, and I wanted to spend three years of a degree course exploring the subject further, rather than embarking on teacher training straight from school. My degree course has helped me with my confidence and my ability to speak in front of large groups of people. Teaching first-year students during my degree course helped me think about how to deliver the subject in an exciting and creative way. The experience I have had so far has clearly shown that teaching is an extremely challenging profession, but one which I believe is undeniably my calling in life. I adore maths and I want to bring the subject alive, helping children learn in an exciting, rewarding environment. A few weeks ago, I took it upon myself to ask the headteacher for permission to get the whole year group involved in a human percentages exercise – the children loved it. I believe I should be offered a place on your PGCE programme because I can commit to dedicating myself to a role in which I will strive to inspire and excite every pupil I teach.

The personal statement is your one opportunity to capture the attention of the PGCE provider and set yourself apart from other candidates. Teaching is about bringing your personality into the classroom and inspiring students, so avoid a formulaic application and speak from the heart, giving a full picture of who you are.

Your answers should convey enthusiasm for inspiring young people, a passion for teaching, creativity, excellent organisational skills and energy.

Demonstrate an awareness of this challenging profession but conclude with excitement and enthusiasm for your chosen career path.

You might also be interested in these other Wikijob articles:

PGCE Interview Questions

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Writing a pgce personal statement.

If you’re applying to train as a teacher you’ll be required to write a personal statement as part of your application.

Take your time writing your personal statement. It’s your first chance to make a good impression so it's well worth investing time to develop a clear structure and style of writing.

It’s a good idea to proofread your statement thoroughly and get others to read through and check for typos, grammatical errors, style, and tone.

What's the personal statement for? 

The personal statement is crucial to your PGCE application; it is used primarily to decide whether to invite you for an interview. A poorly written personal statement could end your teaching career before it has started!

This is your chance to demonstrate what you have to offer as a teacher. You should also explain why you want to teach a particular subject or age range, and how your skills and experience will help you become a great teacher. It’s your chance to show your motivation, commitment and teaching potential and an opportunity to show your enthusiasm for teaching a particular subject or age group.

Remember, you only get one opportunity to write a personal statement for both cycles of applications, so it’s important to keep in mind that you should avoid creating tailored personal statements for each university.

How to write and structure your personal statement

The personal statement is split into two sections totalling a maximum of 1,000 words. It’s important to make sure you do not repeat yourself and to take time to ensure that each section is organised coherently. Divide your writing into paragraphs, each dealing with a particular aspect of the question.

Section 1: Why do you want to teach?

(Up to 600 words).

This is the place to talk about why you think you would make a great teacher. You can include:  

  • what has led you to choose teacher training
  • your understanding of the demands and rewards of the PGCE course and of the teaching profession
  • the personal qualities that will make you a valuable asset to a school
  • details of any paid or unpaid experience you have of working with young people and what you learnt
  • details of any other experiences which you can bring to the teaching profession. Think about any ‘transferable skills’ or qualities which you have developed which may be relevant to teaching.
  • If you are a career-changer, what have you been doing and what are your reasons for the switch to teaching?
  • your thoughts on children’s wellbeing and the education system

Your personal statement should tell us why you want to teach, your skills and about any experience you might have of working with young people or in the education sector. If you are taking any exams or additional study before starting the course, particularly if this relates to your eligibility to join the course, we want to hear about it.

It should also show that you understand the education system, what challenges teachers face and that you’re engaged with issues around education.

If you’ve not taught before, think about any other things you’ve done that might demonstrate the skills you’ll need to be a teacher (your transferable skills).

Although it’s a good place to expand on your skills and experience, this shouldn’t be the main focus of your personal statement as the rest of the application will showcase this.

Section 2: Why are you suited to teach your subjects or age group?

Up to 400 words.

Remember to not repeat anything you have already said in section 1!

If you’re writing a personal statement for secondary teacher training, use this section to describe your knowledge and experience of the subjects you’ve chosen. Any work experience in the field will be of interest.

What universities are looking for

Universities want to see your passion for teaching and understand why you think teaching this subject or age group is the right career for you.

Your personal statement should be original and honest. Try and avoid clichés or writing what you think we want to hear. All we really want to hear are the real reasons you’re applying to study a PGCE and become a teacher.

If you’re writing a personal statement for primary teacher training, say why you’d like to teach this age group. If you are particularly interested in certain primary subjects or have relevant experience in them, you can talk about that here too.  

You could talk about:

  • any relevant work or unpaid experience
  • your degree and degree modules
  • your other relevant qualifications, such as A levels
  • any relevant skills, interests or achievements
  • your understanding of the national curriculum

Questions your personal statement should answer

  • Why do you want to be a teacher? 
  • Why do you want to teach a particular subject, Key Stage or age group? 
  • What are your strengths? 
  • What experience do you have and how has this influenced your desire to teach? 
  • What skills do you have that would be useful for teaching

The finer details

Your personal statement should be:

  • no more than 1000 words
  • written in the first-person 
  • grammatically correct - we suggest writing in a document before adding to your application
  • your own work, don’t copy from anywhere online 
  • structured correctly with a clear introduction, evidenced paragraphs and a conclusion 
  • proof-read before being submitted

And finally, be prepared to answer questions about what you’ve written in your personal statement at the interview stage!

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PGCE Personal Statement Example

Are you applying to PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) Primary or Secondary? Start your application by writing a PGCE personal statement with our example as a guide.

Personal Statement Example for PGCE Secondary

My twenty-year teaching career has given me extensive skills in training and management, as well as working directly with children. As a result of these roles, I have been able to observe how my experience within teaching has impacted my ability to assess and report on a variety of issues. Moreover, I have regularly studied and completed professional training to be able to provide feedback, allowing me to provide successful mentoring and assessment.

Studying for a degree in Early Years Education offered me a chance to develop analytical skills by translating teaching experience into academic qualifications. In academic studies, the evidence must be gathered, analyzed, and interpreted, and findings must be documented consistently. My experience gathered evidence through essay writing and project work, whether consulting previous studies or conducting my own. Being consistently recognized for my outstanding performance demonstrates that I am an expert in this field.

As a supervisor, manager, chairperson and governor, I gained experience in gathering, analyzing and interpreting evidence within an academic context. Reporting on findings at committee meetings or in writing has been part of each of these roles.

Through my previous role in preschool management, I demonstrated my dedication to facilitating learning through training and supervision, which required an understanding of the impact of decisions at the management level on the quality of education. Educational planning has to be considered alongside practical concerns, such as budget restrictions when using the Early Years Educational Framework. It took organisational and diplomatic skills to implement this framework by managing an existing team. My commitment to training and development allowed me to acquire the skills necessary for this; while a fair, reasonable approach to feedback allowed me to instil the same in my colleagues. Through this approach to constructive feedback, I was also able to provide structured guidance to students visiting from local colleges.

Additionally, I recruited and trained staff, controlled budgets, and established strong relationships between colleagues and parents. The ultimate responsibility for key decisions lay with me, even though my role as chair of the committee involved considering and meditating disparate viewpoints. By accepting this responsibility, I demonstrated my ability to weigh up the evidence to reach balanced judgements, which have always benefited the children.

My experience has taught me that communication skills are essential in any management position. Besides academic writing, I have been responsible for producing a variety of documents, including staff and pupil records, training materials, and fundraising materials. I have also been instrumental in producing a monthly 35-page parish magazine, requiring an eye for detail and a strong grasp of word processing and publishing IT packages, as well as the ability to respond to the concerns of contributors and advertisers.

I have developed my verbal critical feedback skills via staff management and training, and my work on mainly located has given me a priceless opportunity to mediate and lead the conversation, defending, interpreting, and adjusting my opinion as needed.

I have consistently maintained a high degree of professionalism. I’ve continued to be passionate about learning new things and expanding my experience so that I can properly perform each function. I have expertise with and have adapted to the appropriate frameworks for each educational institution I have worked in, both in the classroom and in simpler elements, including health and safety laws.

Due to my experience working in early childhood education in both the UK and Australia, I have also demonstrated my ability to quickly and efficiently adjust to foreign environments while maintaining the same high quality of care. I have worked to establish solid, professional connections with all stakeholders in addition to my practical understanding of each function, and I have proven to be an asset as a committee member and in supervisory responsibilities.

Although it has been evident in my managerial and administrative duties, my enthusiastic and thoughtful commitment to delivering a top-notch education for every kid has also sparked energy inside the educational setting. My dedication to equality, diversity, and excellence in education—as well as the many challenges that these values present—has been inspired by my work with children of all ages and my extensive experience working with children with special educational needs, such as autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and visual and hearing impairments.

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How to write a PGCE personal statement

29 th September 2021

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Advice on how to write a PGCE personal statement that shows you’d make a great addition to a teacher training course.

What is a teacher training personal statement?

What to write, pgce personal statement tips.

When applying for a PGCE or postgraduate teacher training, you’ll probably have to write a personal statement. This is your chance to say why you’d make a great teacher by highlighting your relevant experiences and passion for teaching.

If you’re applying directly to a university or school, you should tailor your statement precisely to the course you’re applying for.

If you’re applying through UCAS Teacher Training, you can send your application to more than one university. Therefore, your statement should be more generic so that it applies to each one you’re applying to.

In both cases, make sure that your personal statement reflects the nature of the course or courses you’re applying for. Think about, for example, is it school- or university-based training? What age of students will you be teaching? Will you be specialising in a particular subject?

Before you start writing, look at any information you can find about the course and what you must do to apply. Has the university provided any guidance or topics of what you need to cover?

If not, can you speak to one of the course tutors to discuss what they might want to see in your statement? Or can you talk to a current PGCE student and ask what they wrote in theirs?

When you have a good idea of what admissions tutors will be looking for, create a mind map or list:

  • Your relevant academic and practical experiences
  • Areas of the course that you’re most interested in
  • Anything else the university wants you to include

When structuring your statement, you can use your mind map or list to plan what information to put where.

Your structure can look something like:

  • Introduction – about yourself and why you want to do the PGCE
  • Middle paragraphs – relevant information of your academic achievements and experiences of working within education
  • Concluding paragraph – tying up the main points of why you’re the best candidate for the course

If you’re applying directly to the university, check what the word limit for your personal statement is.

If you’re submitting to UCAS Teacher Training, your personal statement can be up to 47 lines of text or 4,000 characters.

Expanding on your mind map or list from before, think in more depth about why you want to teach.

  • What qualities do you have that would make you good at teaching?
  • What do you think are the challenges and benefits of being a teacher?
  • Why have you chosen this particular age group and/or subject?
  • What have you learned from your previous experiences in education?
  • Will you be completing any extra exams or relevant experiences before the course starts?

If you studied education at undergraduate level, your course was probably focused on the theoretical side of the subject. Your PGCE course, however, will be about applying those theories to real-life situations in schools. Your personal statement should reflect your understanding of this.

If you haven’t taught before, what other activities or events in your life suggest that you would make a good teacher? Have you worked with children in different environments?

Admissions tutors don’t just want to see why you think your experiences make you a good teacher. Instead, they want to know that you’re aware of the importance of teaching and the demands that come with it.

  • Why is it important to reflect on your abilities as a teaching practitioner?
  • How will you work on your own development to become a great teacher?
  • What interests you about the education system and its challenges?
  • Do you have any thoughts are on child welfare and social justice?

When writing, make sure to use evidence and examples to back up your points. Through your tone of voice, try to show that you are positive and passionate about the work.

To see more information on how to style your personal statement, see our postgraduate statements guide.

  • Ask someone you know to check it through. Even better if you can get feedback from a teacher
  • See if you can speak to other students applying for a PGCE to share thoughts and ideas of what to write
  • Similarly, reach out to PGCE staff at your university – or a teacher you know – they have experience that might be valuable to you!
  • Any time you can spend in a school will be a valuable addition to your application. If you haven’t already, see if you can arrange to volunteer with one locally
  • If you’re invited to an interview, you’ll be asked about what you’ve written on your statement, so be prepared to talk about it in more detail

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Your teacher training personal statement

Your personal statement is your chance to make yourself memorable with teacher training providers and show them why you’ll make a great teacher.

You do not have to write it all at once – you can start it and come back to it. Successful candidates often take a few weeks to write their personal statements.

How long should my teacher training personal statement be?

Your personal statement can be up to 1000 words. 90% of successful candidates write 500 words or more.

You could include:

  • skills you have that are relevant to teaching
  • any experience of working with young people
  • your understanding of why teaching is important
  • your reasons for wanting to train to be a teacher
  • any activities you’ve done that could be relevant to teaching (such as first aid courses, sports coaching or volunteering)

Teacher training providers want to see your passion and that you understand the bigger picture of teaching.

How to write your personal statement

When writing your personal statement you should make sure you check your spelling and grammar in your application. You want to make the best possible impression.

You can use ChatGPT or other artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help you write your personal statement. You should not rely on it to write your entire statement because:

AI tools use bland language and will not be able to give details about you as a person. Using them may result in your application being unsuccessful

your account to apply for teacher training may be blocked if you consistently submit personal statements that look like they have been written with AI tools

Do I use the same personal statement for each application?

You can use the same personal statement for every course you apply to.

However, there may be some instances where you’d like to tailor it to different courses.

For example, if you want to apply to train to teach maths and also to train to teach physics. In this case, you might want to change your personal statement to talk more specifically about the subject you’re applying to train to teach.

Should my personal statement be different if I’m training to teach primary or secondary?

You should use your personal statement to explain why you feel passionate about teaching a specific age range or subject.

If you’re applying for a primary course with a subject specialism, or you’re particularly interested in certain primary subjects, you can talk about that, too.

If you’re not sure if you want to teach primary or secondary, you can find out more about teaching different age groups .

Do I need school experience?

You do not need school experience to apply for teacher training, but it can help strengthen your personal statement.

Teacher training providers like to see that you have a good understanding of teaching, how the school system works and what your transferable skills are. You need more than just good subject knowledge and school experience can be a great way to get this.

Getting some school experience can also be a good way to make sure teaching is right for you before you apply for a course.

Find out how you could get school experience .

Get help with your personal statement

You can get help with your personal statement from our teacher training advisers . They have years of teaching experience and can give you free, one-to-one support by phone, text, or email.

Advisers can also help you understand more about what teaching is really like, which can help improve your application.

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Writing a personal statement for teacher training

These guidelines apply to applications for a PGCE or Schools Direct which are both made through Apply on the .Gov website

Include the following:

  • Your reasons for teaching: Avoid clichés like, "I've always wanted to be a teacher".
  • Choice of programme: Demonstrate that you have made a well-researched and informed choice. Show your knowledge of Initial Teacher Training providers.
  • Knowledge and commitment to the age range you are applying for: If you are applying for both primary and secondary places in the same application, you need to make a strong case for your preferred option.
  • Subject specific commitment: Subject tutors read the forms, so if you are applying for secondary it is important to mention this.
  • Enthusiasm: Selectors look for clear-headed, informed enthusiasm. You need to demonstrate you understand the demands of the profession. Why would you be a good teacher?
  • the national curriculum, national strategies and subject organisations eg The Association of Science Education
  • classroom management (behaviour, groups, resources, timing and pastoral care)
  • teachers roles and responsibilities
  • classroom organisation
  • differentiation- special education needs (SEN)
  • the role of ICT
  • assessment for learning
  • awareness of possible gaps - eg if you have a C grade in English and are applying for primary, you need to show that you are willing to polish up
  • Mention any geographical restrictions you have, as these may be taken into account.
  • Get advice on your personal statement
  • Information on routes into teaching

Further advice

  • From the Department for Education
  • Target Jobs advice on writing your personal statement
  • Getting in touch

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Writing a Postgraduate Teacher Education personal statement

Updated on 7 July 2023

Guidance on how to write a PGDE/CE personal statement and an example to help demonstrate your skills, experience and motivation for teaching.

A personal statement is a short piece of writing (47 lines/4000 characters) which you are asked to submit in support of your application to study a PGDE/CE made through UCAS. It is your opportunity to demonstrate your skills, experience and motivation for teaching.

Before you start

Remember that this is a very important part of your application. Take your time to carefully plan out and practise your statement. It is a good idea to draft your statement in a word document and get some feedback on it before committing to the final version..

  • Don't waste space with irrelevant or repetitive information. Be succinct and avoid complicated language and overly long sentences.
  • Be specific about what you have to offer. Detail what you have gained from your experiences in schools/working with children. Give appropriate evidence of the skills you possess for teaching.
  • Indicate the relevance of other types of experience or skills you possess, e.g. supervising people or sports
  • Avoid using negative language. Present any gaps in skills or experience positively.
  • Finish with a summary of what you have to offer     leave the selectors with a clear understanding of your suitability for the course.
  • Let your enthusiasm for teaching and working with children shine through in everything you say.
  • Check grammar and spelling thoroughly! Do not rely on the spelling and grammar check on your word processing package alone. Ask someone to proof read it for you.
  • If you are cutting and pasting from a word document, remember to check the formatting.

Questions to consider when structuring your Personal Statement

  • Why do you want to be a teacher? - What has inspired you; who/what influenced you?
  • Why do you want to work with young people? - What appeals to you about working with this age group; what skills do you possess that will help you?
  • Why do you want to teach your subject? For primary: demonstrate a breadth of knowledge across a range of curriculum areas. For secondary, show how your subject knowledge is relevant to the curriculum.
  • What have you gained from working with young people? - Have you had any experience in schools or working with children in other settings? Reflect upon what you did, what you observed, what you learned.
  • What else can you offer? Skills in sports, music, languages, arts and crafts, ICT etc.

This is an example personal statement. There is considerable room for improvement and the notes make suggestions to help you with writing yours.

I am applying for the PGDE course because I have always wanted to be a teacher. I really like working with children and think that I have the right kinds of skills to become a good teacher .

  • The above statement is far too short: you are allowed 47 lines/4000 characters so use them.
  • Remember to specify whether you are applying f or primary or secondary courses.
  • It is not enough to say that you have developed the "right kinds of skills". Be specific about them.
  • It is important to have a strong opening statement . It is the first thing the selectors will read so you want to make an impact. 
  • Think about why you have always wanted to teach and clearly demonstrate.

New Paragraph

At school, I was involved with the Primary 1 class when I was in final year. I helped the less able children with reading on a one to one basis. I also help out at my local Brownie pack every week, keeping the girls busy with various activities. I have applied to do the Student Tutoring Scheme.

  • When describing experience with children, make sure you are specific about what you learned from the work and the skills you developed.
  • You need to demonstrate (by providing evidence) that you have developed/ have the potential to develop skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, problem solving, organisation, planning and time management.

At school I studied a wide range of subjects but the one I enjoyed most was History so that is what I have studied at university. I also took Psychology and Politics in first year and Politics in second year too.

  • When describing your studies, remember to show how this is relevant to the subject(s) you will be teaching.

I have been a babysitter for two children for several years and enjoy helping the older child with his homework now that he is at school.

  • When describing your experience remember to demonstrate the transferable skills you have gained in this role that would be relevant to teaching. For example with babysitting you could link to the skill of 'behaviour management'.

I am very interested in education generally and keep up to date with current issues by reading the BBC website.

It is not enough to say that you 'keep up-to-date' here. Give a summary of what you have to offer and stating why you should be offered a place on the course.

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PGCE Personal Statement Examples

  • 1 Personal Statement Example Links
  • 2 Career Opportunities
  • 3 UK Admission Requirements
  • 4 UK Earnings Potential For PGCEs
  • 5 Similar Courses in UK
  • 6 UK Curriculum
  • 7 Alumni Network

Personal Statement Example Links

  • Personal Statement Example 1
  • Personal Statement Example 2
  • Personal Statement Example 3
  • Personal Statement Example 4

Ever been inspired by the idea of shaping young minds and making a lasting impact on learners’ lives? Intrigued by the prospect of transitioning into the rewarding world of teaching?

If so, embarking on a PGCE – Postgraduate Certificate in Education , could be your ideal journey. This critical educational qualification equips you with the skills and knowledge to transform your passion into a teaching profession.

A PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) is a postgraduate qualification that allows you to teach in the UK. It is a highly sought after qualification and is essential for anyone wishing to pursue a career in teaching.

The PGCE course is an interesting and relevant choice for students as it offers them the chance to learn from experienced professionals and gain valuable insight into the teaching profession. It also provides an opportunity to develop their own teaching style and gain an understanding of the educational system. The course is also highly relevant for those looking to pursue a career in teaching, as it provides them with the necessary qualifications and skills to be successful in the profession.

👍 When writing a personal statement : Highlight your passion for the course, demonstrating your understanding of it. Use relevant personal experiences, coursework, or work history to showcase how these have fostered your interest and readiness for the course.

Career Opportunities

A PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) is a qualification that enables someone to become a qualified teacher in the UK. With this qualification, graduates can pursue a career in teaching in both state and private schools, as well as in further education colleges.

In addition to teaching, a PGCE can open up a range of other career opportunities. Graduates can pursue roles in the education sector, such as educational psychologists, school counsellors, learning support assistants, special educational needs coordinators, and school governors. They can also pursue roles in the wider public sector, such as policy makers, educational consultants, and lecturers in universities.

Those with a PGCE can also pursue careers in the private sector. They can become educational consultants, working with businesses and organisations to develop training programmes and learning materials. They can also work in the publishing industry, developing educational materials for schools and universities.

Finally, PGCE graduates can also pursue roles in the charity sector. They can work in charities that focus on education, such as those that provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged children, or those that promote educational research. They can also work in charities that focus on other areas, such as health or the environment, using their skills and knowledge to develop educational materials and programmes.

UK Admission Requirements

The entry requirements for the PGCE course vary depending on the institution, but typically require a minimum of a 2:1 degree in a related subject, or a 2:2 degree with additional experience or qualifications.

In addition to the degree requirements, applicants must also have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade C or above, including English, Maths and Science.

Applicants must also have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

The entry criteria for the PGCE course is similar to other courses in the same field, such as the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). However, the PGCE course does require a higher degree classification than the PGCE.

In addition, the PGCE course requires applicants to have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade C or above, whereas the PGCE does not have this requirement.

Finally, the PGCE course requires applicants to have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, whereas the PGCE does not have this requirement.

UK Earnings Potential For PGCEs

The average earnings for someone with a PGCE will depend on the type of job they are able to secure. Generally, those with a PGCE can expect to earn between £25,000 and £45,000 per year, depending on their experience and the job they are able to secure.

The job market for those with a PGCE is very competitive, and there is a growing demand for teachers with a PGCE in the UK. Salaries for teachers with a PGCE have been rising over the past few years, and this trend is expected to continue. Additionally, those with a PGCE may be able to find higher paying jobs in the private sector, such as teaching in private schools or working as a private tutor.

Similar Courses in UK

Other university courses related to the PGCE course are the following Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Secondary, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Primary, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Further Education and Training, and the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Special Educational Needs and Inclusion.

The key differences between these courses are the age range of the students they are designed to teach. The PGCE Secondary is designed to teach students aged 11-18, the PGCE Primary is designed to teach students aged 4-11, the PGCE Further Education and Training is designed to teach post-16 students, and the PGCE Special Educational Needs and Inclusion is designed to teach students with special educational needs and disabilities.

Additionally, the PGCE courses all have different entry requirements, such as a degree in a relevant subject, teaching experience, and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

UK Curriculum

The PGCE course covers a range of topics and modules related to teaching and learning. These include:

  • Professionalism and Professional Learning: This module focuses on the development of professional values and attitudes, as well as the development of professional learning. It also covers the development of professional relationships with colleagues, students and parents.
  • Curriculum and Pedagogy: This module focuses on the development of curriculum knowledge and understanding, as well as the development of pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning. It also covers the development of curriculum planning and assessment.
  • Educational Technology: This module focuses on the use of technology in teaching and learning, as well as the development of digital literacy skills. It also covers the use of digital tools in teaching and learning.
  • Special Educational Needs: This module focuses on the development of an understanding of special educational needs and the development of strategies to support learners with special educational needs.
  • Inclusion and Diversity: This module focuses on the development of an understanding of inclusion and diversity in education, as well as the development of strategies to support learners from diverse backgrounds.
  • Assessment and Evaluation: This module focuses on the development of an understanding of assessment and evaluation in education, as well as the development of strategies to support learners in assessment and evaluation.

The PGCE course also includes hands-on experience and practical work. This includes classroom observation, teaching practice, and the development of teaching resources.

Alumni Network

Notable alumni from the PGCE course include Professor Simon Peyton Jones , a computer scientist and researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the British Computer Society, and a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery.

Professor Peyton Jones is well known for his work on the Haskell programming language and for his contributions to the development of functional programming. He has also written several books on the subject of functional programming, including “Programming in Haskell” and “The Implementation of Functional Programming Languages”.

The University of Cambridge offers a number of alumni events and networking opportunities for PGCE graduates. These include the Cambridge Alumni Network, which is an online platform for alumni to connect with each other, share ideas and resources, and stay up to date with the latest news from the university.

Additionally, the university hosts a number of alumni events throughout the year, such as the Cambridge Alumni Festival, which is an annual event held in the summer. This event includes lectures, panel discussions, and networking opportunities with alumni and faculty members.

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Writing a personal statement for a PGCE

how to write a personal statement for pgce secondary

How To Write a PGCE Personal Statement

Your personal statement is crucial to the success of your application and must be well written, concise, well-structured. It must also clearly demonstrate your reasons for choosing teaching and your commitment and suitability for this career in only 47 lines!

Before applying, do your research. Find out what being a teacher is really like. Get experience in a school, talk to teachers and read careers information.

General Tips:

  • Compose your statement in Word and cut and paste it into your online application. This will allow you to ensure it fits, that you have used spell check and have proofread it to ensure its word perfect. Personal statements with a poor level of written English will be rejected.
  • Use Verdana 12 as this is the size and font used by UCAS.
  • Ensure it has a good structure with an introduction, a middle and a conclusion.
  • Get someone to check your final draft who is knowledgeable in this area and whose judgement you trust.
  • Research the Training Provider you are applying for. Which skills/experience/qualifications do they expect?

Your Personal Statement should:

  • be persuasive
  • be fluent, realistic, relevant and specific
  • mention young people- it is about enabling them to learn rather than why you want to teach
  • overuse of short sentences all beginning with ‘I’
  • general statements and narrative
  • I feel/think/believe – instead, use positive action words e.g. planned/managed/implemented/organised
  • making a statement without having evidence to back it up

Sections in your Personal Statement:

  • Introduction- why teaching and why you?
  • The relevance of your work experience
  • What subject you want to teach and why?
  • Additional factors
  • Concluding paragraph

1.Introduction

Why teaching?

  • What is your motivation? What has influenced your decision to teach? Avoid ‘I have always wanted to teach’ or ‘I believe teaching is worthwhile’ or ‘I like children’.
  • Concentrate on what influenced your decision to teach, how the idea has developed and what can you offer in terms of personal skills and attributes.
  • Have certain people influenced you? Why? How?
  • Show your desire to work with young people and refer to evidence.

Make a list of skills and qualities that you have that can be linked to all the key skills that make an effective teacher and how you can demonstrate this with examples:

  • Organisation
  • Communication
  • Energy & enthusiasm
  • Responsibility
  • Love of subject
  • Team player

2.Relevant Experience

School-based experience:

  • Where? Try to avoid visiting the school you attended as a pupil
  • How long for? One day is probably not enough time to see what it means to be a teacher, you need enough time to gain a good understanding of teaching and schools.
  • What did you do? Did you observe lessons, work as a TA, attend meetings/training/ research curriculum/teaching and learning/had a focus on EAL or SEND pupils?
  • What Key Stages did you experience? Make sure it is relevant to the specific PGCE course you are applying for.
  • What techniques did you observe? Effective and not effective and why?
  • Lesson-planning
  • Classroom organisation
  • Classroom management
  • Inclusion/ diversity issues e.g. English as an additional language (EAL); special educational needs (SEND); disadvantaged pupils and gifted and talented pupils.

Always say what you have done and how it demonstrates the skills required as a teacher. For example, ‘reading with a group of pupils showed me that…’ or ‘working with a low ability group allowed me to…’

Other work with young people (paid/unpaid): 

  • Youth groups
  • After school groups
  • Summer camps

What if you don’t have any relevant experience?

Highlight the other experiences you have engaged in and use these to demonstrate your understanding of teaching and schools.

3. What subject you want to teach and why?

  • For Secondary, you need to show that you are passionate about your subject area and passing on that enthusiasm to young people.
  • Link to relevant work experience, what have you observed and match your skills to this.
  • Refer to any research you have done regarding your subject and also the curriculum/ examinations you would be required to teach at that Key Stage
  • Link your qualifications and wider reading to your subject knowledge, if your qualifications are not relevant you need to show how you are going to develop your subject knowledge in order to teach the subject.
  • State why you have applied to this particular type of PGCE course e.g. school-based/ flexibility/ reputation.

4. Additional Factors

  • Hobbies linked to the profession/ skill set e.g. value-added skills such as sport, music, language etc.
  • Additional courses you have completed/ completing e.g. ICT, subject knowledge enhancement course etc.
  • Further experiences planned for the future prior to commencing a PGCE course.

5. Concluding Paragraph

  • State your commitment to the course, acknowledge that teaching requires dedication, stamina, time management, being pro-active
  • Reinforce your reasons for being committed to teaching
  • Demonstrate awareness of the physical and mental demands of the course and the profession
  • Career plan – what is your goal for your teaching career?

A teacher’s must-have qualities:

  • Interpersonal skills
  • Ability to think of their feet
  • Good time-management

Background Reading

www.ucas.com/ucas/teacher-training 

Times Educational Supplement ( www.tes.com )

www.theguardian.com/education

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How to write your teacher training personal statement

Your teacher training personal statement should express why you'd make a great teacher and spell out your experiences, qualities and skills. We've got the inside track from Admissions Tutors on how to go about writing a good teacher training personal statement, what to do and what not to overlook...

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Let's start with a look at when to apply for teacher training. Places on teacher training courses are filled on a first come first serve basis. This is due to two factors. Firstly, the Department for Education set the maximum number of trainees on some courses. But the thing that really limits the number of places available is ensuring that there are enough school placements for all trainees. Training providers can only recruit up to a number that is manageable in terms of providing the trainees with the placement experiences they need.

Student types her personal statement using a laptop

Places for the most popular subjects tend to go early, for example, Physical Education (PE), Primary and Psychology. Shortage subjects such as Chemistry, Computing, Maths and Physics don’t fill up so fast.

The route you are taking into teaching may also influence when you apply. School Direct is run by the schools themselves and they can only take as many trainees as they can train within their schools. They may only have the one place available for your chosen subject and once those placements are gone, they’re gone. Universities tend to have larger and wider networks of partner schools which provide school placements. This gives them more options for finding school placements so they may have places available for longer. Unlike School Direct you don’t get to choose exactly which school you go to, though they’ll try to match your school placements to your preferences as much as possible. If you apply late you run the risk that all the placements are gone.

So, you want to apply as soon as you can, with a brilliant personal statement that reflects who you are and why you want to become a teacher. So, what does that look like?

Your teacher training personal statement broadly needs to convey four things:

  • Your passion for wanting to become a teacher and commitment to the profession.
  • Your reasons for wanting to teach your chosen subject.
  • The skills and experience that you’ll bring to the role of teacher.
  • Your awareness of the realities of what lies ahead - it’s a challenging but rewarding role so you need to be realistic about this and be aware of some of the hot topics facing the sector.

Kate Brimacombe, Associate Professor of Education and Associate Director of the Teacher Education Partnership at Plymouth Marjon University, explains what she is looking for in a teacher training personal statement:

“It's really lovely to get something that's individual and firstly I want to see that passion for wanting to work with children. You absolutely can get that across - it comes off the page.

“It can’t feel half-hearted, it needs to feel committed. If independence, motivation, and self-reliance don’t sing off the page, then that's an error in a sense. You need to get your personality into the written word, I’m looking for that fire that says ‘this is absolutely what I want to do’. One common mistake is being too short so that it doesn’t get that passion across. The lack of content and desire are the main reasons I don't shortlist candidates.”

You must convey why you want to teach your subject. What is your expertise? Why do you love it? What are the challenges facing teachers of your subject? Why do you want to teach this? Think about the age group you’ll be teaching and discuss why you want to teach them. What relevant experience do you have? How does your experience to date influence your thinking?

Ultimately, you’ve got to inspire others to love your subject, so be clear about how your own relationship to it is going to enable this.

The ingredients of a convincing teacher training personal statement are:

  • Passion for teaching. Express your drive and fire on the page.
  • Be individual. Stand out in a positive light; one tip here is not to waste characters on quotes, they don’t say anything about you.
  • Convey your desire to work with children. Explain where this comes from.
  • Prove it. Include the things you have actively done, what you’ve learnt from real life experiences in schools and/or working with children, and what you got out of it.
  • Demonstrate the qualities of a teacher. Point out your commitment, empathy, independence, innovation, motivation, patience, self-reliance, and tip-top organisation skills.
  • Depth. Don’t cut it too short, you’re allowed up to 4000 characters which is around 600-700 words, so write until you’re thereabouts, and then edit it so that it reads even better.

In addition, for a strong personal statement you’ll want to demonstrate some awareness of the national curriculum for your subject and then highlight how your subject knowledge maps to it.

Back to Kate for another crucial tip: “The other big thing is that we’re checking the accuracy of your spelling and grammar, it must be correct if you’re going to be a teacher. To be fair, we don't get a lot of mistakes because I think people understand that expectations around written and verbal communication are high in teaching.”

Some aspiring teachers know they want to teach but are uncertain on the age group or subject. For example, maybe you love sport and are keen to be a secondary PE teacher, but you also enjoy working with younger children at sports clubs so you’re feeling split. In this scenario, try to settle this before you apply but if you can’t then write honestly about the situation and take extra care to ensure that neither option comes across being the fallback one that you’re not really committed to.

The magic ingredient: Examples from your own experience

There's no one way to structure your teacher training personal statement but be sure to back up every point you make with evidence. A great way to do this is give real life examples of what you actually did, and what you learned from it. It’s not enough to just list your work experience, you need to explain what you learned and how this experience will help you as a teacher.

You don’t need school experience to apply for a teaching course, though it helps. But if you don’t have school experience then you at least need some transferable skills, so any other experience of working with children is valid here, things like helping with sports teams and youth clubs are valid too. Use your examples to demonstrate the skills you’d bring to the role of teacher.

You could also refer to a teacher who made a difference to you at school, or who influenced your love of working with children and helping them to learn.

By discussing examples, you can also demonstrate that you are realistic about the role, in that is challenging as well as rewarding. For example, you might discuss a session you observed or taught, reflecting on what went well, how you adapted to the situation and how you would improve on it.

This is how to make effective use of real life examples, according to Julie Stevens, course leader for PGCE Secondary Education at Plymouth Marjon University: “I want to read about how you’ve helped a pupil to make progress. What did you change? How did you recognise they weren’t learning? What did you adapt to help them understand? Maybe you modelled it or talked it through? How did the child respond? You might talk for example about why a child was messing around or why a seating chart was put together in a certain way. It’s really encouraging when a candidate offers insights into teaching and that sense of self-reflection”.

You can talk about that examples that demonstrate transferable skills. For example, maybe you had to be resilient to get your Duke of Edinburgh award, maybe you’re a leader on the sports field or maybe you’re a dedicated musician with the music exams to prove it?

In addition, the way you talk about children is really important, the training provider needs to know that you see them as individuals and that you want to help them become independent thinkers. Back to Julie again for more about this: “I want to see candidates who talk about children as individuals and how you can help them make the best progress they can. Helping young people to make decisions for themselves and become independent learners, so that they take responsibility for their own success is essential for adulthood.

"It’s great when someone can talk about innovative things, like how to use social media for good outcomes. Anything like that is powerful because it means they understand our role as educators – we aren’t just filling them with knowledge, we're trying to get children and young people to understand how to develop themselves.”

Get your referee geared up

References really do matter. Julie and Kate report that in practice most of barriers to shortlisting a candidate come not from the personal statement, but from references that are too short. They’ve seen references as short as three lines and that doesn’t tell them enough about you and your suitability for a career in teaching. You could be an impressive candidate, but you can’t be offered a place until your reference checks out.

If you’re applying for undergraduate teacher training through UCAS then one reference is required. If you’re applying for postgraduate teacher training then you’ll need two references. If you’re at university, or have been within the past five years, then one reference must be from someone at your university. The other reference can be from someone who knows you from work, and if you’re applying for School Direct then one of your references must come from your current employer.

A good reference says good things about you and backs up some of qualities and skills you’ve outlined in your personal statement. Your referee needs to talk about your character and why they think you could be a great teacher. The training provider is looking for insight; a different perspective on you, and hopefully one that that verifies the impressions they’re taking from your statement.

You can do a lot to make sure your reference is on point. First ask your referees if they are willing to be your referee and if they think you’ve got the potential to be a good teacher. Next you need to arm them with all the arguments as to why you’ll be a good teacher, they probably don’t know everything you do. Ideally they would read your personal statement so that they can write a reference that complements it.

If applicable, ask your referee to comment on your academic abilities, including your predicted grades. If possible, go through the reference with your referee as you might see something they’ve missed. If so, ask if they are willing to add it, it’s up to them but you can suggest things.

A good teacher training personal statement shows passion and love for teaching, as well as that you’ve done some research and that you’re dedicated to teaching career. Show your personality; show them the teacher you could be. @marjonuni

Back to Kate for closing advice: “Speak with honesty and speak from the heart. I’m looking for passion. I'm looking for somebody I think the has the potential. Then when you come to interview, I already know that you have that passion and so you just need to add the shine to that and tell us more about it in-person, one to one. In that way your teacher training personal statement is the stepping stone into the interview, if it does its job then we’ll be excited to find out more about you”.

You’ve got this. Follow the advice above and you’ll have a brilliant teacher training personal statement in the bag. The next step will be your teacher training interview, so why not check out our articles on how to ace your teacher training interview and teacher training interview questions .

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Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples

how to write a personal statement for pgce secondary

What is a teacher training personal statement?

The teacher training personal statement is your opportunity to let training providers know about your qualities, skills and expertise, and why you want to teach.

While your application form briefly outlines your qualifications, skills and work experience, your teaching personal statement is where your personality shines through.

Take your time with it, be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

How do I write a good teacher training personal statement?

To help you write a successful teacher training personal statement, we recommend you include:

  • use examples to back everything up, based on your teaching experience so far
  • tailor your personal statement according to the age group you wish to teach
  • write using concise English, using first person terms such as 'my' and 'I'
  • be original and honest - don't embellish the truth or lie outright
  • avoid clichés and general statements, such as 'since a young age' or 'I've always wanted to be a teacher'
  • demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for teaching.

You have up to 4,000 characters to write a memorable opening, middle and conclusion.

Don't waste your valuable space on writing about things that are already on your UCAS form elsewhere, such as your qualifications.

What should I include in my teacher training personal statement?

When planning out your personal statement, ask yourself what it is your training providers are looking for. Make sure your statement answers the following questions:

  • Why do I want to teach? - show that you know about the challenges and rewards of teaching, and remember that everything has its ups and downs. Maybe talk about any lessons you have observed/taught, what went well and how you would have improved on them. Discuss teaching styles used and the use of technology in the classroom.
  • Why do I want to teach this age group/at this level? - what appeals to you, and what experience do you have teaching these students/children?
  • What are my strengths? - include the relevance of your degree and subject knowledge.
  • What experience do I have? - include any experience you have of volunteering with children, such as teaching a sports team, youth work or working at a summer camp? Give examples of how this helpd develop your teaching skills.
  • What personal skills/abilities do I have? - these might include research, creativity, time management, IT skills, problem solving, managing people, organisational skills, listening skills, leading or working in a team. To strengthen your application, make sure you back everything up with examples.
  • Are there are any location restrictions? - if you don't currently live in the UK, why do you want to study here? Are you willing to move away from your current home town/city for your degree?

You only have up to 47 lines (4,000 characters including spaces) in which to persuade your chosen initial teacher training (ITT) providers to offer you an interview. The statement must be concise, enthusiastic and sell your potential to be a successful teacher.

For more help and advice on what to write in your teacher training personal statement, please see:

  • Personal Statement Editing Services
  • Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
  • Analysis Of A Personal Statement
  • The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
  • Personal Statement FAQs
  • Personal Statement Timeline
  • 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
  • What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

What is a teacher training degree?

Teacher training degrees combine the study of curriculum subjects with learning teaching techniques and putting these into practice during hands-on school placements. The course leads to QTS (qualified teacher status) to enable you to teach in a school or college.

How long is a teacher training course?

To teach in England and Wales you need to gain QTS. You will obtain this on an ITT programme, which could be school or university-based and takes approximately one year to complete.

How do I become a teacher with a degree?

To teach as a qualified teacher in England, you'll need qualified teacher status (QTS). If you already have a degree, you can complete a postgraduate teacher training course to achieve this. Additionally, you'll need to have a GCSE at grade C/4 in maths and English, as well as science if you want to teach primary.

Can I train to be a teacher without a degree?

Unfortunately no - you cannot become a teacher without a degree.

But if you are an undergraduate or have a degree in a different subject than what you want to teach, there are options to help you get into a teaching career.

Will I get paid for teacher training?

There are three types of funding available for teacher training - depending on your circumstances, you could receive all three:

  • Tax-free bursary or scholarship.
  • Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan.
  • Extra financial support if you're a parent, have an adult dependant or a disability.

Further information

For more tips and advice on teacher training personal statements, please see:

  • GetIntoTeaching
  • The Complete University Guide

Related resources

Teacher training interview questions.

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Writing a Personal Statement

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Preparing to Write

Brainstorming, don't forget, sample prompts.

A personal statement is a narrative essay that connects your background, experiences, and goals to the mission, requirements, and desired outcomes of the specific opportunity you are seeking. It is a critical component in the selection process, whether the essay is for a competitive internship, a graduate fellowship, or admittance to a graduate school program. It gives the selection committee the best opportunity to get to know you, how you think and make decisions, ways in which past experiences have been significant or formative, and how you envision your future. Personal statements can be varied in form; some are given a specific prompt, while others are less structured. However, in general a personal statement should answer the following questions:

  • Who are you?
  • What are your goals?
  • How does this specific program/opportunity help you achieve your goals?
  • What is in the future?

A personal statement is not:

  • A variation of your college admissions essay
  • An academic/research paper
  • A narrative version of your resume
  • A creative writing piece (it can be creative, though)
  • An essay about somebody else

Keep in mind that your statement is only a portion of the application and should be written with this in mind. Your entire application package will include some, possibly all, of the materials listed below. You will want to consider what these pieces of the application communicate about you. Your personal statement should aim to tie everything together and fill in or address any gaps. There will likely be some overlap but be sure not to be too repetitive.

  • Personal Statement(s)
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendations
  • Sample of written work
  • Research proposal

Preparing to Write A large portion of your work towards completing a personal statement begins well before your first draft or even an outline. It is incredibly important to be sure you understand all of the rules and regulations around the statement. Things to consider before you begin writing:

  • How many prompts? And what are they? It is important to know the basics so you can get your ideas in order. Some programs will require a general statement of interest and a focused supplementary or secondary statement closely aligned with the institution's goals.
  • Are there formatting guidelines? Single or double spaced, margins, fonts, text sizes, etc. Our general guideline is to keep it simple.
  • How do I submit my statement(s)? If uploading a document we highly suggest using a PDF as it will minimize the chances of accidental changes to formatting. Some programs may event ask you to copy and paste into a text box.
  • When do I have to submit my statement(s)? Most are due at the time of application but some programs, especially medical schools, will ask for secondary statements a few months after you apply. In these instances be sure to complete them within two weeks, any longer is an indication that you aren't that interested in the institution.

Before you start writing, take some time to reflect on your experiences and motivations as they relate to the programs to which you are applying. This will offer you a chance to organize your thoughts which will make the writing process much easier. Below are a list of questions to help you get started:

  • What individuals, experiences or events have shaped your interest in this particular field?
  • What has influenced your decision to apply to graduate school?
  • How does this field align with your interests, strengths, and values?
  • What distinguishes you from other applicants?
  • What would you bring to this program/profession?
  • What has prepared you for graduate study in this field? Consider your classes at Wellesley, research and work experience, including internships, summer jobs and volunteer work.
  • Why are you interested in this particular institution or degree program?
  • How is this program distinct from others?
  • What do you hope to gain?
  • What is motivating you to seek an advanced degree now?
  • Where do you see yourself headed and how will this degree program help you get there?

For those applying to Medical School, if you need a committee letter for your application and are using the Medical Professions Advisory Committee you have already done a lot of heavy lifting through the 2017-2018 Applicant Information Form . Even if you aren't using MPAC the applicant information form is a great place to start.

Another great place to start is through talking out your ideas. You have a number of options both on and off campus, such as: Career Education advisors and mentors ( you can set up an appointment here ), major advisor, family, friends. If you are applying to a graduate program it is especially important to talk with a faculty member in the field. Remember to take good notes so you can refer to them later.

When you begin writing keep in mind that your essay is one of many in the application pool. This is not to say you should exaggerate your experiences to “stand out” but that you should focus on clear, concise writing. Also keep in mind that the readers are considering you not just as a potential student but a future colleague. Be sure to show them examples and experiences which demonstrate you are ready to begin their program.

It is important to remember that your personal statement will take time and energy to complete, so plan accordingly. Every application and statement should be seen as different from one another, even if they are all the same type of program. Each institution may teach you the same material but their delivery or focus will be slightly different.

In addition, remember:

  • Be yourself: You aren’t good at being someone else
  • Tragedy is not a requirement, reflection and depth are
  • Research the institution or organization
  • Proofread, proofread, proofread
  • How to have your personal statement reviewed

The prompts below are from actual applications to a several types of programs. As you will notice many of them are VERY general in nature. This is why it is so important to do your research and reflect on your motivations. Although the prompts are similar in nature the resulting statements would be very different depending on the discipline and type of program, as well as your particular background and reasons for wanting to pursue this graduate degree.

  • This statement should illustrate your academic background and experiences and explain why you would excel in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (UMass Amherst - M.S. in Civil Engineering).
  • Describe your academic and career objectives and how the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies can help you achieve them. Include other considerations that explain why you seek admissions to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and your interests in the environmental field (Yale - Master of Environmental Management).  
  • Please discuss your academic interests and goals. Include your current professional and research interests, as well as your long-range professional objectives. Please be as specific as possible about how your objectives can be met at Clark and do not exceed 800 words (Clark University - M.A. in International Development and Social Change).
  • Write a 500- to 700-word statement that describes your work or research. Discuss how you came to focus on the medium, body of work, or academic area you wish to pursue at the graduate level. Also discuss future directions or goals for your work, and describe how the Master of Fine Arts in Studio (Printmedia) is particularly suited to your professional goals (School of the Art Institute of Chicago - MFA in Studio, Printmaking).
  • Your statement should explain why you want to study economics at the graduate level. The statement is particularly important if there is something unusual about your background and preparation that you would like us to know about you (University of Texas at Austin - Ph.D in Economics).
  • Your personal goal statement is an important part of the review process for our faculty members as they consider your application. They want to know about your background, work experience, plans for graduate study and professional career, qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the program, and any other relevant information (Indiana University Bloomington - M.S.Ed. in Secondary Education).
  • Your autobiographical essay/personal statement is a narrative that outlines significant experiences in your life, including childhood experiences, study and work, your strengths and aspirations in the field of architecture, and why you want to come to the University of Oregon (University of Oregon - Master of Architecture).
  • Personal history and diversity statement, in which you describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. You may refer to any educational, familial, cultural, economic or social experiences, challenges, community service, outreach activities, residency and citizenship, first-generation college status, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual or cultural diversity within a campus community and your chosen field; or how you might serve educationally underrepresented and underserved segments of society with your graduate education (U.C. Davis - M.A. in Linguistics).
  • A Personal Statement specifying your past experiences, reasons for applying, and your areas of interest. It should explain your intellectual and personal goals, why you are interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary degree rather than a more traditional disciplinary one, and how this degree fits into your intellectual and personal future (Rutgers University - Ph.D in Women’s and Gender Studies).
  • Your application requires a written statement to uploaded into your application and is a critical component of your application for admission. This is your opportunity to tell us what excites you about the field of library and information science, and what problems you want to help solve in this field. Please also tell us how your prior experiences have prepared you for this next step toward your career goals and how this program will help you achieve them (University of North Carolina Chapel Hill - Master of Science in Library Science).
  • After watching the video, please describe what strengths and preferences as a learner you have that will facilitate your success in this innovative curriculum. What challenges in our curriculum do you anticipate and what strategies might you use to address these challenges? (MGH Institute of Health Professions PT - They recently redesigned their curriculum)
  • Your personal goal statement should briefly describe how you view the future of the field, what your goals are to be part of that future, and what brought you to pursue an advanced education degree in your chosen field. You may include any other information that you feel might be useful. (Northeastern PT)
  • Personal Statement: In 500 words or less, describe a meaningful educational experience that affected your professional goals and growth and explain how it impacted you. The educational experience does not need to be related to this degree. Focus on the educational experience and not why you think you would be a good professional in this field. (Simmons PT)
  • Personal Statement (500 word minimum): State your reasons for seeking admission to this program at this institution. Include your professional goals, why you want to pursue a career in this field and how admission to this program will assist you in accomplishing those goals. (Regis College Nursing)
  • “Use the space provided to explain why you want to go to this type of program.” (AMCAS)
  • Address the following three questions(Though there is no set limit, most statements are 1–2 pages, single-spaced.): What are your reasons for pursuing this degree? Why do you wish to pursue your degree at this institution? How do you intend to leverage your degree in a career of this field? (Boston University MPH)
  • Please submit a personal statement/statement of purpose of no more than 500 words for the department/degree of choice. Professional degree essays require a clear understanding of the _______ field and how you hope to work within the field. Be sure to proofread your personal statement carefully for spelling and grammar. In your statement, be sure to address the following: what interests you in the field of _____ what interests you in a specific degree program and department at this institution and what interests you in a particular certificate (if applicable). Please also describe how you hope to use your ________ training to help you achieve your career goals. (Columbia PhD in Public Health - Epidemiology)
  • Because each Home Program requires significant original research activities in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, we are interested in obtaining as much information as possible about your previous research experiences. Those who already have such experience are in a better position to know whether they are truly interested in performing ______ research as part of a graduate program. Please include specific information about your research experience in your Statement of Purpose. You may also use the Statement to amplify your comments about your choice of Home Program(s), and how your past experiences and current interests are related to your choice. Personal Statements should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). Make sure to set your computer to Western European or other English-language setting. We cannot guarantee the ability to access your statement if it is submitted in other fonts. (Stanford Biosciences PhD)
  • Your statement of purpose should describe succinctly your reasons for applying to the Department of ____ at ___ University. It would be helpful to include what you have done to prepare for this degree program. Please describe your research interests, past research experience, future career plans and other details of your background and interests that will allow us to evaluate your ability to thrive in our program. If you have interests that align with a specific faculty member, you may state this in your application. Your statement of purpose should not exceed two pages in length (single spaced). (Stanford Bioengineering PhD)
  • Statement of purpose (Up to one page or 1,000 words): Rather than a research proposal, you should provide a statement of purpose. Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at this institution and your relevant experience and education. Please provide an indication of the area of your proposed research and supervisor(s) in your statement. This will be assessed for the coherence of the statement; evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study; the ability to present a reasoned case in English; and commitment to the subject. (Oxford Inorganic Chemistry - DPhil)

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Personal statement for PGCE primary

This is your chance to explain why you want to teach primary age children and convey your enthusiasm for teaching

This example should be used for guidance only. Copying any of this text could significantly harm your chances of securing a place on a course.

Example personal statement for PGCE primary

In my early education, reading and writing were a challenge. At age nine I received a diagnosis of dyslexia bringing with it extra support from the school. This gave me a real determination to overcome my disability. It drove me to study hard, achieve high GCSE and A-level grades and go on to achieve a 2:1 in criminology at the University of England. Although this is not a national curriculum subject, working through and coping with my dyslexia at university helped me nurture my own love of learning. I aim to emulate the support provided to me to ensure that no child is left behind in their learning due to barriers they may experience. I believe that being dyslexic will give me a unique insight into the support requirements of dyslexic children but I am aware that children face many other personal, social and emotional challenges alongside learning disabilities. Recognising these barriers and helping each child to have the confidence to succeed is one goal I hope to achieve as a teacher.

I began spending one day a week, then two days a week in a primary school, which has strengthened my love of learning. I spent time in both Key Stage 1 and 2 classrooms and have so far completed 40 days in a school. I observed lessons such as English, maths, Spanish, science and art, listened to pupils read, and went on to work with small groups. I started to grasp lesson planning and discuss with teachers' current educational issues, such as the changing curriculum. I was able to observe how different teachers handle classroom and behaviour management, particularly picking up on the importance of maintaining an assertive yet sympathetic style. This all shapes my classroom practice to become more effective, for example seeing someone moving up a reading band as a result of the extra time I gave to them. Recently I saw a child making good decisions with their behaviour as a result of the plans we made together. I am gaining experience currently with a year three class of 30 children, working with them one-to-one, in groups and leading the whole class. Learning to think on my feet numerous times a day is challenging but rewarding, especially when I receive positive feedback on my lessons.

For the past two years I have been a volunteer leader with my local Cub Scout group, consisting of 30 boys and girls aged between eight and ten years. This encompasses weekly meetings, trips and overnight camps. During camps, along with the other leaders, I am responsible for the children's physical and emotional wellbeing. I need many of the skills I have seen in the classroom to be an excellent leader. A highlight was being able to use my craft and sewing skills to instigate and lead a mural making project with the completed mural now proudly displayed in the scout hut. Resilience, good judgement, enthusiasm, energy, patience, creativity, responsibility, leadership, reliability and stamina are all essential. Being a volunteer leader has helped me grow my confidence, leadership and communication skills, which I look forward to bringing into the classroom.

Through my studies, work experience and volunteering, I have received and given feedback. I know how essential it is to provide constructive feedback that will help the recipient learn and develop rather than become demoralised. I have witnessed teachers providing meaningful and specific feedback to pupils and how this raises their self-esteem. I have learned from this and practised it in my own interactions with children, with positive results.

I wish to specialise in working with Key Stages 1 and 2 as I feel it is demanding but hugely rewarding to work with children at this vital formative period in their educational development. I am aware that the children within each class could be at vastly different levels in relation to their abilities.. Being able to confidently ascertain their levels and differentiate the work accordingly is something that I know I will need to master.

I achieved high grades in law, biology and statistics at A-level. I believe these subjects have provided me with a broad knowledge base to enable me to teach the full primary national curriculum. Even though I didn’t study any design-related subjects at college, I do consider myself a creative person so would relish the chance to teach subjects such as art, music and drama alongside the core subjects of English, maths and science.

My criminology degree provided me with many relevant skills including data analysis, essay writing, critical analysis and research. I also developed the ability to work to a deadline under pressure, both independently and in groups, something I feel is directly relevant to teaching. Learning about the social inequalities in society alongside modules on safeguarding have provided me with a deeper insight into the affect these things can have, not only on a child but also the family and wider community. 

During my degree I undertook a one-month work placement with a homeless charity. I was tasked with trying to find valuable work experience to boost the self-esteem and self-worth of the individuals. This was a humbling and eye-opening experience. I met some truly amazing people both within the charity and among the service users. The many knock backs I received from companies helped to build my resilience and determination culminating in successfully finding an organisation that was willing to offer experience and training in the catering industry.

I believe that schools should be a safe and welcoming environment where children feel comfortable to express themselves, which in turn will aid their ability and willingness to learn. I hope that I will one day be able to provide this to all the children I teach.

Tailor your statement to primary teaching and include:

  • Why you'd like to teach this age group.
  • Elements from your degree that have helped to prepare you to become a primary school teacher.
  • Skills you have developed and where you gained them, such as communication, patience, resilience and planning.
  • Any examples you have working with the age group you wish to teach. This could be classroom based as well as through play schemes, youth groups and summer camps.
  • Any specialist training such as safeguarding, first aid or mentoring.
  • How your own educational background has influenced your desire to teach.
  • Your understanding of the primary national curriculum.
  • Your thoughts on children's wellbeing within the education system.

Find out more

  • Read all about applying for teacher training .
  • Get prepared with our teaching interview questions .
  • See more examples of teaching personal statements .

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COMMENTS

  1. Personal statement for PGCE secondary

    Example personal statement for PGCE secondary. I became interested in teaching after realising how much I had benefited from excellent and passionate teachers. They exuded a real sense of enthusiasm for learning, which inspires me to pass on that passion. My love for computing developed during my A-levels after discovering an aptitude for ...

  2. How to Write a PGCE Personal Statement [with Examples]

    A PGCE personal statement is written as part of the application process for teacher training and gives candidates an opportunity to showcase their skills and attributes.. PGCE candidates will only write one personal statement, which is used to apply for all of their preferred choices. Students upload their personal statement to the UCAS Teacher Training system, and it is submitted for all ...

  3. Writing a PGCE personal statement

    Your personal statement should be: no more than 1000 words. written in the first-person. grammatically correct - we suggest writing in a document before adding to your application. your own work, don't copy from anywhere online. structured correctly with a clear introduction, evidenced paragraphs and a conclusion.

  4. PGCE Personal Statement Example for Secondary Education

    Personal Statement Example for PGCE Secondary. My twenty-year teaching career has given me extensive skills in training and management, as well as working directly with children. As a result of these roles, I have been able to observe how my experience within teaching has impacted my ability to assess and report on a variety of issues.

  5. Teacher Training Personal Statement

    How to write it. You can use up to 47 lines of text (4,000 characters) in your personal statement. Some word processing packages calculate line counts differently from the UCAS Teacher Training system, so you might need to redraft your statement if there's a discrepancy between the counts. Write in English (or Welsh if you're applying to ...

  6. How to write a PGCE personal statement

    Introduction - about yourself and why you want to do the PGCE. Middle paragraphs - relevant information of your academic achievements and experiences of working within education. Concluding paragraph - tying up the main points of why you're the best candidate for the course.

  7. Teaching personal statement examples

    How to write a personal statement for teaching. Your personal statement should be between 500 and 1,000 words. ... Many good PGCE secondary personal statements acknowledge the challenges involved in teaching older pupils and provide examples of where the candidate has worked to overcome these problems. As secondary teaching roles are geared ...

  8. PDF Your personal statement

    cultivate open minds, the knowledge and ability to look at. the world critically, and students' belief in their own capacity. to make positive contributions to society. 3. Your future. 4. What you want to achieve.

  9. Teacher training personal statement

    Your personal statement can be up to 1000 words. 90% of successful candidates write 500 words or more. You could include: skills you have that are relevant to teaching. any experience of working with young people. your understanding of why teaching is important. your reasons for wanting to train to be a teacher.

  10. Personal statement for teaching (The University of Manchester)

    Writing a personal statement for teacher training. These guidelines apply to applications for a PGCE or Schools Direct which are both made through Apply on the .Gov website. Your reasons for teaching: Avoid clichés like, "I've always wanted to be a teacher". Choice of programme: Demonstrate that you have made a well-researched and informed choice.

  11. Writing a Postgraduate Teacher Education personal statement

    The above statement is far too short: you are allowed 47 lines/4000 characters so use them. Remember to specify whether you are applying f or primary or secondary courses. It is not enough to say that you have developed the "right kinds of skills". Be specific about them. It is important to have a strong opening statement .

  12. PGCE Personal Statement Examples

    When writing a personal statement: Highlight your passion for the course, demonstrating your understanding of it. Use relevant personal experiences, coursework, or work history to showcase how these have fostered your interest and readiness for the course. ... The PGCE Secondary is designed to teach students aged 11-18, the PGCE Primary is ...

  13. Writing a personal statement for a PGCE

    Your Personal Statement should: be persuasive. be fluent, realistic, relevant and specific. mention young people- it is about enabling them to learn rather than why you want to teach. be honest. Avoid: overuse of short sentences all beginning with 'I'. general statements and narrative.

  14. PDF Personal statement guidance for applicants to PGDE Teacher Education

    about why you have chosen your particular Primary/ Secondary subject area. 2. Relevant Work experience with children . Please detail this in chronological order including dates, most recent first, quantifying the numbers of hours spent per week over the number of weeks/months and list the school/s attended e.g. '

  15. How to write your PGCE Personal Statement

    Here are some key skills to mention when writing your PGCE personal statement: Management skills. Organisational skills. Teamwork skills. Training and coaching experience. Direct contact and engagement with children. Communication with a range of audiences. IT and computer literacy.

  16. Personal statement for PGCE secondary

    Example personal statement for PGCE secondary. I became interested in teaching after realising how much I had benefited from excellent and passionate teachers. They exuded a real sense of enthusiasm for learning, which inspires me to pass on that passion.

  17. PGCE Personal Statement Sample

    PGCE Personal Statement Sample. Learning is natural, necessary and nurtured aspect of life. Being a teacher will allow me to become an important figure in this process, where I endeavour to impart knowledge, expand perceptions and provide life tools during a critical stage in development. Work experience, interpersonal skills and a solid ...

  18. How to write your teacher training personal statement

    The ingredients of a convincing teacher training personal statement are: Passion for teaching. Express your drive and fire on the page. Be individual. Stand out in a positive light; one tip here is not to waste characters on quotes, they don't say anything about you. Convey your desire to work with children.

  19. PGCE Personal Statement Examples

    This PGCE personal statement examples resource is perfect to help anyone when it comes to writing their statements. This document has a wealth of information that will guide you through a process that can be difficult at times. It includes: Knowledge and interest in the subject area. Suitability for the course.

  20. Personal Statement Examples For Teaching

    Teacher Training Personal Statement Example (Primary PGCE) 1. I have chosen to apply for a primary teaching degree because I enjoy working with children. I have a strong interest in teaching and the learning process of children. This is been confirmed by my work experience report...

  21. How to write a PGCE PERSONAL STATEMENT

    #PersonalStatement #Teaching #TeacherTraining #PGCE #PGCEPrimaryHello!I'm a first class Masters graduate and a Teaching Assistant applying for a PGCE in Prim...

  22. How to write your PGCE Personal Statement

    Here are some key skills to mention when writing your PGCE personal statement: Training and coaching experience. Direct contact and engagement with children. Communication with a range of audiences. IT and computer literacy. Flexibility and accountability.

  23. Writing a Personal Statement

    A personal statement is not: A variation of your college admissions essay. An academic/research paper. A narrative version of your resume. A creative writing piece (it can be creative, though) An essay about somebody else. Keep in mind that your statement is only a portion of the application and should be written with this in mind.

  24. Personal statement for PGCE primary

    Example personal statement for PGCE primary. In my early education, reading and writing were a challenge. At age nine I received a diagnosis of dyslexia bringing with it extra support from the school. This gave me a real determination to overcome my disability. It drove me to study hard, achieve high GCSE and A-level grades and go on to achieve ...