Have I left my PGCE application too late?

Have been trying to write this stupid statement since September (I KNOW!) and I can't seem to do it no matter what I try... getting extremely stressed. Especially since I have wasted this year (all my friends are working graduate jobs) and I am trying to piece my life together! Lol.

No! I applied today too - they let you apply right up until August!Apply asap though so you can get your interviews out the way and can get your QTS skills tests done.Good luck

I actually found it quite easy... Took me about 10 days overall but I took my time.

Below is the guidance I used. Register on train to teach online and make a telephone call with a teacher training advisor! Mine has been very useful for guidance etc - she has read my PS drafts several times and made editing suggestions





FOLLOW THE 6 PART STRUCTURE BELOW.
It is a good idea to try fitting your draft Personal Statement in your UCAS form.
(You will also have section 6 of the UCAS form for your work experience.

You can develop relevant experience with up to 500 characters per entry)


The personal statement is the most crucial part of your application form. It is used by training providers to assess your commitment to teaching, desire for self-development, and enthusiasm about education and your subject area. Make sure
you evaluate why you want to be a teacher and what key skills or qualities you have to bring to the teaching profession. An honest approach is usually the best approach. Avoid clichés and say what you really feel. This is your moment to stand out from the
rest.
The style of your statement needs to emphasise
a. Your experience in as much as it relates to your application
b. What you have learned from what you have done that could be relevant to teaching
c. How this could be transferred to make you a good teacher

6 Part Structure of your PS
- here are the 6 sections you should follow (remember no paragraph breaks – just one large paragraph) The number of lines per section is a rough guide only.
1. Introduction – show passion and motivation for teaching and teaching your subject. (5 lines)

2. Briefly say how your relevant qualifications and experience demonstrate your potential to become a good teacher.
You do not need to say what these qualifications are specifically but how they demonstrate you could become a good teacher. E.g., you have good background knowledge of what you want to teach - look at the national curriculum
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum. Say why it is important for students to excel in your subject. If primary think about
having to teach all subject areas. (8 lines)

3. Reflect on the state school classroom observational experience you have had. The classroom experience section is singly the most important section of the PS and should be about a third of the total. (16 lines)
It is your observations of teachers that are the most important factor here not what you actually may have done yourself. Think about the role of the teacher and the good and not so good practice you have observed. Then reflect on this
- what could you take from this experience to enhance yourself as a teacher? Do not just describe what you have seen.


To enhance your personal statement,
without having classroom experience, write about what you feel makes a good teacher in terms of impact on teaching and learning. If you have already set up some school experience this can go into your statement.

I suggest you write about 2 or 3 aspects of teaching and learning and how the teachers enabled this.

Here are some aspects of teaching and learning you could consider including in your PS
- How did teachers engage students with the topics they were teaching? Why is engagement so important?
- How did teachers maintain focus and whole class involvement throughout the lesson?
- What sort of learning activities were used and how did they link together effectively? Teachers tend to use a wide range of different activities – but why?
- What sort of relationship did different teachers have with their students and were some better than others?
- How did teachers measure progress of students learning in the classroom? E.g. doing practice exam questions, or questioning, quizzes, etc. Why do teachers and students need to know the progress they are making?

- How did different teachers manage behaviour in their classrooms – which techniques were the most effective and why?
- How were lessons planned – what tasks did students undertake. Did they work in groups or pairs or individually? What seemed to work the best?

- How were extra adults used in lessons?
- How did the teacher try to take account of individual needs of all learners?
You should be using and completing sentences such as -

1.The teachers demonstrated their high expectations of the student’s progress, ensuring that each pupil knew which area to improve upon. I think the reason for this was to….
2. The teachers made the learning objectives of the lesson explicit. I believe the reason for this is…
3. I saw that teachers differentiated the learning tasks for students with different ability levels. The impact of doing this was …
What you have taken away from all this as a prospective teacher. It is important to realise that we can’t all teach in the same way – there is no model of brilliant teaching that can be uniformly applied to all people.


Without classroom experience you could use sentences such as –


1. I feel a good teacher demonstrates high expectations of the student’s progress, ensuring that each pupil knows which area to improve upon. I think the reason for this is…..
2. Good teachers make learning objectives of the lesson explicit. I believe the reason for this is…
3. Good teachers differentiate the learning tasks for students with different ability levels. The impact of doing this is …


4. Have you got any other experience of working with young people? Have you got any teaching/tutoring/ training experience? Have you had any mentoring experience? Show how these will help you become a good teacher. Do not describe what
you have done, this can go in the work and school experience section of the application form. Reflect on the skills you have taken away from the experience that link to teaching. You may include some personal skills such as resilience, patience, a sense of
humour. (7 lines)


5. What transferable skills could you bring to the role of a teacher? What qualities do you have? E.g. working in a team; communication skills; dealing with people from all backgrounds …. Again say how these transferrable skills will help
you become a successful teacher – be specific – think about what schools do. (6 lines)


6. Summary – make this brief - succinct but punchy stating why they should consider you. (4 lines)


General writing notes.
1. Do NOT mention the names of courses (or their units) you have completed, names of universities, or names of schools where you gained classroom experience. All this information is recorded elsewhere in the UCAS form.

2. The course leaders are looking for people who can write to a high standard. Check for spelling, syntax; punctuation. Get someone else to read it. Does each sentence make sense?

3. The personal statement needs to be reflective. Avoid unanalysed descriptive writing such as “I helped hand out exercise books”. Ideas and opinions need to be expressed in general terms – AVOID Mrs B’s lesson was good because…. / I
saw a good year 10 lesson where… INSTEAD - Good lessons should…. Evaluate what you see. Analyse why good learning takes place in one lesson and not in another? How do you measure good learning? It is very important in this to show that you know what the
role of the teacher is; what makes a good teacher; how you can evaluate good learning.

Don't worry - I haven't started mine yet.
You have months to go yet, and I was told at this SCITT thing they are absolutely desperate to get teachers, with some getting job offers in September
Good luck!

Ah, I feel better! Haha. Shall we work together on a deadline and try to match that? Get us both motivated!