maths teacher job personal statement

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How to write a teacher personal statement

What experience do you have, are you engaged in teaching theory and research, are you up to date on safeguarding statutory guidance, what are your skills and qualities, how can you contribute to wider school life, search for roles.

Your personal statement is your first opportunity to show the school you’re a great fit for the job, and gets you closer to being shortlisted for an interview. The more you show how your skills and interests match the school’s ethos and values, the better. We’ve spoken to a range of teachers to get their top tips for success.

Schools want to hear about your trainee experience with different subjects, key stages, types of school, and working with a range of pupils.

Think about your approach to teaching, how you keep pupils engaged, and how you communicate with different kinds of people (children, staff, parents and carers). Ensure you provide evidence for how you have improved student engagement and built positive relationships with pupils.

Schools will be interested in your approach to behaviour management, so think about your go-to strategies.

Think about any research that has affected your teaching practice. Explain what has worked well and if it didn’t, what you learnt.

You need to demonstrate your awareness of the importance of safeguarding and the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education . Include any examples of how you worked with a Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Are you a well-organised, confident, and motivated teacher? Say it, and provide examples! Schools are looking for great communicators, team players and relationship builders. Make sure you say how you create a positive learning environment, and consider skills like time management, organisation, and flexibility. Schools will also want to know how you overcome challenges.

Set yourself apart by showing how your hobbies and achievements could contribute to the wider school community. Could you run an after school club or organise school trips?

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How to write the perfect teaching personal statement

Application and interview, tes editorial.

When applying for a new job, you may be competing with tens or hundreds of other applicants in a race for the role.

The HR manager or headteacher recruiting for the job will be scrutinising every detail of your application to make sure they are bringing in the right people for interview.

The application form is the first hurdle you have to get over and sets the first impression of you as a person in the recruiter’s mind.

• Advice on honing your job search
• How to write a personal statement for teacher training
• How to write a must-read CV

The personal statement: why does it matter? 

The personal statement presents the perfect opportunity to show you are an exceptional candidate, understand teaching and know the school you are applying to.

It is not an easy task and is a tricky thing to get right. It requires being concise and clear – it shouldn’t be too long or read like a list.

You should talk about yourself and your professional achievements, while at the same time apply those experiences to the school itself.

We spoke to Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders , about what goes into the perfect personal statement. Here's what he said:

What does a great teaching personal statement look like?

"In general, I would say no longer than two sides of A4 – typescript. It needs to be well structured and linked to the specific school. It will need to include a number of key areas, including behavioural management, educational philosophy, subject expertise, pedagogy, personal organisation and skills and enrichment activities that the candidate can bring."

What should it contain?

"I would recommend that candidates include three elements in each of the key areas:

• What their beliefs/philosophy/approach is – i.e., the theory
• Their experience in that area
• How they would use that experience in the school they are applying to and specific to the job they are applying for

The statement should also include something personal in terms of their outside interests to indicate that they live an interesting and well-balanced life."

What are school leaders looking to read in a good personal statement?

"They will want to see something of the person’s character come through. It must not be just a list of achievements or repeat of the CV. It needs to be well-written, error-free and mention the school they are applying for – but not too many times. It should read as if it has been specifically written for the school and job they are applying for. I would be looking for something similar to the approach I have indicated above, covering all of the key areas and indicating that they have a vocation for working with young people. Somehow I would like to see a ‘generosity of spirit’ come through in the statement."

How can a candidate stand out in a personal statement?

"A good personal statement needs to include something of the person themselves. It has to make the reader believe that the candidate has something special without bragging or appearing arrogant – but something a bit above what other candidates may offer. A really good introduction and ending are important, and it's worth spending a great deal of time crafting those sections of the statement. Hook the reader in at the beginning and finish on a high note so that they want to meet the person and explore what has been written."

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• Skip to content

How to write a great personal statement for a teaching job

Vinny Potter

Last updated: 7 Feb 2024, 16:23

Discover our top tips on what to include in your personal statement for a teaching job and how to present your skills, knowledge, experience and attributes.

Supported by:

Academies Enterprise Trust

Your personal statement is the heart of your application for work as an early career teacher and should be tailored for each role. For teaching applications this is sometimes also called a letter of application, but it is essentially the same thing. This is your opportunity to provide evidence of how you match the needs of the specific teaching job you are applying for, and earn yourself an invitation to the next stage, which is likely to be a selection day held at the school.

Writing tips for personal statements

See our example personal statement for primary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

We are advertising for a Year 3 Classroom Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Committed to our school and our values
• Experience across a range of age groups
• Committed to reflection and improving practice
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum
• Excellent lesson planning
• Knowledge of assessment
• Good knowledge of SEND and positive interventions
• Positive approach to provide challenge and support student success
• Excellent behaviour management
• Good communication skills with parents
• Enthusiastic and creative approach to lessons
• Willing to contribute to the wider life of the school.

See our personal statement for secondary school teaching, below. Imagine it was written in response to the following job advert:

Country High School are advertising for an enthusiastic Secondary PE Teacher. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Ability to adapt and tailor your approach for the differing needs of pupils
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum for your subject
• Knowledge of a wide range of sports
• Willing to engage in extra curricular activities and the wider life of the school
• Experience of supporting high ability students, as well as those who may be less able or motivated
• Ability to use data effectively
• Teach across all ability levels including SEND
• Ability to use Technology to enhance learning.

When completing a personal statement for a teaching job, you should typically observe the following guidelines:

• Do not write a generic statement. Instead use the person specification and job advert for the vacancy as a structure for your statement or consider using the government's Teachers' Standards if no person specification is provided.
• Do not exceed two sides of A4, unless otherwise instructed.
• Tailor your statement for each new application according to the nature of the school or LA and the advertised role.
• Always read any guidance provided – many schools and LAs will tell you how they want this section set out.
• Emphasise your individual strengths in relation to the role.
• For a pool application, make sure you give a good overview of your skills and experience.
• It is essential that you give specific examples of what you have done to back up your claims.

Primary school personal statement

Examples of a personal statements for a primary school teaching job.

Primary school personal statement example

Secondary school personal statement

See our example of a personal statement for a secondary school teaching job.

Secondary school personal statement example

What you should cover in your personal statement

When schools advertise graduate teaching jobs , they write a job description which states the essential attributes they are looking for. This is their marking criteria for the job. When they read your statement, they will usually score this based on their essential and desirable criteria. Therefore, you need to read their documents carefully to find the criteria and provide an example or evidence of each point. If the job advert does not include any documents which include their criteria, then you can use the following structure for your statement and use the Teachers’ Standards as a guide for the criteria they may be looking for.

Why you are applying for the role:

• Refer to any knowledge you have of the LA or the school, including any visits to the school and what you learned from them.
• Show you would be a good fit for the school. The best way to do this is to look at the school’s values and give an example of how you match these.
• Mention any special circumstances (for example, your religious faith) which you think are relevant.

Details about your course:

• Give an overview of your training course - including the age range and subjects covered - and any special features.
• If you are a PGCE student, mention your first degree, your dissertation (if appropriate), any classroom-based research projects and relevant modules studied. Also mention if you have studied any masters modules.

Your teaching experience:

• What year groups you have taught.
• What subjects you have covered.
• Your use and understanding of formative and summative assessment practices.

Your classroom management strategies:

• Give examples of how you planned and delivered lessons and evaluated learning outcomes, including differentiation, scaffolding etc.
• Explain how you have managed classrooms and behaviour.
• Detail your experience of working with assistants or parents in your class.

Your visions and beliefs about primary/secondary education:

• What are your beliefs about learning and your visions for the future? You could touch on areas such as learning and teaching styles and strategies.
• Reflect on key policies relevant to the age range you want to teach.

Other related experience:

• This can include information about any previous work experience.
• Include training activities you have carried out and ways in which your subject knowledge has been developed.

Other related skills and interests:

• Give details of any particular competencies, experiences or leisure interests. This will help the school to know more about you as a person and could ‘add value’ in a school environment.
• Any involvement in working with children (running clubs, youth work and summer camps) is particularly useful to include.

Aim to end on a positive note. A conclusion which displays your enthusiasm in relation to the specific application and teaching in general will enhance your application - but avoid general statements and clichés.

Written by Vinny Potter, St Marys University, Twickenham, July 2023

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Writing A Successful Personal Statement

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• Advice To Applicants

1. Get The Basics Right

You need to spend a lot of time making sure that your personal statement sounds professional – this means excellent grammar, spelling and punctuation, and a good choice of words. It is definitely advisable to read example personal statements online, but you need to make sure that you don’t let any stock phrases creep into your own statement. There is nothing worse than a personal statement which looks like it has been cut and pasted from the internet. Make sure you ask someone else to check your statement – it is all too easy to miss errors when the same 600 words have been swimming before your eyes for a whole day.

2. Follow The Instructions

The personal statement is an essential component of the initial application stage.  Very specific instructions are given about what you should include in your personal statement, even providing a bullet pointed list of what is needed. It might sound obvious – but you need to include everything in this list – if you miss anything then your application will be rejected. At the same time, you don’t want to make your personal statement sound wooden by simply following lists – always make sure that what you are writing flows well and sounds natural.

It could be well worth printing off the application instructions and ticking off each point to make sure that you have covered everything. If a candidate looks like they haven’t followed instructions then it puts their application in a very bad light.

There is a strict limit of 600 words – make sure you stay within this length, but also make sure you don’t write a statement which is too short – candidates who submit a statement which is nearer the minimum of 400 words may look like they are struggling to find things to write.

3. Make It Relevant

Make sure you focus on relevant experiences - particularly your experience of teaching and observation in schools It is fine to include other experiences, but you always need to make sure they are linked back to the purpose of your application – i.e. your ability to be an inspirational and passionate maths teacher. If you coach a youth football team then you need to relate this experience back to your passion for teaching young people, rather than emphasising how much you love football. If you have an experience which is not directly related to working with young people then it is important that you make it relevant, for example if you worked weekends in a restaurant, then you may have discovered that you enjoyed training new staff, helping you decide on a career in education. You might find yourself in the lucky position that you have far too much relevant experience to fit in the statement, meaning that you need to be ruthless and prioritise what to put in.

4. Don’t Repeat Yourself

Don’t include anything in the personal statement which you have already included in the application form – this is simply a waste of space. Your degree is already listed on your application form, so there is no need to include it again in the personal statement. It can be tempting to include absolutely everything in the personal statement, whereas you need to be looking at your application as a whole – have you covered all the points across the whole application?

5. Don’t Copy The Website Verbatim

Whilst you may think you are being clever by copying and pasting text from the Maths Scholarships website into your personal statement, be warned that those who are reading your personal statement also wrote this website. Basically, they recognise when they are having their own words quoted back at them. It also shows that you do not fully understand what it is you are applying for.

Take the time to fully understand what the Maths Scholarship is, why the additional support is being offered and that may help you to address the bullet points relating to being a Maths Scholar.

6. Replacing Maths Teacher With Maths Scholar

It can be tempting to replace 'maths teacher' with 'Maths Scholar' in the personal statement that you produced for your application to teacher training. As a word of caution, doing that normally makes no sense and you appear to not fully understand the Maths Scholarship and its benefits.

7. And Finally...

Try and remember that the effort you put into your personal statement will be well worth it and will hopefully be the first step on an exciting and rewarding adventure. When you read your personal statement, you need to imagine it sitting in a large pile of statements from other people. Does yours read well? Is it relevant? Does it have an excellent opening paragraph? If using clichés such as “maths is my passion”, expand on this by explaining why you are passionate about maths, and what is it that gets you all fired up. It’s OK to say you love a specific equation, or that it’s applicable to everyday life but show us how you interpret that. It’s a line that’s all too easy to say and all too hard to prove!

You could have the best teaching ability in the world, but if you have a poor personal statement then you won’t be invited to the Assessment. On the other hand – if you make the effort to write an excellent personal statement, then you will be giving yourself the best chance possible of progressing to the next stage of the application process.

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Maths Personal Statement

Maths Personal Statement Sample.

When I was at secondary school, I found maths lessons uninspiring, and it was only in later life that I came to love the subject. A few years ago I noticed that my niece’s relationship with maths lessons was very similar to my own. When she began to struggle, I began to tutor her in the subject. After achieving an A at GCSE and deciding to study further maths at A Level, she informed me that her new-found love of the subject was down to my tutoring having made the subject both fun and comprehensible to her. The sense of reward that I felt as a result gave me the initial spark of inspiration to become a teacher, and since then I have been eagerly following my Open University degree in mathematics and gaining classroom experience in preparation to become a teacher.

My love of mathematics as a discipline developed through being required to use it in my professional life, and in particular through being involved in the management side of my father’s business. The daily involvement with processing various types of figures slowly but surely piqued my curiosity. After a time I began to study mathematics more formally, and the more I learnt its secrets, quirks and applications, the more I became fascinated with it. I went on to enrol at the Open University, initially studying science, but then switching to mathematics. Although combining work and study can be arduous, I have loved each and every module that I have taken. An added bonus of the OU degree has been that, as I have become more interested in teaching, I have been able to study mathematics education courses, and these have boosted my eagerness to teach the subject.

I love working with young people because I treasure the opportunity of inspiring them to take an interest in something that will benefit them in their lives. Before I entered a classroom to teach I discovered through caring for my nephew I had a knack for building a good rapport with children without compromising my position of authority, and I was delighted that I was able to successfully transfer this to the classroom. After the experience of tutoring my niece, I began to work as a volunteer teaching assistant at a local school, where I was involved with classes of a wide range of ages. During this time one of the school’s maths teachers had to take a leave of absence, and I was invited to fill her position temporarily. Although apprehensive about the scale of the challenge, I accepted it, and greatly enjoyed the experience. I was at the school for a total of six weeks, and through both observing other teachers and taking my own classes I learnt so much about a wide series of aspects of the profession, such as effective classroom management techniques, planning a sequence of lessons and even maintaining positive relationships with parents as a result of being involved in a parents’ evening. I am looking forward to returning to the classroom in the next few weeks through another period of voluntary work at a local state school.

However, my six weeks of classroom experience taught me that there is much more to the life of a teacher than the narrow remit of teaching lessons. I came to realise that schools operate as a community, where teachers support and nurture one another, where the school has a duty to foster an inclusive learning environment for its children, and where kids develop in areas beyond academic skills. I feel that the leadership expertise that I developed as a business manager, the experiences of caring for my elderly mother and my nephew and niece and my Urdu and Punjabi language skills all equip me for playing a positive wider role within a school community, whether in the form of taking on extra leadership responsibilities, supporting colleagues or teaching children additional skills.

We hope this sample maths personal statement has been helpful.

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Writing a Personal Statement

Going for your first NQT post can be a daunting prospect... especially when in teaching, you need to write a personal statement to support your application form.

Schools use your personal statement to help short list candidates for a position by checking off the criteria of the person specification that they can see in your statement. It is always a good idea to write your personal statement alongside the person specification, ensuring that you have included all the "essential" criteria and as much of the "desirable" criteria you can that are assessed through the application.

Where possible, you should also use the language of the school you are applying to - their vision, values, mission and ethos statements will help you here and should be available on the school's website. You will also sometimes find these in the application pack. Read this carefully and then read it again, reading between the lines of what they might be looking for.

Here is an example of the structure of a personal statement for a trainee teacher applying for their first NQT job:

Begin with an impact statement that summarises your philosophy on teaching or that refers to the mission/vision/values/ethos of the school you are applying to:

I believe that it is, as Einstein said, the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. As a passionate teacher, dedicated to ensuring the very best outcomes for all students I teach, this statement resonates with me as I endeavour to awaken joy in all of the learners within my classroom. It was your belief all young people have the right to a transformational educational experience, that will enable them, no matter what their starting point, to fulfil their potential and realise their ambitions that first attracted me to your school as it aligns with my own personal and professional philosophy on education.

Throughout my practice, I constantly encourage pupils to participate and contribute in an atmosphere highly conducive to learning. I have consistently set high expectations of pupils in different training contexts. There are high levels of mutual respect between me and pupils. I am very effective in promoting learners’ resilience, confidence and independence when tackling challenging activities. In my lesson, I generate high levels of enthusiasm, participation and commitment to learning.

Back this up with an example from your training.

I have also assumed a high level of responsibility for the attainment progress and outcomes of the pupils I have taught. I have demonstrated confident judgement in planning for pupil progression both within individual lessons and over time and I am able to articulate a clear and well-justified rationale as to how I am building on prior achievement. Within my lessons, I seek to actively promote engaging and effective methods that support pupils in reflecting on their learning. I have demonstrated that I am able to set appropriately challenging tasks, drawing on a sound knowledge of the pupils’ prior attainment, which has been obtained through systematic and accurate assessment. I regularly create opportunities for independent and autonomous learning. As a result the majority of pupils make very good progress.

In order to plan effective lessons, I draw on my in-depth subject and curriculum knowledge of [your subject or phase] to plan confidently for progression and to stimulate and capture pupils’ interest. Throughout my training, I have demonstrated very well-developed pedagogical subject knowledge, by anticipating common errors and misconceptions in my planning. I am astutely aware of my own development needs in relation to extending and updating my subject, curriculum and pedagogical knowledge in my early career and have been proactive in developing these effectively during my training. I always model very high standards of written and spoken communication in all professional activities. I also successfully identify and exploit opportunities to develop learners’ skills, in communication, reading and writing.

I plan lessons that often use well-chosen, imaginative and creative strategies, and that match individuals’ needs and interests. I am highly reflective in critically evaluating my practice. I am able to accurately judge the impact of my practice on individual and groups of learners and can use my evaluation to inform future planning, teaching and learning. During my training, I have shown initiative in contributing to curriculum planning and developing and producing effective learning resources in my placement settings.

I have been able to quickly and accurately discern my learners’ strengths and needs and I have been proactive in differentiating and employing a range of effective intervention strategies to secure progression for individuals and groups. I have an astute understanding of how effective different teaching approaches are in relation to impact on learning and engagement of learners

I can confidently and accurately assess pupils’ attainment against national benchmarks. I use a range of assessment strategies very effectively in my day-to-day practice to monitor progress and to inform future planning. In my practice, I systematically and effectively check learners’ understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where intervention may be needed and do so with notable impact on the quality of learning. I have shown that I am able to assess learners’ progress regularly and work with them to accurately target further improvement and secure rapid progress.

I have been able to rapidly adapt to the different circumstances in which I have trained, working confidently within the frameworks established in different settings and applying rules and routines consistently and fairly. I have also demonstrated an ability to adapt to remote working and remote delivery in response to the Global Pandemic. I consistently have high expectations and understand a range of strategies that experienced teachers use to promote positive behaviour and apply these very effectively, including use of school sanctions and rewards, and use of praise, in order to create an environment highly supportive of learning. I am able to manage pupil behaviour with ease so that learners display very high levels of engagement, courtesy, collaboration and co-operation. Where it is needed, I actively seek additional support in addressing the needs of pupils where significantly challenging behaviour is demonstrated.

During my training, I have been proactive in seeking out opportunities to contribute in a significant way to the wider life and ethos of the school. I have built strong professional relationships and have demonstrated that I am able to work collaboratively with colleagues on a regular basis. I have taken responsibility for deploying support staff in my lessons and for seeking advice from relevant professionals in relation to pupils with individual needs. I deliberately seek out opportunities to develop my own professional learning and respond positively to all the feedback I receive. I have also demonstrated that I can communicate very effectively, both verbally and in writing, with parents and carers in relation to pupils’ achievements and well-being when required to do so formally, but I am also proactive in communicating in relation to individual pupils’ emergent needs.

I always treat pupils with dignity, building relationships rooted in mutual respect, and at all times observing proper boundaries appropriate to a teacher's professional position. I realise the need to safeguard pupils' well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions. I show tolerance of and respect for the rights of others. I do not undermine fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. I always ensure that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils' vulnerability or might lead them to break the law. I am always punctual and have good attendance. I have attended numerous CPD sessions and will continue to do so. I have also completed a weekly duty (before school and at break} and attends daily briefings (whole school, subject or pastoral). I have taken on board the policies of the school and maintain a high standard in all my practices. I have a good understanding of the framework within which I work and my professional duties

End with a statement that implies/assumes you will be invited for interview:

I would relish the opportunity to work at your school and look forward to discussing this further with you at interview.

You can download the word version of this

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Maths personal statement example 1.

Mathematics is a subject that I have thoroughly enjoyed throughout my school years. The challenge of thinking and the process of logic always attract me to Mathematical problems, however difficult and regardless of the form in which they come.

I am enjoying my courses of A-Level Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Latin, General Studies and Statistics (AS). In addition, I was somewhat disappointed not to be able to take History at A2-Level, but only at AS-Level, since I have found History to be a challenging, yet rewarding subject. I am keen to read-up on different areas of Mathematics, in addition to those covered at A-Level, such as Topology and Number Theory, little of which is studied in-depth at A-Level. In addition, I enjoy reading contemporary Mathematics books, such as 'The Man Who Loved Only Numbers', the biography of Paul Erdös; a man who particularly inspires me. I have also taken part in National Mathematical Challenges and Olympiads, exams that I particularly enjoy participating in. As part of a school initiative set-up by myself, I now tutor one outstanding Mathematician in the Lower 6th Form.

I am trying to challenge him beyond the syllabus and explain the ideas and methods that I have learned over the past few years, helping me to develop my ability to communicate mathematically with other people. I take great pleasure in attempting challenging, non-standard problems that require a substantial amount of thought and ability. In this respect, the books 'The Mathematical Olympiad Handbook', STEP papers and similar publications have provided me with a great number of demanding problems that I have enjoyed attempting.

I enjoy Mathematics and feel that the elegance and logic of the subject is the reason for my desire to study it at a more advanced level. I realise that Mathematics is extremely important in daily life and in the systems in which we live and, as such, I believe a Mathematics degree, whilst being enjoyable and challenging, would give me a good platform on which to base a career of my choice. However, a long-term ambition of mine is to work towards a doctorate in Mathematics, something that I am determined to try to achieve.

Aside from Mathematics, I am interested in Classics. I am studying Latin at A-Level, enjoying the challenge posed by difficult 'unseen' translations, as well as reading our set authors, including Cicero, Catullus and Ovid. I have also been involved in some extra-curricular Latin in the form of Prose Composition, additional translation of Latin texts and the International Latin Exam (on which I achieved a perfect score).

As a member of the school community, I believe that I have been able to contribute greatly. I play for the school rugby and cricket First teams and I enjoy playing cricket and tennis recreationally, being a member of local clubs for both sports. I have represented the school in county chess tournaments, captained the general knowledge team and have recently been appointed as a school prefect. In such a way, I feel I have been able to develop my leadership skills and to build up my confidence and my sense of responsibility.

I am greatly looking forward to the transition from School to University because of the independence and opportunities that University life will offer. I believe that the challenge of studying and developing my Mathematics to a higher level is going to be one that I will thoroughly enjoy.

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Author's Comments

I applied for Maths at Cam, Dur, War, Bris, Bath, Umist.

Related Personal Statements

I think this person should of.

Sun, 12/09/2004 - 00:00

i think this person should of included more non-academic stuff,sounds like a 'mr no life' to me

I disagree with 'guest'; i

Sat, 18/09/2004 - 00:00

I disagree with 'guest'; i think this personal statement is very well written and shows a genuine interest in maths. Perhaps mentioning one or two out of school interests would have been good, but at the end of the day, universities want to see that you have a passion for your subject, and this person clearly does!

Thu, 23/09/2004 - 00:00

Masterpiece! Shows great interest and passion for mathematics, however some non-academic stuff would have made it perfect PS! Well done to anyone who has written

I think this statement

Mon, 06/12/2004 - 00:00

I think this statement incudes everything the admission people look for. However, with taking three maths related a levels, I would have liked more indications of being "rounded", and I have never liked "determined to try".

I think this person is now at

Sun, 02/01/2005 - 00:00

I think this person is now at Trinity Cambridge...so its a good PS.

not bad.....

Mon, 03/01/2005 - 00:00

not bad..... but there are still many things to be improved.

the writer should include

Wed, 08/06/2005 - 00:00

the writer should include more non-acodemic stuff like sports and leisure. Other than that, the ps was very well written

We had it drilled into us

Fri, 09/09/2005 - 00:00

We had it drilled into us that unis generally aren't interested in stuff not related to your subject, though it doesn't hurt to mention it briefly they would prefer you to focus on the course you want to take, which this PS does very well

general studies is not an A

Sun, 18/09/2005 - 00:00

general studies is not an A-level

you can take a general

Sun, 02/10/2005 - 00:00

you can take a general studies A level. I am!

what is everyone talkin about

Thu, 22/06/2006 - 00:00

what is everyone talkin about, does he not mention his sports, and chess, i would say that was his non school stuff. the worst thing you can do is just go on for ages about your extra curricular

You do not mention table

Tue, 18/09/2007 - 10:41

You do not mention table tennis anywhere.

Wed, 19/09/2007 - 08:37

Why every single one of them is like TOO GOOD!!

answer to the comment above,

Fri, 15/08/2008 - 15:46

answer to the comment above, i have read this book, it is really interesting, i reccommend it to you.

Back to the statement, i think that this is a good statement but doesnt stick out to me like others have, theres a lot about him and not linked in with him liking maths all of the time, whjich can be done well, and not be made to seem over the top

after reading personal

Sat, 23/08/2008 - 15:09

after reading personal statements like this one, i feel as though i have no chance to get into a good university if i am up against people like this!!! i cant say that i have read these books or taken part in an olypiad because i havent. what do i do???

Sat, 23/08/2008 - 15:10

Wed, 01/10/2008 - 10:28

hey hey heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy !

this ps is super duper i enjoyed it! thanks for a great read :) im going to read it over and over because it is so...xx

i like maths and jam

Wed, 29/10/2008 - 20:01

Wed, 17/12/2008 - 02:50

i feel that it is a very well written piece as he has balanced his ambition for mathmatics with his fondness of latin...

however i believe that the second last paragraph should contain more detail abt his prefectship/sport activity.....

everyone who commented on

Mon, 28/09/2009 - 21:16

everyone who commented on this is stupid. telling him to put more about extra-curricular!! don't you understand that unis don't give a shit about that, all they want is for you to be passionate about your subject. for me what is wrong with this is that there's too much waffle. you mention too many things and don't go into detail in any of them, you need to be more specific about areas of maths you're interested in and why

Doesn't need to list these

Wed, 09/12/2009 - 14:15

Doesn't need to list these subjects, has included too little information about the books he has apparently read, uses the word "enjoy" too often and doesn't mention enough about the "initiative".

too many 'challenge' and

Tue, 15/12/2009 - 12:43

too many 'challenge' and 'enjoy' but otherwise I think it is pretty good. Very useful to me since I'm doing CLassical Civ alongside Maths and Further Maths:)

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Personal statement for PGCE secondary

If you want to teach children aged 11 and over you'll need to apply through the Department for Education's (DfE) Apply for teacher training service

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 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 programming and networking. This drove me to study more, going on to gain a 2:1 in BSc Computer Systems and Network Engineering from the University of England. Studying at university developed my passion for computer sciences and taught me a range of transferable skills that I believe are fundamentally important to teach young people. This is demonstrated in my dissertation, which was awarded a first, investigating The Internet of Things (IoT) and how it can help shape educational establishments of the future.

While at university I decided to volunteer as a teaching assistant in a mainstream school. By my final year I was able to take responsibility for running activities in the classroom, balancing the needs of each child and managing behaviour issues. In addition, I regularly helped run the lunchtime computer club. In working with more vulnerable students such as SEN learners I saw the role played by support staff in maintaining control of the classroom, particularly with those who can be disruptive when under stimulated. I learned the importance of differentiating lesson plans to educate and engage students with special needs and the power of strategies such as a well thought out seating plan and friendly competitiveness in learners. I saw students develop within the classroom as a result of my determined support and these good working relationships are beginning to result in higher grades. I have liaised well across several departments to communicate information about students in an organised and diplomatic way.

One highlight was when I supported a young person with ADHD who attended computer club. They had been struggling to remain focussed and on task in class but were able to focus well when completing tasks on a computer. As a result, they suffered from poor behaviour, disengagement and low self-esteem. I negotiated with some class teachers to allow this pupil to use a tablet during their lessons. The pupil could then access any PowerPoint presentations being delivered to enable them to go back and reread specific slides. They could also access links to visual resources to enhance their understanding of the subject being taught. Homework was posted online for them to complete and submit electronically. This was such a success that the school invested in more tablets to be used by a range of students across the school. This further inspired me to want to become a teacher to enable me to support others who may be facing barriers to learning that could be tackled through the introduction of technology.

To support my professional development further I undertook short work placements in two other schools. Volunteering in Key Stages 1 and 2 confirmed my desire to teach Key Stages 3 and 4. I became aware of the many demands placed upon teachers and their time and I believe that the project management, communication and problem-solving skills gained during my degree will be invaluable assets within the classroom and beyond. I was exposed to a range of pedagogical models and teaching methods, which is something I look forward to learning more about on a PGCE.

One of my hobbies is to make short films about how to use different forms of technology and software packages. I post these on YouTube as instructional videos. These have proved to be very popular and I am considering how I can use this type of activity to benefit the students I teach. One option is to support students to create their own videos to help deepen their understanding of a subject, which they can then choose to upload to the school's virtual learning environment to aid their peers if they wish.

During school placements I witnessed the challenges and rewards present in a school environment. Teachers need to be resilient particularly when working with students who find school difficult, do not want to engage and do not want to accept support. However, I look forward to working in the education system and believe I could help and inspire students to develop their future aspirations.

While researching for my dissertation I spoke with secondary school teachers about the challenges their students faced and one that came up often was digital poverty. In many inner-city schools, pupils do not always have access to up to date and reliable computer technology to allow them to keep up with the advances in technology that they’ll face when seeking employment. One of my aims would be to investigate how the use of integrated technologies, as well as fostering links with local companies and the community, could result in a cost-effective solution allowing all students equal access to computer technology.

Technology has become its own form of literacy due to its prevalence in everyday life. Numerous careers use at least one aspect of Microsoft Office or Google Drive daily; balancing budgets on spreadsheets, creating slides to be presented, or attaching documents to emails to communicate important information. Allowing students to learn and refine these skills prepares them for life beyond the classroom.

With technology being present in many classrooms, and not just to teach computing skills, the introduction of the IoT could enhance learning activities even more. It could provide improved connectivity, introduce artificial intelligence and virtual reality to the learning environment as well as cloud computing platforms. I am excited about the future of education and how I can be an active part of it.

When writing your personal statement, you need to include:

• What inspired you to choose teaching.
• Why you wish to teach at secondary level.
• Your knowledge of the pressures and rewards of teaching.
• The personal qualities and skills that will make you a good teacher.
• How you might contribute to the wider school environment such as running extra-curricular activities and clubs.
• Any experience of working with children and what you learnt through doing this.
• Evidence of your knowledge related to the subject you hope to teach.
• Any relevant work or unpaid experience.
• Your degree, degree modules and dissertation topic where relevant.
• Any relevant skills, hobbies and achievements.

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Mathematics Personal Statement

Mathematics at times can be the most frustrating subject, the best feeling in maths for me is when I get the right answer to a very problematic question. Every mathematical problem is like a puzzle, at times it can be hard work but all you need is the right jigsaw pieces to fit the puzzle. In the words of Stefan Banach, it has made me realise that 'Mathematics is the most beautiful and most powerful creation of the human spirit.' This caught my attention because mathematics shows a solution to every problem for example, in my A level further mathematic studies I came across to a topic called 'Proof by induction' which has been the most alluring thing in my mathematic studies so far. Proof by induction is a challenging topic but the beauty about it has intrigued my love for mathematics even more. I have enjoyed all my modules for mathematics. My favourite area is Pure Mathematics because it focuses on thought processes and problem solving. Differentiation and integration Is my favourite part of Pure Mathematics.

A level Chemistry is helping me strengthen my knowledge in mathematics because there are a lot of calculations you have to do for example: chemical equations, calculating molarity and speed of atoms. Studying Chemistry demands that I grip onto concepts and the application of mathematics helps me gain general solutions to problems. I have enjoyed studying my AS modules for Further Mathematics and it has given me a huge understanding which I will take forward to A2.

Studying mathematics continues to be extraordinarily enjoying and the difficult task of trying to solve questions presented in a strange way is very pleasing. For Further Mathematics I had to teach myself decision 1 in the few months leading up to the June examination and now during the summer holidays I am self-teaching Core 3. I enjoy working independently and pushing myself to achieve. I particularly enjoy trigonometry especially questions where you have to prove the left or right-hand side of the equation, it's almost like problem solving and trying new ways of approaching the question as there are more solutions.

I love working with young people because I take the opportunity of inspiring them to take interest in something that will be beneficial for them. Whilst on my work experience at Yew Tree Primary School I was a teaching assistant helping children out with their subjects, in particular mathematics. Throughout my work experience I gained confidence talking to others, problem solving for example tackling questions that students wanted help on and the teachers.

I took part in the National Citizen Service challenge. At the start of the challenge I set goals which were to build more confidence and communication. My NCS experience has been amazing and I think by participating it has made me better as a person also improve skills such as communication. In the first week I was a team leader where I had to provide information to the team and the plan for the day. For the second week I worked in a centre where there was people with mental disorders. I planned a session for the people at the centre which had to be sport-related. We had a pitch day where my team presented our social action project to a panel of Dragons. I was part of the finance team where I had to use my mathematical skills and problem-solving skills for the social action project. The social action project was to raise awareness about visual impairment, by doing this it made me a better public speaker.

Sports has always animated my competitive nature and I've always wanted to strive to become better, be it mentally or physically. I enjoy playing for my local cricket club where in my first season I won an award for all round performance. I like to acknowledge the game of cricket, be it on-field or off-field.

I believe that university education will not only expand my knowledge in mathematics but let me experience a lot of new things and meet people who have various interests.

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