personal statement for a pgce

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

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.

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.

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.

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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!

Find out more about how to get into teaching .  

Find out more about how to get into teaching . 

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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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Writing a personal statement for a PGCE

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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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

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• From the Department for Education
• Target Jobs advice on writing your personal statement
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Making a strong application is a crucial element in achieving a place on a PGCE.

Your personal statement can often be the deciding factor when tutors are considering who to call for a formal interview. As admissions tutors may read through hundreds of applications, the presentation and content of your information are critical.

Before you begin, make a few notes to focus your thoughts and allow yourself a couple of weeks to fine tune your statement before finally submitting it. Show it to your friends and family, be prepared for constructive criticism and use a spell check facility to ensure your spelling and grammar are accurate.

You are applying for highly competitive programmes of study so don’t be afraid to sell yourself and outline your relevant achievements.

Things to include in your personal statement

You have only limited space for your personal statement, so it is important that you mention all the key information necessary to make a good first impression. Be concise and do not repeat information that you may have included elsewhere in the application.

Your personal statement will be in two parts. You will need to explain why you want to be a teacher and what you know about the subject you want to teach.

You should open each answer with an effective sentence and end with a brief summary.

Why you want to be a teacher

This is your opportunity to reveal what inspires you about teaching. You should outline in up to 600 words your motivations and goals in applying for an initial teacher training programme.

You could include in your answer:

• Why you want to study a particular PGCE or Postgraduate Teacher Training course
• Why you want to teach a particular subject or age group
• Your perception of the demands and rewards of a career in teaching
• The personal qualities that would make you a good teacher
• How you could contribute to a school outside of the classroom
• Any past experience working with children or young people, and what you learnt
• Your thoughts on welfare and education
• Your future career aspirations.

 Your suitability to teach a subject or age group

This is your opportunity to explain what you know about the subject you want to teach. You should provide a detailed summary, of up to 400 words, of the knowledge and interest you would bring to your intended PGCE or Postgraduate Teacher Training course.

Relevant evidence to highlight in your answer, if applicable, could include:

• The subject of your undergraduate degree
• Modules you studied as part of your degree
• The subject of a postgraduate taught degree, MRes or PhD
• Your A Level or BTEC subjects (or equivalent)
• Any days you have spent working or volunteering in schools. You should include details of the age range(s), what you observed during your school experience, the types of tasks undertaken, and what you learnt from your time in the classroom and other settings
• Any experience outside of the classroom with children or young people
• Any relevant additional work history, hobbies or interests.

The application process can seem daunting at times but effective planning and preparation, including dedicating sufficient time to writing on your personal statement, is the key to a submitting a strong application.

It is particularly important to be clear about your time spent in school, making sure you highlight how much time you spent on your school experience, the age range of pupils, and what you learnt.

Further advice

If you are applying to Edge Hill University and would like any additional advice about writing a personal statement as part of your application for a PGCE or Postgraduate Teacher Training course, please contact Course Enquiries on 01695 657000 or fill in the below enquiry form.

Further tips and advice are also available on the Get into Teaching website .

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Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples

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

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Primary Teacher PGCE Personal Statement

If you are applying to PGCE Primary, you will need to prepare a good personal statement. Learn how to prepare your application for PGCE from our Primary PGCE Personal Statement example .

Primary Teacher Personal Statement Example

One day, I hope to become a primary teacher. Primary and secondary education have both been highly positive experiences for me. It is my desire to inspire and encourage children of all abilities to achieve their full potential that drives me to apply for primary education.

I gained valuable experience working in a primary school setting from the perspective of a teacher. The uniqueness of each child and the way each day is different is what I enjoyed most about my job. I am also applying for a History degree since this would allow me to study a P.G.C.E. after I complete my undergraduate studies. I have always enjoyed Art, particularly the early modern era up until the 20th century, a period I find fascinating. Researching the history of my family and the local area is my favourite aspect of Art history. I have arranged a work experience placement at a local primary school on Monday morning during my free periods. I have gained a great deal of insight into the challenges and situations primary school teachers face. As a teacher, I have been able to provide extra support to students who are underachieving in literacy and numeracy. I have improved my interpersonal skills immensely as I have had to communicate with children of different abilities, cultures and religions from Primary 1 to Primary 7. In addition to being challenging, it is also extremely enjoyable. I am most enjoying helping with small group work and projects with Primary 3 to 7 classes, assisting the pupils in History and English lessons, and using ICT as an educational and motivational tool. When I see pupils who struggled in these areas improve, it is very rewarding for me.

I have also participated in the school’s Community Care program, where I visited a residential care home once a week and spoke with the residents. Their personal perspectives on childhood experiences and the past were enjoyable to hear. By performing songs on guitar, accordion, and voice for residents, and reading novels and poems to them, I have become more approachable, confident, and trustworthy. I have served as Chairperson of the Eco-School’s Committee for four years in school.

Further, I have enjoyed attending debates and lectures from renowned historians such as Senia Paseta, Richard Grayson, and Philip Orr as a member of the Omagh Academy History Society. In my free time, I’m a member of the Bridge Club of Leeds.

My Queen’s Badge is something I’m aiming toward having recently earned my President’s Award. I assist in the Boy area, which serves boys between the ages of 4 and 7, in order to obtain more experience working with kids. It is my obligation to organize and present drills, games, and Bible tales. I also like to play a variety of musical instruments, such as the lambing drum, accordion, guitar, and flute. I am actively involved in the Omagh Community Youth Choir and am pursuing my Grade 5 on the guitar. I have performed with the choir as a support act for the Red Hot Chilli Pipers at the SSE Arena in Belfast.

I learned how crucial it is for primary school teachers to be able to play an instrument at school concerts and events through my work placement. I have joined the Fintona Taekwondo Club with enthusiasm. It has helped me become more tenacious, determined, polite, and disciplined. Taekwondo has helped me stay physically active, and I intend to continue practising it when I’m in college since I find it to be a wonderful stress reliever. I think I’m a good fit for this profession because I want to be a teacher in the long run. My decision to apply for primary courses has been solidified by my great experiences with work placement and volunteer work with the Boys’ Brigade’s Anchor Boys section.

Recommended reading:

• Personal Statement Examples
• How to Write a Personal Statement for a PhD
• UCAS Personal Statement: A Writing Guide And Tips For Success
• How to Write a Personal Statement That Stands Out
• Tips for Writing a Personal Statement for the University
• How to Write UCAS Reference Letter

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PERSONAL STATEMENT EXAMPLE Physical Education Personal Statement

Submitted by Ellie

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Physical Education Personal Statement

An active lifestyle has fuelled my passion for Physical Education (PE). Physical activity has played a large part in my life from dancing to competitive swimming I have always enjoyed taking part in sport and the feeling of well-being it brings.

Since starting high school it's been my ambition to become a PE Teacher. I enjoy working with people, encouraging them to participate in physical activity helping to promote a sense of confidence, well-being and achievement. To help achieve my ambition I have sought to learn as much as I can about sports coaching both academically and practically; taking a Higher in PE and taking part in activities to help to build leadership, life and technical skills. I volunteered at my local YMCA from age 13 to 16. As a Youth Worker I ran the gym for young people (aged 12 to 18) providing inductions, demonstrations and developing personal fitness plans. I've run drop-in sessions providing counselling and support helping young people with some of the issues they faced in their day-to-day lives. For my work I was awarded the Saltire Award from John Swinney MSP for 500 hours volunteering. I coach Netball for 1st to 5th Year after school as well a running the Basketball club during lunchtime, whilst this is done in my own time it is very rewarding. I am also an Active Schools Young Sport Ambassador for my school, specialising in Basketball. The Young Ambassadors programme has led to me attaining qualifications in First Aid, Disability Inclusion Training, Young Sports Leaders and Child Protection. I have been trained to handle the day to day situations I may find myself in when I am working in schools as a coach. I have experience in promoting sports and awareness as part of community charity work. I organised a netball match between pupils and teachers for the benefit of St. Andrews Hospice (one of our school charities I am an ambassador for). This was a great event promoting awareness of netball, our school team; whilst raising funds for a very worthwhile cause.

This year I have had the opportunity to take 1st and 2nd Year PE classes each week. This has allowed me to put into action the skills and experiences I have in the environment I want to work in - a high school sports department, planning and delivering lessons. I have also worked with local primary schools as an Active Schools Co-ordinator to organise sports coaching sessions for the pupils. These experiences were quite different and have provided great insight and learning experiences. They have reinforced the passion I have to work with young people. I am a school Prefect taking a lead in school activities, acting as a role model for the other pupils in the school. This role brings a lot of responsibility and allows me to provide and demonstrate leadership in a variety of situations.

Outside of school my hobbies are physical fitness and music - playing both the guitar and bagpipes. I have had the privilege of being part of the North Lanarkshire Schools Pipe Band and playing at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow and taking part in the World Pipe Band Championship (achieving a first place for our grade). I also work part-time for Greggs. Working in a fast paced retail environment over the past year has helped me to develop good organisational skills, work with others to achieve goals and develop my customer service skills (I have won several mystery shopper awards for my work).

In conclusion I am confident and hard-working individual. I have worked hard to amass the academic, technical and life skills to achieve my ambition to attend University and get the opportunity to pursue my ambition to teach PE. I believe I have both the attitude and aptitude to thrive in a vibrant university environment.

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Teaching personal statement examples

Giving you the chance to show why you'd be a great teacher, your personal statement is an important part of your application and worth taking the time over

What is a teaching personal statement?

Your personal statement is used to explain why you want to become a teacher and your suitability for the role. 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. Many candidates often spend a few weeks on this part of the application as you don't have to write it all at once. You should get someone to read over it and be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

It's important to:

• use examples based on your recent teaching experience
• tailor your personal statement according to the school/age group
• use good, clear, written English, using first person terms such as 'my' and 'I'
• be original and honest
• avoid clichés and general statements, such as 'I've always wanted to teach'
• demonstrate a passion for teaching.

While it's crucial to get it right, your teaching personal statement is only a small part of the application process. Find out how else you'll need to prepare to  get a teaching job .

How to write a personal statement for teaching

Your personal statement should be between 500 and 1,000 words. It's crucial that you  don't copy  and that the statement you provide is  your own work .

This is your opportunity to:

• write about any relevant skills and experience you have
• explain your understanding of why teaching is important
• detail why you want to become a teacher
• list any extra skills or experience you have, such as volunteering or first aid.

See  personal statements for postgraduate applications  for more guidance.

The nature of your personal statement will vary, depending on the type of teaching you'd like to pursue. Take a look at some of our example personal statements to get an idea of how they differ.

Personal statement for PGCE primary

As well as focusing on roles in which you've gained experience with primary-age children, a PGCE primary personal statement should demonstrate your well-rounded personality and any skills that could be useful for the range of extra-curricular activities primary schools provide (such as the ability to read music for recorder lessons, or drama experience to help with school plays).

Personal statement for PGCE secondary

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 towards teaching a specific subject, training providers are looking for more evidence of your subject and degree knowledge.

Personal statement for School Direct

If you're applying for the salaried School Direct route, you should discuss the experience you've gained in the classroom prior to your application. One of your references will need to be from an employer, or someone who can comment on your work ethic and suitability for teaching. Don't worry if your degree is unrelated to the subject you'd like to teach - you may still be able to apply by completing a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course .

Find out more

• Discover how to structure a teaching CV .
• Find out what it's really like to be a primary or secondary school teacher .
• Search postgraduate courses in teaching .

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