primary education personal statement examples

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Free Guide for Creating Education Personal Statements

Table of Contents

Primary education is the foundation of education, and this is why the qualification is among the most ubiquitous in the world. Unfortunately, many academics believe that the standard of education in primary schools is pretty poor.

Thus, the bar for employing primary school teachers has been raised. They go through more rigorous screenings than ever. One of the most important documents you’ll have to turn in to apply for a primary school teacher role is a personal statement.

This article has some examples of personal statements for primary education you can use.

Tips for Writing Personal Statements for Primary Education

A personal statement is an important part of most application processes. This step-by-step guide will help you create a document that highlights your strengths and unique experiences as they relate to teaching kids.

Highlight Relevant Qualifications

When writing your personal statement for a primary school teaching role, be sure to highlight your relevant educational and professional background. In addition, you should highlight the qualities that make you a good teacher for kids.

Highlight Your Passion for Teaching Kids

Make it clear why you want to become a primary school teacher. What draws you to this field? Explain how your previous experiences or interests have prepared you to work as a teacher in a primary school. If possible, provide specific examples of activities or lessons you’ve taught that demonstrate your readiness for this type of work. 

Demonstrate Your Understanding of the Role

You should also show you have what it takes to be successful in the classroom. Discuss key issues such as diversity, student development, and curricula design/pedagogy. Which particular challenges do you see yourself taking on if given the opportunity? Why are you the best candidate for tackling these obstacles?

Examples of Personal Statements for Primary Education

Take a look at these examples to inspire you to write yours.

I am an experienced and dedicated educator with a passion for primary education. I’ve worked in various educational settings, developing innovative teaching methods and lesson plans that engage students of all ages. Above all, I believe that every child has the potential to learn and grow. My goal as an educator is to help them reach their full potential. 

In addition to my classroom experience, I also have strong interpersonal skills, which enable me to build positive relationships with both students and families. I firmly believe that open communication between home and school is essential for student success. I’m always available to discuss any issues or concerns parents may have. With my dedication, passion, teamwork ethic, communication skills, and overall commitment, I can be a great addition to the school.

To be a teacher, you must have patience and love for children to help them grow into successful adults. I believe that with my experience as a tutor and previous work with children, I would excel in this profession. 

I have always enjoyed working with kids; ever since I was young, I loved being around them and helping them learn. My past experiences as a tutor and camp counselor proved that I don’t only enjoy it but also that I am good at it. This passion is what drives me to become an educator. Nothing feels more rewarding than seeing the looks on students’ faces when they finally understand something they are struggling with. 

The field of education has always interested me because there is so much potential for growth and change. Every student is different, which means each classroom offers new challenges and opportunities for exploration. As an educator, you are constantly shaping minds while also learning from your students and building relationships based on trust and mutual respect. To me, this sounds like an incredibly fulfilling career path where no two days are alike.

A personal statement is not just an explanation of who you are but of what you have to offer an employer . By being clear and to the point, your personal statement can be a quick, easy way to make you stand out. 

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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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.

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Personal statement for PGCE primary

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

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

Example personal statement for PGCE primary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tailor your statement to primary teaching and include:

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

Find out more

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

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Writing a Postgraduate Teacher Education personal statement

Updated on 7 July 2023

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

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

Before you start

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

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

Questions to consider when structuring your Personal Statement

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

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

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

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

New Paragraph

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Personal statement example primary education personal statement.

Submitted by Lily

Do you want to inspire young people and help change lives?

Choose to study Education at Roehampton, one of the UK's leading providers of teacher education.

Primary Education Personal Statement

“Let’s play teachers, I’ll be Miss Lily”: the words that led me to realise I wanted to be a primary school teacher . It was ‘Miss Lily’ as somehow Miss ‘surname’ seemed too formal as well as being a little too complicated for 4 year olds to call you on work experience. During this period, I worked with children from reception through to year 6 and met many different children. I mainly worked with children one on one, helping those who found the work more challenging as well as listening to KS1 children read, helping to prepare class materials and helping with sports day. Some children I worked with were very challenging and I was asked to take some them out of the class and work with them one on one in the library, I soon realised how difficult it must be for teacher’s to help children who are particularly struggling (or troublesome!) as well as teaching and supporting the whole class. I did find it challenging myself trying to get unwilling children to do their work but I loved the sense of achievement when I finally got through to them, helping them to learn and understand things and realised that perhaps I was in fact cut out to teach. On a separate occasion I also helped out at an after school photography club at a primary school, I loved how I could combine something I enjoyed doing whilst working in a school environment with the children.

As I have interest in a wide range of subject areas and activities such as religious studies, history and geography I believe this would benefit me, and the students, as I will be passionate and enthusiastic when I teach them. I believe I possess many of the skills required to be a good teacher, many that were developed further during my work experience; my organisation, patience and positive energy being just a few examples. I love the idea that I will somehow be able to shape the future of young children and play an important role in their development. I also understand just how challenging and demanding the role of a primary school teacher is but I think it is a very rewarding career that I would be very suited to.

I am a very caring person making me well-suited to working with children and I believe I have a positive personality and cheerful disposition that can engage children effectively as well as being able to maintain a good rapport with the students. At college I study classical civilisation, modern history and BTEC law. As well as this I decided to do an EPQ which further demonstrates my diligent attitude.

I am confident that all the transferable skills I have acquired during my EPQ such as time management and research skills will be incredibly beneficial to me and will prepare me for my time at university. I also work part-time at The Card Factory which has really developed my confidence in recent months.

My communication skills have also improved and I have gained a sense of responsibility I didn’t have before, knowing people rely on me and depend on my hard work and commitment to providing good customer service. I believe I am incredibly well suited to being a primary school teacher possessing many important qualities and I am sure that it will certainly prove to be a rewarding and fulfilling, albeit certainly challenging career.

I hope that studying primary education at university will equip me with the skills that will allow me to be a successful teacher and that my enthusiasm stands out allowing me to proceed on the pathway to becoming a qualified teacher.

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Teacher training personal statement example (primary pgce) 4.

I am currently studying for a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood studies at Birmingham University. It is my ambition to go on to study for a Primary PGCE.

I became interested in teaching whilst raising my own children. I have experienced first hand a child's apprehension and delight on first entering school at the age of five years. My children now feel safe, secure and valued in their schools and it is these experiences which have led me to realise how rewarding and fulfilling it must be to observe and be a part of children growing and learning through their early years.

I embarked on a classroom assistant course at college, but soon realised that this would not provide career satisfaction for me, leading me to embark on a degree. The time I have spent in schools and university has further reinforced my desire to teach.

I enjoy communicating with others, particularly children. Children bring a wealth of experiences to school with them, from events they have experienced at home and school, too comical anecdotes, often borne from their misunderstanding of adult conversations. I have spent time with children in reception, year 1 and year 2 and greatly enjoy communicating with children on their level. It is possible to ascertain a great deal about a child's ability and understanding through conversation and I believe verbal skills to be of great importance for both children and adults.

I am a good team worker and believe that I have demonstrated the ability to converse and work with staff at all levels within the school setting. I have enjoyed being part of a team and it is an area which I hope to extend on.

I am aware that the primary teacher, teaches across the curriculum and I realise the necessity to be proficient in all areas. I have GCSE equivalent qualifications in English, Maths and science, gained through an Access to HE course. I also understand that it is not sufficient for a teacher to 'know his/her subject' they also need to be able to recognise each child as an individual and tailor lessons and the curriculum to suit each child's ability and learning style.

However, I do have a particular interest in the teaching of literacy to young children, especially phonics. I find it incredibly interesting how, by taking reading back to basics, and learning the constituent sounds of words, children who may otherwise have struggled to read are becoming confident readers and enjoying literacy as a subject.

Whilst on placement in a year 1 class, I observed that a teachers approach to the class can have a profound effect on the learning ability of those children. I observed a teacher constantly changing the way she taught her class to maintain their interest and focus in activities. She encouraged and praised children who were finding activities difficult, giving them the confidence to try and in many cases achieve. Her positive attitude toward the children, gave them belief in themselves, leading to a positive learning environment.

I led the class in a story reading session, which was a pre-cursor to an ICT lesson. The focus was to encourage certain children to participate in whole class discussion sessions. It became apparent that whilst some children are happy to contribute in this environment others may not be, reinforcing the need for practitioners to develop strategies and activities to involve all children.

I am looking forward to beginning a placement in a local junior school in September, where I am looking forward to exploring how pedagogical strategies differ across age groups.

I feel that I have many skills to bring to a primary PGCE course and indeed teaching as a profession. I am very much looking forward to expanding my practical and theoretical knowledge and I seek to advance my knowledge of the curriculum and improve my personal skills.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by westwood for application in 2008.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Not bad but it is true that.

Fri, 12/06/2009 - 21:40

Not bad! but it is true that you started most of the lines with the letter I!!!!

Although, GSCE Mathematics,

Wed, 19/08/2009 - 16:03

Although, GSCE Mathematics, science and English are compulsory, I do not believe it is in your favour to highlight the fact that you do not possess a higher qualification in any of these areas. To be an effective teacher means knowing your subject in depth, in order to inspire the children and bring out the best in them as learners. I am sure you have demonstrated effective communication in you placements and you have also mentioned teaching strategies, but you have not mentioned anything about how you would succeed in ensuring their potential through your own interest in any subject area of the curriculum.

Wed, 24/07/2013 - 04:03

Fantastic blog. Awesome.

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