writing a personal statement for teacher training

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Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples

writing a personal statement for teacher training

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:

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How to write your teacher training personal statement

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

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

Student types her personal statement using a laptop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The ingredients of a convincing teacher training personal statement are:

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

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

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

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

The magic ingredient: Examples from your own experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get your referee geared up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Your teacher training personal statement

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

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

How long should my teacher training personal statement be?

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

You could include:

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

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

How to write your personal statement

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

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

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

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

Do I use the same personal statement for each application?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do I need school experience?

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

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

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

Find out how you could get school experience .

Get help with your personal statement

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

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

Having a teacher training adviser was really beneficial when editing my personal statement and preparing for interviews. My top tips for the application process would be to get an adviser, and to think about what transferrable skills you have when writing your personal statement and answering interview questions. Felix, former teacher trainee

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How to write a teacher training personal statement or Initial Teacher Training application

Teacher training personal statements: the dos and don'ts

An Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or teacher training personal statement is a key part of any initial teacher training application – it's your chance to sell yourself.

Your personal statement gives teacher training providers an opportunity to find out more about you – your motivations for pursuing a career in teaching, your reflections on any school experience you have and the skills, competencies, values and attitudes that you bring to the table. What can you offer teaching? What will make you an outstanding teacher who will inspire, engage and challenge pupils?

A teacher training personal statement shouldn’t be a list of all your jobs or qualifications – those are set out elsewhere in your application. Nor should it simply be a factual account of what you have observed or what you did in a classroom during your school experience. While it's important to give a brief context of this, it's much more important to explain what you learnt during your time in school; skills you developed and reflections on what you observed or did. Teacher training providers or ITT partnership schools need to see that you have thought about your experience carefully.

It's also worth reiterating how important it is to check your spelling and grammar. You're going to be in charge of educating the next generation – you must have strong written communication skills.

Examples can be a great way of demonstrating what you have learnt

Steer away from overusing general teaching related statements such as “I’ve always wanted to work with children”, especially when writing a primary school teacher training personal statement. Obviously, teacher training providers want to see that you have an interest in working with children but this can be demonstrated through your reflections on what you learnt during any school or similar experience and what you found rewarding about the work.

Examples can be a great way of demonstrating what you have learnt. Think about the skills that make a good teacher and give examples of any relevant projects you've worked on or any children you've worked with (always remember to anonymise the people involved). What was challenging about the situation, what did you learn and what were the outcomes you achieved?

By all means draw on skills you've gained elsewhere, maybe in a different career field or in your own education or family life. If you've overcome obstacles or challenges that you believe show your resilience and adaptability, draw on that experience to demonstrate how you would handle the pressurised environment of teaching and working in a school.

Your teacher training personal statement should be coherent and well-structured

If you hold a non-subject specific degree and you know you have some gaps in your subject knowledge, it’s a good idea to mention this in your teaching training personal statement but to also offer the provider a solution. You can demonstrate that you've done some research and you've already considered a solution to this challenge by mentioning that you would like to do a subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course prior to starting your teacher training to bring your knowledge up to the level you need to teach.

Find out more about about SKE

There are plenty of guides on how to write a personal statement for teacher training which outline the basics, but the most important thing remains your own personal reasons for applying. Be clear about what motivates you. A personal statement that suggests you haven't thought through your reasons for going into teaching will not help your application to succeed. Teacher training providers are less likely to be concerned about someone who has had a diverse career but is now committed to teaching than someone who says they have always wanted to teach but can’t give clear reasons why. If you’re not currently based in the UK, include reasons why you want to pursue your teaching career here. And last but definitely not least, your personal statement should be coherent and well-structured.

In summary:

Draw on your experiences (especially teaching experience) to show what you've learnt and what you will bring to the teaching profession
Evidence your skills , competencies and values, with relevant examples if possible
Be clear about your motivations for going into teaching
Make sure your statement is coherent and accurate
Don’t copy! Your statement should be entirely your own work; do not copy online examples.

Good luck! Further advice from UCAS can be found here .

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How to Write a Compelling Teacher Training Personal Statement

Writing a personal statement for a teacher training application can be daunting, especially if it’s been a few years since you’ve had to write something like this. Whether you’re applying through Apply or through a provider’s website, this is your chance to show that you’d make a great trainee teacher.

Here are our top tips for writing a personal statement that will wow assessors.

Start early

Your personal statement is a way to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and clearly, a key skill for teachers, and it’s the only part of your application that allows your personality to shine through. It’s therefore really important that you take the time to get it right.

We recommend making a start on your application at least a few weeks before you’d like to submit it, to ensure you have plenty of time to work on it gradually.

Write it in a separate document

Have a document open that you can work on and come back to, rather than trying to type something straight into the application form. This way, you can send it to others for feedback and proofreading, ensuring it’s in the best possible shape before pasting it into the application.

Make a list

If the blank page in front of you seems intimidating, start by writing a list of things that you want to mention. This could include:

Why you want to become a teacher, and why you want to teach your chosen subject
Your understanding of teaching as a profession
Any experience working in schools, or any other work with young people, such as coaching a sports team or volunteering at a summer camp
The skills you have that are transferable to teaching, such as presentation skills or leading a team

Checking how your personal statement should be structured will help you to make lists. If you’re applying through Apply, the statement is split into ‘Vocation’ (why you should be considered for teacher training) and ‘Subject knowledge’ (why you should be considered for teaching your subject), so you’ll need to bear this in mind at the offset. If you’re applying through a provider’s website, check if they need you to structure your statement in a certain way.

Add details

Flesh out the points on your list by adding notes, specific examples or phrases. Then, take one point at a time and use it to form a sentence or paragraph. Don’t worry about perfecting it at the moment – that will come later. Just make sure that what you’re saying is a fair representation of you and your experience.

Don’t be afraid to be enthusiastic about your passions and achievements, but equally, don’t exaggerate.

You should now have a page of writing, separated into a few paragraphs. Give the whole document a read through to see how it flows. You might need to rearrange the order of your points or add linking words to ensure a smooth transition from one point to the next.

This is also a good time to think about how you start and end your statement. A good personal statement will draw the reader in with the first sentence and conclude with a memorable ending. Your ending might sum up your unique qualities or emphasise why you want to join the profession.

Check the length

Is your statement within the word limit? If you’re a long way over or under the limit, you’ll have to consider taking out or adding in some paragraphs. You might think that being far below the limit isn’t as bad as going over, but providers may infer from this that you don’t have enough to say, or that you haven’t made an effort to add more detail. A good place to aim would be between 90-100% of the word limit.

Proof, proof, proof!

Correct spelling, grammar and punctuation is of the utmost importance when applying for teacher training, so don’t just rely on a spellchecker. If you’re not sure about something, look it up or ask someone you trust.

This is the perfect time to get trusted friends involved – often, a fresh pair of eyes will help you spot spelling and grammar errors that you might not have noticed. You can also ask them to check the content – questions you could ask are:

Does my passion for teaching/my subject/working with young people come across?
Do my examples demonstrate what I want them to?
Do I need to explain anything more clearly?

If you know any teachers, you could also ask them to read it and give you some feedback.

Final checks

This is it! You’ve put the hard work in and you’re almost there. Do a final check to make sure you’re close to the word count but not above it. Now you can copy and paste it into your application form. Check whether the formatting of your statement is correct in the box you’ve pasted it in – you may need to add your paragraph spaces in again.

Keep it safe

Make sure you’ve got your personal statement document saved and you know where you’ve saved it. If you’re applying through a provider’s website (such as United Teaching) and they end up offering you a place, they may ask you to complete an Apply form before you can accept the offer. Having your statement saved will come in handy.

We wish you all the best with your personal statement and teacher training application.

If you need any further advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch .

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Tips for writing your teacher training personal statement

When applying for teacher training, you’ll have to submit a personal statement. follow our advice on how to show your full potential..

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Include genuine and realistic reasons for wanting to teach

You’ll need to outline the reasons you want to teach. These reasons should be compelling. Applicants regularly reel out clichés, for example: 'I want to give back to society' or 'I want to help children'. Although true, what is it exactly you want to give back, and how does teaching help children?

Your reasons need to be developed and realistic. Teaching kids algebra isn’t going to solve the world’s problems. It might make a difference to individual lives, but how so? Don’t forget teaching has a lot to offer you too. Show your awareness of that.

Demonstrate your understanding of the challenges and rewards involved

Teaching can be a challenging profession – make sure you show your recognition of this. But, it can also be an extremely rewarding experience, so don’t forget to include the positives.

Show how your experience in schools helped you to understand the role of a teacher

You’re unlikely to be admitted to a teacher training programme without relevant experience. Make sure to include these details in your personal statement.

Don’t simply recall your experience as a teaching assistant. Relay what the experience meant to you and how it helped you understand what teachers actually do.

If you have experience of working with children in other capacities, include the details

Maybe you were a mentor in a summer camp for children, or you ran a local youth sports team. It’s all relevant. Mention how the experience will help your career in teaching. If nothing else, working with children will have developed your ability to build a rapport with them.

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Draw on other professional experiences and say how they’re relevant

Teaching calls for a variety of skills. You might have experience in managing people, working within a team or communicating across departments. These are all applicable, so include them and make sure to say how these skills will help you succeed as a teacher.

Don’t forget about your subject

Tailor your application according to the subject you hope to teach. This is especially important if you’re applying for secondary school training posts. What makes you an expert in the field? What are the challenges facing teachers of your subject? Why do you want to teach it?

If applying from outside the UK, explain why you want to train here

This could simply be a personal reason or otherwise. Admissions tutors want to know you’re serious about training in the UK.

Don’t waffle

Space is limited to around 4,000 characters across 47 lines – make sure every sentence counts.

Give yourself plenty of time

Don’t leave the personal statement until the day before the deadline. You’ll need time to proof and edit it to make it strong and complete.

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Don’t keep it to yourself

Try to get feedback on your personal statement from a teacher you know, as well as a university tutor – they’re likely to have a unique insight.

Bear in mind who you’re writing it for

Are you applying for school-based or university-based training? This should have some impact on your personal statement, as a university may be looking for something different to what a school wants. Perhaps this will influence whose feedback you’ll listen to more closely.

Get the basics right

Consult DfE’s guide to make sure you’ve done everything correctly. Triple-check everything and take breaks between writing and editing. It’s hard to spot errors when you’re staring at your work for long periods of time.

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How to write your personal statement for teacher training

In many ways, writing your personal statement for teacher training is not that dissimilar from your original UCAS statement for your undergraduate degree. The character restriction is the same (4,000 characters) and, just as you could only have one personal statement for all of your undergraduate universities, you have the same personal statement for both Apply 1 and Apply 2.

The content should focus heavily on your passion for education and how you see your career developing as a teacher. You should consider the skills you have, and how they make you well equipped for the challenges that lie ahead. Teaching is not an easy career path, and admissions tutors like to see an understanding of this from applicants.

It is fairly common for people interested in pursuing a career in Education to be driven by their own educational experiences. On occasion it is an individual who believed in, or otherwise inspired them, on others it can be more generalised support. You should reflect on your own motivations, and expand upon these in your statement. Everyone’s reasons are slightly different, and it will give the admissions tutors more of an insight into you as an individual- this can help you to stand out.

A number of applicants will have had work experience, either in a school, or working with children in a slightly different environment. It is important for you to talk about this in detail. Perhaps you have worked with children who have learning disabilities, at a youth- or after-school club, or summer camp where the children come from a range of different backgrounds, ages, and abilities. Alternatively, you might have taken part in the School Experiences Programme. Whatever you have done, these experiences will have taught you valuable lessons, and an awareness of the skills you have acquired and developed as a result is key.

Whilst a number of applicants who are looking to enter teaching are able to move to train, and then to work, there are others who, for whatever reason, are unable to relocate. This could be due to personal, or familial circumstances. If you feel that you need to stay in a particular region, it is important to mention that in your personal statement, along with a brief reason. This will help the institutions to which you have applied gain a deeper understanding of your needs, and to support those in whatever ways they can. It is far better to mention your preferences at the point of application, rather than further into the process.

You will probably find, when you consider all of the above points, that it is difficult to write all that you want to say in 4,000 characters or fewer. The first step is to write all that you would like to include, disregarding the limitation. This is to ensure that your foundations of the personal statement are as genuine as possible, and for a career like teaching, that is essential. Once you have this working draft, you should read through it again and see whether there are any obvious sections which could be written more succinctly. Depending on your writing style, you should be able to make at least some cuts on your first read-through of the statement.

Unless time is of the essence, it would be a good idea at this point to take a break from editing, and return to it after a few hours or even a day or two to read through it again. It is likely that, during the time you have had away from the statement, your mind will have been reflecting further on the content, and, even though you may not realise it, you will be thinking about which points to prioritise, and other things you might want to include, and others to delete. This is an important part of the process, and it should, in theory, reduce the number of drafts you have before you have your final version.

When you revisit your statement for a second, or third, time, you should have a much firmer idea of the key points to include. You need to remember that you won’t be able to include everything, but that is the same for the majority of applicants. At this stage, you should prioritise what you think makes you stand out. It might be your reason for deciding to become a teacher, or the experience you have gained, but it is what will help you to shine against the competition.

If you have any friends or colleagues who are teachers, or work in Education more broadly, you might like to ask them to read your personal statement to see if they believe that it captures all of your strengths. At times, it can be difficult to identify exactly what you possess which would make you an excellent teacher. All teachers are different, and asking third parties who know you well can help you to gain some perspective and objectivity.

Ideally, you should give yourself at least a couple of weeks to construct your personal statement, as this will give you time to take breaks between drafts, and this is important to give yourself time to reflect. As with all applications, preparation is key, and if you can identify and focus on your strengths, you should be able to submit a strong personal statement which highlights not just your passion for education and desire to shape future generations, but also the unique skills you have which make you worthy of a place.

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TIPS FOR PERSONAL STATEMENT

How to write an effective personal statement.

Please take time to read the following information which is designed to help you to write your personal statement effectively.

• Remember , the function of the personal statement is to secure an interview • Wring value out of every sentence you put in, cut the waffle • Be clear – don’t make assumptions about the reader’s knowledge • Use concrete examples . If you did something, say exactly what you did (e.g. As a TA I have supported children to develop a range of skills in mathematics. I used a cookery lesson to teach my Y5 pupils about weighing and measuring and have taught volume and capacity to Y1 pupils as part of a topic on looking after our fish) • Say what you learned (e.g. Whilst observing in a Y3 class, I was impressed at the way the pupils responded to the Learning Objectives. I understand how important it is to make these explicit as it helps the children to …) Broadly, the statement should cover these areas: • Why you want to become a teacher • your transferable skills, knowledge and experience relevant to teaching and what they will enable you to offer a school • your philosophy of education – what it’s all about (and this might be where you want to include your thoughts on things like inclusion); • what other transferable skills, knowledge and experience you can offer, including extra-curricular. • Try to include something ‘desirable’ – that little something which will make your application stand out e.g. Willing and able to coach the school football or netball team.

Final Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t: Go over the character limit – the form will just cut you off mid-sentence. Do: • Keep a copy of your application form – you will be asked questions based on it at interview • Draft your statement on Word first then cut and paste. • Proof read very carefully – errors in written English are frowned upon • Get someone else to read over your form before you press send Good Luck!

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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.

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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How to write your personal statement for teacher training.

Gemma Fairclough

28 Sept 2023, 09:24

The information in this article is based on the Apply for Teacher Training service personal statement, with hints and tips that will be useful when completing the form.

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Your personal statement is a crucial part of the application and your chance to stand out from the crowd. You should write between 500 and 1000 words for your personal statement. See two sample personal statements at the end of this article.

Your statement must be concise, enthusiastic and sell your potential to be a successful teacher. It should explain why you want to teach, your suitability to teach that age group, and/or your chosen subject (if you’re applying for secondary teaching). Here are some ideas on what to write about in your personal statement:

Your interest in the subject or age group you want to teach.
An appraisal of the demands and rewards of teaching, with evidence of your motivation, showing an understanding of teacher training and the role of a teacher.
The skills and qualities that would make you an effective teacher, such as communication, teamworking and leadership. You can evidence how you have developed these using examples from your degree and work experience.
How you could contribute to a school outside of the classroom, for example, giving details of any specific skills that you have, that could be useful for the range of extracurricular activities the schools provide.
Any school work experience you have. You might discuss areas of the national curriculum you observed, age groups you worked with, subjects you covered and types of schools you visited (and for how long).
Any other experience working with children or young people, and what you learned from this.
Any other activities you have undertaken, such as first aid courses or volunteering, reflecting on how the skills you have gained will help you become an effective teacher.
Your thoughts on welfare and education.
The subject of your undergraduate degree and/or relevant modules you studied as part of your degree. You could also talk about your A Level subjects, postgraduate qualifications (if applicable), or expertise you’ve gained at work if this is relevant for the subject or age group you want to teach.
If you are applying for primary courses, you could mention any specialist knowledge relevant to teaching the range of subjects in the national curriculum.

If you do not currently live in the UK, explain why you want to study in the UK; if relevant, provide evidence (through UK ENIC for example) that your qualifications are at the required standard. Check that your language skills are sufficient to complete the training programme as requirements vary between institutions.

Explain anything not made clear elsewhere on the application, such as reasons for gaps in your education or working life.

Tips for writing and checking your personal statement

Remember that you can only write one personal statement for all your choices, so make sure it reflects the route or routes you have applied for.
Give yourself enough time to write a few drafts.
Write your statement using a word processing programme so you can check it for spelling and grammar errors. Cut and paste it into the application form as you go along to make sure you do not go over your word limit.
Keep it simple and natural in style.
Personalise your statement by writing in the first person, using 'me', 'I' and 'my'.
Use action verbs such as 'coordinated', 'established' and 'managed'.
Provide evidence of your motivation, experiences and qualifications as well as your understanding of teacher training and the role of a teacher.
As the word count is limited for each section, make sure each sentence contributes something useful.
Show your personal statement to a school recruiter, careers adviser or tutor for feedback.
Copy your application, particularly the personal statement, before sending it so that you can remind yourself of the content when going for interviews.
Make sure the personal statement is all your own work, as all statements are put through the CopyCatch similarity detection system.

Discover our top tips for writing a more refined personal statement by reading how to write a great personal statement for a teaching job .

Note: if you’ve already started to apply before the next application cycle begins in September 2023, you may see two sections for your personal statement instead of just one. This includes a section on “why you want to teach” (maximum 600 words) and “your suitability to teach a subject or age group” (maximum 400 words). If your application is unsuccessful this time and you apply again, the two sections of your personal statement will merge. When this happens, you will be asked to review your statement before applying again.

Primary school teacher training personal statement

Read this example of a personal statement for primary school teacher training.

Secondary school teaching personal statement

Read this example of a personal statement for secondary school teaching.

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Written by Gemma Fairclough, Manchester Metropolitan University, July 2023

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How to write a personal statement that stands out

As part of your application for teacher training, you’ll need to include a personal statement. The personal statement is at the heart of the application process and is your opportunity to showcase your skills and make sure you stand out from other applicants.

Teacher Training Providers and Lead Schools use personal statements to shortlist applications. This is why it is vital that you take the time and effort to research and prepare. Here are our tips to make sure your personal statement makes you stand out from the crowd.

What to include in your trainee teacher personal statement

A good personal statement will demonstrate why you are an ideal candidate for teacher training and should include your reasons for teaching as well as any relevant experience. Generally, it is a good idea to cover these key areas:

Your reasons for wanting to teach
The skills and qualities you can bring to teaching and to the wider life of a school
An example of when you have made a positive impact on a young person
Passion for your subject or age range
Details of any classroom experience or examples of when you have worked with young people

Check, double check then check again

Space is tight (just 4,000 characters) so you need to think carefully about what to include and use the space wisely. Be mindful that the lead school and training provider that you apply to will probably bring a printed copy of your DfE application to your interview to use as a basis for discussion. Make sure all the information is accurate and be prepared to ask answer questions about what you have included.

Don’t forget the students

As well as writing about yourself make sure you include how your experiences and qualifications would benefit children and young people.

Olivia Couzins, Head of Recruitment at Leigh Academies Trust, explains: “Working with children is central to life as a teacher. If you have volunteered in a school recently, I want to know what you learnt from the lessons you observed. If you’re a career changer, tell me how your transferable skills will be relevant to working with students. It sounds obvious, but I read some applications that don’t even mention children.”

Get some support writing your personal statement

There are many ways you can get help with writing your personal statement; You can visit the Get into Teaching site to watch some video tips on the application process or to read their tips for effective personal statements.

The Get into Teaching service also has a team of Teacher Training Advisors who can support you with your application, the link to register for their support is below. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to speak to someone in person you can attend local information evenings where providers will be happy to help.

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How to write a teacher personal statement

A teacher talking to students while they're working.

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.

What experience do you have?

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.

Are you engaged in teaching theory and research?

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

Are you up to date on safeguarding statutory guidance?

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.

What are your skills and qualities?

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.

How can you contribute to wider school life?

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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mrsstrickey
Jan 16, 2021

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

Your personal statement – Claire Harnden

Tuesday 6 november 2018, teacher training.

by Claire Harnden

Ready to apply?

Sponsored articles ucas media service, five reasons to sign up to the ucas newsletter, how to find a job, how to prepare for your teacher training interview.

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Personal Training: Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples
Free Personal Statement For Teaching Job (Samples & Examples
Teaching Statement
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Excel in the Area With Vivid Teachers Personal Statement
Teaching personal statement (chemistry)

COMMENTS

Teacher Training Personal Statement
How to write it. You can use up to 47 lines of text (4,000 characters) in your personal statement. Some word processing packages calculate line counts differently from the UCAS Teacher Training system, so you might need to redraft your statement if there's a discrepancy between the counts. Write in English (or Welsh if you're applying to ...
Personal Statement Examples For Teaching
Teacher Training Personal Statement Example 2. I am applying for these courses because I believe it will help me succeed in my dream to become a teacher. I have always craved teaching and learning, one of my first memories is of me, around the ages of 4 teaching my toys how to count and taking a register, ever since then I have known I wanted ...
Teacher Personal Statement Examples (With Helpful Tips)
Example 1: Entry-level teacher. I recently graduated from Little Valley University with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. I'm seeking the role of preschool teacher at your school. For the last three years, I've worked as a substitute teacher at Willow Park Elementary.
How to write your teacher training personal statement
The ingredients of a convincing teacher training personal statement are: Passion for teaching. Express your drive and fire on the page. Be individual. Stand out in a positive light; one tip here is not to waste characters on quotes, they don't say anything about you. Convey your desire to work with children.
Teacher training personal statement
Your personal statement can be up to 1000 words. 90% of successful candidates write 500 words or more. You could include: skills you have that are relevant to teaching. any experience of working with young people. your understanding of why teaching is important. your reasons for wanting to train to be a teacher.
How to write the perfect teaching personal statement
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.
How to write a personal statement for teacher training
Make a list of all the most important accomplishments and skills that you can include in your personal statement. Consider examining the course description or website for keywords used to describe ideal candidates and qualities. Target these keywords in your statement when you outline your qualities and experience. 2. Make a clear structured plan.
PDF How to write a personal statement for teacher training
Top Tips. Your personal statement should: be persuasive, interesting, enthusiastic. be fluent, relevant, realistic, specific. mention young people - it is as much about enabling them to learn as it is about you wanting to teach. be honest - if you're ambitious, say so!
How to write a teacher training personal statement or Initial Teacher
Teacher training personal statements: the dos and don'ts. An Initial Teacher Training (ITT) or teacher training personal statement is a key part of any initial teacher training application - it's your chance to sell yourself.. Your personal statement gives teacher training providers an opportunity to find out more about you - your motivations for pursuing a career in teaching, your ...
Teaching personal statement examples
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.
How to Write a Compelling Teacher Training Personal Statement
Now you can copy and paste it into your application form. Check whether the formatting of your statement is correct in the box you've pasted it in - you may need to add your paragraph spaces in again. Keep it safe. Make sure you've got your personal statement document saved and you know where you've saved it.
Tips for writing your teacher training personal statement
Show how your experience in schools helped you to understand the role of a teacher. You're unlikely to be admitted to a teacher training programme without relevant experience. Make sure to include these details in your personal statement. Don't simply recall your experience as a teaching assistant. Relay what the experience meant to you and ...
Personal statement advice: teacher training and education
We asked admissions tutors how you can ensure your teacher training personal statement gets top marks and secures you that all-important interview. If you want to study for a teacher training degree that leads directly to qualified teacher status (QTS), then you'll need to write a strong personal statement that reflects your ambition and ...
How to write your personal statement for teacher training
In many ways, writing your personal statement for teacher training is not that dissimilar from your original UCAS statement for your undergraduate degree. The character restriction is the same (4,000 characters) and, just as you could only have one personal statement for all of your undergraduate universities, you have the same personal statement for both Apply 1 and Apply 2. The content ...
Writing a personal statement for teacher training
Broadly, the statement should cover these areas: • Why you want to become a teacher. • your transferable skills, knowledge and experience relevant to teaching and what they will enable you to offer a school. • your philosophy of education - what it's all about (and this might be where you want to include your thoughts on things like ...
Teacher Training Personal Statement Examples
Browse our range of Teacher Training personal statement examples. Gain inspiration & make sure you're on the right track when writing your own personal statement. Order Prospectus
Personal statement for PGCE secondary
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.
Teacher training personal statement tips
Personalise your statement by writing in the first person, using 'me', 'I' and 'my'. Use action verbs such as 'coordinated', 'established' and 'managed'. Provide evidence of your motivation, experiences and qualifications as well as your understanding of teacher training and the role of a teacher. As the word count is limited for each section ...
How to write a personal statement that stands out
A good personal statement will demonstrate why you are an ideal candidate for teacher training and should include your reasons for teaching as well as any relevant experience. Generally, it is a good idea to cover these key areas: Your reasons for wanting to teach. The skills and qualities you can bring to teaching and to the wider life of a ...
How to write a teacher personal statement
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.
Writing a Personal 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 ...
Your personal statement
Claire. Claire Harnden is Director of Initial Teacher Training at Surrey South Farnham SCITT. She has 19 years' experience working in primary and secondary schools in Surrey, Essex and North London. She currently runs Surrey's largest school-based provider of primary initial teacher training, and interviews applicants on a weekly basis.
How to write a PGCE PERSONAL STATEMENT
#PersonalStatement #Teaching #TeacherTraining #PGCE #PGCEPrimaryHello!I'm a first class Masters graduate and a Teaching Assistant applying for a PGCE in Prim...

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