how to write a personal statement for teacher training

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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 get into teaching

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.

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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United Teaching Blog

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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Write your teacher training personal statement with these six steps

What is a personal statement?

Your personal statement is an important part of your PGCE application. It’s usually between 500 to 1,000 words long.

It's one of the main ways that providers decide whether to invite you to an interview. Some people don’t get it right,  and is the reason that a poor personal statement was the reason why, as of May 2024, around 15% of applicants were rejected at the shortlisting stage.

That’s why you need to use this chance to shine and show off why you have the potential to make a great teacher. It’s the window through which the assessors see your unique personality and what drives you to want to become a teacher.

So, here are some tips and advice on how to write and structure it to ensure it gives the best first impression.

• Take your time and don’t rush

Crafting a stellar personal statement takes time, so there’s no need to rush it. Dedicate several weeks to the task, allowing for multiple drafts and revisions. Return to it with fresh eyes to ensure it is polished to perfection and the best it can be.

While it is tempting to use an AI tool to help you write your statement, often this content lacks the personal touch and can be bland and lifeless. Write it from the heart; remember that no one knows your attributes and ambitions better than yourself, especially not a machine.

• Share your why

Our assessors are looking for your enthusiasm. Share your thoughts on why you're eager to become a teacher, outlining why you are suited to the profession and the qualities you possess that would make a good teacher, and that would benefit children and a school. Demonstrate your understanding of the school system by showcasing your grasp of wellbeing of children, the importance of teaching and why it matters., educational issues, subject knowledge and passion for a subject. Show that you understand the demands, challenges and rewards teachers face.

• Highlight your transferable skills

If you've worked with young people before, whether paid or unpaid, share what you've learned from those experiences. Mention any other relevant experiences or skills you have or activities you have participated in that could be useful in teaching, like first aid training, coaching sports, or volunteering.

If you haven't taught before, think about other experiences you've had that show you have highly transferable skills. Draw from any paid or voluntary work, academic pursuits, or extracurricular activities. You should also draw from any relevant experiences and highlight additional

If you're switching careers to become a teacher, explain what you've been doing and why you're making the change. You should also outline how your previous experiences align with the demands of the profession.

While school-based experience is not necessary or a prerequisite to undertaking Initial Teacher Training, it can help strengthen your application and ensure that teaching is the right career path for you.

• Make it bespoke and tailored

Customise your statement based on the specific avenue you want to pursue - primary or secondary - and outline why you are suited to and passionate about teaching your subject or age group. Explain how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

Aspiring primary teachers should emphasise experiences with younger children and relevant skills that could be useful for extracurricular activities like music or drama.

For secondary teaching, a strong personal statement addresses challenges in teaching older students, gives examples of any related experiences of working with older children and how you may have tackled these challenges. Since secondary teaching focuses on specific subjects, we will want to see more proof of your knowledge and passion in your subject area and your degree.

• Write in the first person

Don’t be afraid to write in the first person by using "I’ and ‘my’ to talk about yourself. Use clear and concise language and avoid clichés and generic statements like “I’ve always wanted to teach." Instead, be authentic in your writing and offer genuine reflections on your passion for teaching. 

• Polish, proofread – and check twice for typos

Once you have finished and are satisfied with your personal statement, show it to someone you trust and ask them to give you objective and constructive feedback for further improvement. Finally, before submission you should proofread your statement thoroughly by meticulously checking for spelling and grammar errors, and to check that your argument is clear.

Ensure your statement is well-structured with a clear introduction, evidence-rich supporting paragraphs, and a compelling conclusion.

Crafting a standout personal statement for teacher training requires time, passion, and attention to detail.

By following these guidelines, you can create a compelling narrative that showcases your readiness to excel in the classroom and make a positive impact on the lives of children.

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• Sep 11, 2017

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!

“LDBS SCITT was genuinely the best year of my life.” – Jade Corrick

© 2024 | Teaching London: LDBS SCITT | 2 West End Lane, Kilburn, London, NW6 4NT | 0207 932 1126 | [email protected]

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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.

Next: search graduate jobs, schemes and internships

• View graduate teaching jobs .

Written by Gemma Fairclough, Manchester Metropolitan University, July 2023

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Occasionally targetjobs will work with another organisation to provide impartial careers content. This is to provide you with the most relevant information to make the best decisions about your future. As such, ‘in partnership’ content has been written or sourced by the partner organisation and edited by targetjobs as part of a content partnership.

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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..

Looking for Clearing advice?

The Clearing concierge has the answers

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.

• READ MORE 
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• Completing your UCAS application

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.

• See university deadlines

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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Teaching personal statement examples

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

What is a teaching personal statement?

Your personal statement is used to explain why you want to become a teacher and your suitability for the role. While your application form briefly outlines your qualifications, skills and work experience, your teaching personal statement is where your personality shines through.

Take your time with it. Many candidates often spend a few weeks on this part of the application as you don't have to write it all at once. You should get someone to read over it and be prepared to receive constructive feedback and write a few drafts before you send it off.

It's important to:

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

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

How to write a personal statement for teaching

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

This is your opportunity to:

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

See  personal statements for postgraduate applications  for more guidance.

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

Personal statement for PGCE primary

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

Personal statement for PGCE secondary

Many good PGCE secondary personal statements acknowledge the challenges involved in teaching older pupils and provide examples of where the candidate has worked to overcome these problems. As secondary teaching roles are geared towards teaching a specific subject, training providers are looking for more evidence of your subject and degree knowledge.

Personal statement for School Direct

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

Find out more

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

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How to write the perfect teaching personal statement

Application and interview, tes editorial.

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

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

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

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

The personal statement: why does it matter? 

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

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

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

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

What does a great teaching personal statement look like?

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

What should it contain?

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

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

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

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

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

How can a candidate stand out in a personal statement?

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

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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.

Further reading/information

• Register with the Teacher Training Advisors to get support with your application: https://register.getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/register
• Complete our contact form to get in touch with KMT for more support with your application: https://www.kmtraining.org.uk/register-interest
• Visit the Get Into Teaching site to watch some video tips on the application process: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/how-to-apply-for-teacher-training/preparing-your-teacher-training-personal-statement
• Find out more about the applicant journey and get answers to some common questions about the process: https://ceset.co.uk/application-process/
• Want to speak to someone in person? Attend one of the many teaching events across the south east: https://ceset.co.uk/recruitment-events/

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Teacher training personal statement example (primary pgce) 5.

I am a hard-working, responsible, friendly girl with a strong passion to pursue a career in primary school teaching. I believe that to become an excellent teacher you must have a desire to assist children in the learning process and this is one quality which I feel I definitely possess.

My initial interest in primary teaching sparked while volunteering in a summer play scheme run by a local charity for children aged 0-8 in the summer holidays of 2009. I found it extremely rewarding to see the look of satisfaction on a child’s face as they completed a piece of artwork, or took part in a group activity knowing that I helped give the children the confidence and ability to do so. Working closely with both the children and the parents greatly improved my confidence, and by the end of the play scheme I found myself singing along to the songs and joining in with the games with as much enthusiasm as the youngsters.

Through my local primary school I have been able to shadow a teacher of a mixed class of year one and year two pupils for two days. I was able to help the children with reading one-on-one, which I really enjoyed. I was patient and understanding while listening to the children read, and helped them with words they found difficult. I also took part in a maths lesson where the children were weighing different classroom objects. I enjoyed having the responsibility of supervising the children while learning, and interacting with different children. I had the responsibility of a group of children at playtime, in which I was required to keep the children entertained and maintain discipline. This experience gave me an insight into the running of a classroom, and reinforced my desire to teach.

In July 2008 I completed a week’s work experience at a pharmacy. I was punctual and professional throughout the week, and was given the responsibility of sorting medications and dispensing prescriptions. I was polite and communicated well while serving customers, and enjoyed working with the other members of staff. At school I participated in many experiences which I felt was beneficial to me in many ways. I was a member of the Anti-Bullying Campaign (ABC), which involved communication and mediation with younger pupils who had been upset by the actions of other students. The ABC required me to be sympathetic, understanding, patient and considerate with the children.

I also took part in Crucial Crew while at school, I worked as part of a team to explain the impacts of cyber bullying to groups of primary children. I also took part in health and safety demonstrations and food safety workshops as part of this experience. During both Crucial Crew and the ABC I confidently made many presentations explaining the projects in a way which primary aged children could understand and were interested in. I created many power-points and posters using a computer, and helped organise short role-plays to demonstrate. I believe that these experiences allowed me to obtain skills which would be helpful to me in a teaching role.

I’ve been a member of many sports teams from a young age both for school teams and outside of the school. I achieved many badges as a swimmer and a gymnast, attended trampolining classes, was a member of Neath Harriers athletic club and I was a member of the school netball team throughout my school life. I am interested in taking part in a coaching course, which would make it possible for me to be able to run a school sports team in the future.

I am a creative person; I enjoy reading books, making jewellery, and baking at home in my spare time. My school art teacher often complimented my artistic talent during my time at secondary school, and I was delighted to achieve an A* at GCSE for my hard work. I am also a computer-literate person. I enjoyed GCSE ICT, achieving an A*and my school’s Award for Outstanding Attainment in ICT. I have carried the subject on to A level, accomplishing an A grade at AS level. I have often helped my two younger cousins who are both primary aged to use the computer, teaching them how to word process documents and how to surf the internet. I love helping them learn new things, and have played a role in their understanding of numbers, letters, colours, reading and writing.

It would give me great pleasure to play a memorable role in the growth of many children. I understand that teaching is a taxing and tiring job, but I am more than willing to do whatever it takes to reach my goal of becoming a head teacher. I would be thrilled if I was ever able to achieve this, as I believe I have the personality, confidence, organisational skills and ability to become a resourceful, dedicated, appreciated head teacher.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by meldavies for application in 2011.

meldavies's Comments

This is only a first draft, I would love some feedback?

Related Personal Statements

Im doing primary teaching too :).

Fri, 08/10/2010 - 20:24

i love chldren - the work experience showed me that, watching a child grow up is just too coool (mayb the wrong lang) i think your second para is long split it up otherwise it was reallly goood - iv wrote similar things gosh wel in terms of my work experiences and interests but how it relates to children .... where are you applying ?

Mon, 02/07/2012 - 02:18

Amazing Very inspiring, Great to have something to veiw as i was stuck with what to right, Im a New Zealand Student Heading into Primary Education Thankyou!

Omg! I am wanting to go into

Tue, 09/07/2013 - 19:37

Omg! I am wanting to go into Primary Teaching & I think this was the best Personal Statement I have read till date. Wonderful

seriously this is the most

Tue, 09/07/2013 - 21:29

seriously this is the most inspiring ps ive read in my life even my mentor cannot get me to do such a good ps cos hes nt dat clever but this is one :D statement! :)

Thanks for sharing :)

Mon, 30/06/2014 - 21:13

Wow this personal statement has really got me thinking, and has put a few new thoughts in my head as I am currently writing a personal statement with an aim of getting into primary education ultimately. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for sharing

Mon, 26/03/2018 - 16:14

Well written!! This is inspiring. I was stuck up, not making any progress with my effort to write my personal statement

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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.

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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Your personal statement – Claire Harnden

Tuesday 6 november 2018, teacher training.

by Claire Harnden

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