Top tips for applying for a teacher training course

If you're wondering about taking the next step and applying for a course then we've got the help you need to make an application for our teacher training courses.

A picture of you in our minds

Your personal statement should give us a clear picture of you as an individual and tell us about your experiences, skills and interests you have as well as what positives or strengths you would bring to the course and the University.

More than qualifications

Yes, your qualifications are important, but we are also looking for strong personal and social skills such as communication, teamwork, organisation and time management. Can you give examples that you have these skills? Think about the skills you have learnt from your interests and hobbies. Could any of these be relevant to becoming a teacher?

Do your homework!

Do you fully understand the course you’ve applied for and where? You’d be surprised how many applicants mistake the different universities in a large city like Birmingham! Do you know – and are you able to explain - why you have applied for this course? These are simple questions, but can be challenging to answer.

Your potential

In a personal statement we are looking for your potential; you don’t necessarily need to have had experience in a school and so we want to see what transferrable skills you have from other experiences (other jobs, extra-curricular activities, volunteer work, etc.) that would make you a great teacher. If it helps to structure your thoughts and ideas, you could consider our mission in our ‘4 Cs’ to develop teachers who are Creative, Committed, Confident and Collaborative. How have you demonstrated these skills in your life so far?

Passion for your subject

If you are applying to teach a specific subject, then discuss your interest and experience with that subject in your personal statement to demonstrate your enthusiasm for it. Why are you so interested in it?

What teaching is really like

Consider the rewards and challenges of teaching and the skills that you have developed through your experiences so far that would support you in approaching these. Show what you know and how this would impact on learners!

Be clear

Write in a clear and coherent style which demonstrates your motivation, inspiration, passion and commitment to become a teacher. Remember that your personal statement is a more formal piece of writing so we're not expecting to see "I wanna b a teacher cos..." - after all, we'll be looking for academic essays from you and the ability to set an example to your pupils. (It’s also a good idea to remember this if you need to email a course tutor or our admissions team too!)