teacher training personal statement part 2

• Log in
• Site search

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 .

How would you rate this page?

On a scale where 1 is dislike and 5 is like

• Dislike 1 unhappy-very
• Like 5 happy-very

Thank you for rating the page

• Sign up for emails
• Find an event
• Pay and benefits
• Teaching as a career
• Explore subjects
• Age groups and specialisms
• View all in Life as a teacher
• Postgraduate teacher training
• Qualifications
• Other routes into teaching
• View all in Train to be a teacher
• Courses with fees
• Courses with a salary
• Extra support
• View all in Fund your training
• Teacher training application
• Teacher training personal statement
• Teacher training references
• When to apply for teacher training
• Teacher training interviews
• Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE)
• If your application is unsuccessful
• View all in How to apply
• If you want to train to teach
• If you're already a teacher
• Get international qualified teacher status (iQTS)
• If you're from Ukraine
• View all in Non-UK citizens
• If you have or are studying for a degree
• How to choose your course
• What to expect in teacher training
• Get school experience
• Teaching internships
• Qualifications you need to be a teacher
• Qualified teacher status (QTS)
• Postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)
• If you do not have a degree
• If you’ve worked as an unqualified teacher
• If you want to do a teaching apprenticeship
• Tuition fees
• Student finance for teacher training
• Bursaries and scholarships
• Salaried teacher training
• Funding and support if you're disabled
• Funding and support if you're a parent or carer
• Funding and support if you're a veteran
• Train to teach in England as a non-UK citizen
• Fees and financial support for non-UK trainee teachers
• Qualifications you'll need to train to teach in England
• Apply for your visa to train to teach
• Teach in England as a non-UK qualified teacher
• Get an international relocation payment
• Gain the equivalent of English QTS, from outside the UK
• Ukrainian teachers and trainees coming to the UK

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.

What should I write about in my personal statement?

Your personal statement should include:

why you want to be a teacher

why you want to teach the subject or specialism you’re applying for - if you’re applying for primary, describe why you want to teach this age group

the experience and personal characteristics you have, and why they would make you a great teacher

You can include any information you think is relevant to demonstrate your knowledge, qualifications, and experience. Teacher training providers want to see your passion and that you understand what a career in teaching involves.

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

Start your application

Create an account and start your application for a teacher training course.

Apply for a course

Get free one-to-one support

Maximise your chances of submitting a successful application with the support of a dedicated adviser with years of teaching experience. Chat to an adviser through phone, text or email.

Chat online

Chat is closed

Chat not available Email: [email protected]

0800 389 2500

Call or chat to us Monday to Friday, 8:30am until 5:30pm , except on bank holidays (opens in new window) .

Whether it's just an idea or you're ready to apply, you could get personalised support from an adviser with years of teaching experience. Chat to them by phone, email or text as little or as often as you need.

We use cookies to collect information about how you use this website. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible, and improve this website. We also share some of this information with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.

• Skip to content

Applications

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.

In partnership with:

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

In partnership with

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.

Related careers advice

Write a great application for teacher training

• Teaching & education +4

Six ways to improve your teaching application

Before you apply: teaching application form and CV checklist

• Teaching & education +2

We've got you

Dark background

Light background

Text only mode

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...

6 minute read

Share to: Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter

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 .

Share this page on

• About United Teaching
• Course Details
• Early Career Teachers
• Salary Options
• Our Schools
• United Learning
• How to apply
• Candidate requirements
• Subject availability
• Advice for international candidates

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 .

Subscribe to the blog

United Teaching's lead school is Paddington Academy, 50 Marylands Road, London. W9 2DR

United Learning comprises: UCST (Registered in England No: 2780748. Charity No. 1016538) and ULT (Registered in England No. 4439859. An Exempt Charity). Companies limited by guarantee. VAT number 834 8515 12. Registered address: United Learning, Worldwide House, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough, PE3 6SB.

-->  Freedom of Information and Financial Accountability

Terms, Cookies & Privacy

Copyright ©2020 Log in

[email protected]

+44 (0) 208 336 6164.

• 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.

• University Applications

Recent Posts

I’m applying to Oxbridge. Should I make an open application?

How can I show enthusiasm for my chosen degree course?

How should I choose my degree?

• Work with us

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.

Get into teaching with the NIoT

Get in touch, professional development at every stage.

From new teachers to school trust CEOs - join a community of educators

• Tes Institute

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 .

Tags in this post

• Teacher training

• PGCE 3 – 7
• PGCE 5 – 11
• Assessment Only
• HLTA Status Course
• Our Schools
• Personal Statement Tips

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]

Where to start

• Ultimate Guides
• Virtual Work Experiences
• Chat to students
• UCAS events
• Apprenticeships

Subject guides

• Subject tasters

Industry guides

Where to go.

• Universities and colleges

City guides

• Types of employment
• Write a cover letter
• Starting work
• Career quiz

Before you apply

• Campus open days
• What and where to study
• Distance learning
• Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs)
• Studying at a college
• Pros and cons of university

Applying to university

• Dates and deadlines

Personal statement

• UCAS Tariff points
• Individual needs

After applying

• Track your application
• Decisions and offers

Results day

Clearing and results day, conservatoires.

• Fees and finance
• How to apply

Replying to offers

• Tracking your application

Postgraduate

• Choosing a course
• Fees, loans, and funding
• Teacher training
• International students
• Student finance
• Scholarships, grants, and bursaries

Additional funding

• Managing money
• Student discounts

Student life

• Starting uni or college
• Mental health and wellbeing

Accommodation

• Accommodation for apprentices
• Accommodation for disabled students
• Apply for student accommodation
• Find the right accommodation
• The ultimate packing list
• Visas and immigration
• English Language Tests (ELTs)
• Choosing the right course
• Entry requirements
• International clearing guide

Financial information

• Available finance options
• Saving money
• UK bank accounts
• Support for refugees and asylum seekers

Extra support

• Adjusting to the UK
• Application tips
• Available support
• Checklist for moving to the UK
• International FAQs
• Support organisations

Student recruitment and marketing

• Drive applications through Clearing
• Drive applications through Extra
• Exhibiting as a university or college
• Improve conversions
• Improve your competitive strategy
• Increase brand awareness
• International
• Provider pages

Data products and solutions

• Application and decision tracker
• Competitor insight dashboard
• Course feasibility
• Leaky Hosepipe solution
• Outreach Elevator
• Student decision report
• Untapped Geographies

Managing applications

• Availability of UCAS data
• Fraud and similarity
• HESA return
• Link services
• Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA)
• Results Processing Service (ABL)
• Systems and services guides

Qualification Information Services

• Qualification Information Profiles (QIPs)
• Qualification guides and resources
• UCAS Tariff

Products as part of your membership

• Recruitment, marketing and admissions services

Provider news and updates

• UCAS correspondents bulletin

Provider developments

• Upcoming developments
• Previous updates
• UCAS maintenance schedule
• Service status

Test and training environments

• HEP1 and HEP2

Link product development

• Availability of new features
• UCAS Link API strategy
• Groups and forums

Admissions guides and resources

• Conservatoire admissions guide and resources
• Provider contact types
• Undergraduate admissions guide and resources

Good practice

• Admissions policies
• Admissions processes
• Applicant experience
• Collection tool help
• Contextualised admissions
• Equality and diversity
• Supporting disadvantages and under-represented groups
• Unconditional offers
• Widening access and participation

Online learning

Provider engagement.

• Annual provider update

Adviser news

• Adviser portal
• Key dates timeline
• Newsletters
• Adviser lives
• Qualification reform

Discovery events

• Getting ready for UCAS Discovery
• Events training

Create your future events

Conferences.

• Teacher and adviser conference 2024
• International Teachers and Advisers Conference

Events calendar 2024

Cycle toolkits.

• Adviser 2025 toolkit
• Conservatoire application toolkit
• Supporting students with individual needs

Lesson activities

• Classroom resources
• Lesson plans

Develop your adviser skills

• Practical ways to guide students
• Help finding work experience
• Events and summer school
• Positive career discussions
• Advice about GCSE choices

Online training

• Personal development platform
• Adviser tips

Tools and resources

• UCAS hub guide
• Digital training
• Progression pathways

Pre application support

• Bursaries, scholarships, and financial support
• Help writing personal statements
• Student budget planner
• Alternatives to A Levels
• Higher education options

Application overview

• Application deadlines
• Application process
• Exam results process
• Monitor student progression
• Predicted grades
• Undergraduate references 2024
• Reference processes and terminology
• Conservatoire references

UCAS registered centres

• Becoming a UCAS registered centre
• Getting started
• Teachers and advisers

International advisers

• Clearing guide for international students
• Qualifications advice
• Supporting international students

Confirmation and Clearing

• ACSL guidance
• Clearing essentials
• Conservatoires confirmation
• International students guide
• Reach talent and acquisition

Apprentices with UCAS

Career finder, employer profiles, multichannel campaigns, apprentices, international guides, make the most of clearing, smart financial decisions, filling in your application, making changes to your application, how to get a reference, results process, application cancellation request form.

• Requests for personal data
• Notifications
• Preferences
• Provider Homepage
• Provider Dashboard
• Student Hub
• Adviser Homepage
• Adviser Portal

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, teacher training: three things to consider before you apply, how to prepare for your teacher training interview.

• Applying to Uni
• Apprenticeships
• Health & Relationships
• Money & Finance

Personal Statements

• Postgraduate
• U.S Universities

University Interviews

• Vocational Qualifications
• Accommodation
• ​​​​​​​Budgeting, Money & Finance
• ​​​​​​​Health & Relationships
• ​​​​​​​Jobs & Careers
• ​​​​​​​Socialising

Studying Abroad

• ​​​​​​​Studying & Revision
• ​​​​​​​Technology
• ​​​​​​​University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Clearing Guide

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements

International Student Personal Statements

Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

You are here

Teacher training personal statement example 1.

I am a fun loving, outgoing, and sociable girl. I love kids and working with them. My calling is to teach children; inside and outside the church.

I am currently going to Bakersfield College studying Liberal studies. I changed my major about a year and a half ago due to a car accident. I crushed a vertebra, bad whip lash, and now have a protruding disc toward my spinal cord. I have been through many procedures to get things a little more back to normal. I love life more than ever since this accident. I realise that life is short and can be over at any moment without notice.

I work at Starbucks as a shift supervisor. I love teaching the baristas and informing customers about coffee and how we do things to perfection in the world of coffee. This job has given me the skills to teach people with every learning style and to have the patience for those who learn slower than others. When things don't go my way I have learned and obtained the skills and knowledge how to stay very calm and get things back on track.

Currently I am studying classes to further my career in teaching and looking forward my work experience class where I will get one on one experience with children. Children are my passion. Any chance I get to see them learn, help them learn, and to teach them just brightens my day. I love the satisfaction of seeing “the light go on” when they finally understand a problem.

I have been a tutor for fifth grade math for a child who has ADD. The patience he gave me and to see him try so hard and all his hard work and frustration pay off was the most awarding thing. That is when I knew I wanted to become a teacher.

I am hoping that Seattle Pacific University will give me that chance and opportunity to make a big difference in their city.

Profile info

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

Jlfrieson's Comments

This is my first personal statement. I have never seen one or been told how to go about one. Any feed back both positive and negative will be greatly appreciated.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

I think its a really good.

Wed, 05/09/2007 - 08:39

i think its a really good personal statement. short but quite to the point. good luck

the structure of this

Thu, 27/09/2007 - 02:21

the structure of this personal statement is wrong, the first thing you should have said is what you want to study then your interest.

this is ok but you must focus

Wed, 24/10/2007 - 15:28

this is ok but you must focus on the course that you want to study not just on coffee and children good luck!

yeah, i work in a shoe shop

Wed, 24/10/2007 - 15:33

yeah, i work in a shoe shop but im not motivated by slippers! lol, best of luck with your application and thanks for the life story!

A very good statement,

Tue, 20/11/2007 - 14:06

A very good statement, however a little on the small side:'D

this first sentence looks

Sat, 30/08/2008 - 23:05

this first sentence looks like its an add for some dating agency and i really dont know how your accident really fits in with you wanting to teach? best of luck

It sounds like it's something

Thu, 09/10/2008 - 11:52

It sounds like it's something you're telling your friend, not something professionally written to get into university. The sentances are far too small, you could add them all together and make it sound a lot better and more constructed.

Your accident had no major relevance, I don't think telling people about how coffee is made is quite like teaching... what about all the paper work?

I liked your last paragraph the most, it's really good, but should definately be the first paragraph.

Sorry if i sound harsh, I wish you luck, you do sound like a nice person to teach.

a good attempt- but its way

Tue, 16/12/2008 - 11:15

a good attempt- but its way to informal- especially the opening sentence, which is probably the most important part of the ps

this statment is very bad

Wed, 14/10/2009 - 20:03

Your personal statement

Wed, 18/11/2009 - 17:40

Your personal statement should be about why you want to teach and what you can bring to the job, it should be longer than you have written and to be honest yours sounds like a bit of a life story! They don't need to know all the injuries you got from an accident.

I am currently in the process

Tue, 01/12/2009 - 13:29

I am currently in the process of applying for a teaching course and everyone I have spoken to have made it very clear nver to use the word kids as it can affect your chances

I would not want to be taught

Thu, 25/03/2010 - 14:32

I would not want to be taught by you.

Tue, 17/08/2010 - 18:16

The most important thing in a personal statement is that it should be a personal statement. There is a genuiness in your statement. Text book statements are off putting. Please develop further on why you would like to teach and what skills you have. Include more examples and why they are relevant.

It is good to hear that you believe that you have a call to teaching...many are called but few are chosen.persevere and you will get there!

It is not wise to refer to

Sun, 03/10/2010 - 13:03

It is not wise to refer to children as kids.

Sun, 23/01/2011 - 01:06

Very informal

Wed, 25/05/2011 - 13:42

No offense, but seriousely you sound like a peadophile.

Mon, 10/10/2011 - 10:22

i think this personal statement is pretty bad. what its basically doing is taking the university down the guilt trip. hopefully they will not let the person into university and do what she wants to do baised on sorrow.

Mon, 14/11/2011 - 12:31

Tue, 17/01/2012 - 20:26

From what I have learnt, the correct term for a child is not a kid as this is what a baby goat is called.

Add new comment