Do you want to apply for a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) course? Here’s a useful guide to help you complete the application form successfully.

The section of the application form that many candidates find difficult is the personal statement. This is your chance to demonstrate your skills, experience and enthusiasm for teaching young people and teaching the subject.

The five questions that follow on these pages will help you complete your personal statement. Answer as comprehensively as you can. Examples are provided as a guide, but you should emphasise your own individual experiences.

Make sure you don’t over-claim – providers of initial teacher training (ITT) are likely to explore the statements you make in more depth.

Remember that training places are limited so try to make your personal statement as original and appealing as possible.

Checklist

There are a number of things you need to do before completing an application form:

  • Choose your training route, age range and/or subject and provider. Find out more about choosing a course
  • Check you meet the minimum qualifications and any further stipulations from providers, such as class of degree etc.
  • Look at the practicalities of filling in the form. See the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and the Prospects information for: secondary teaching and primary teaching 
  • Check you are applying within deadline. It’s best to apply as early as possible. For secondary, the deadline is until courses start but for primary, it is 1 December (the December before courses start). If you think your application may be late, contact the training provider to ask if applications are still being accepted.
  • Gain some classroom experience – this is essential for any teacher training course, particularly primary as it is highly competitive. Ensure you have gained as much experience as possible before you apply and certainly before your interview.
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