If you are interested in training to teach in East Sussex, we have a whole range of providers on offer to you. For more information, search Find postgraduate teacher training courses – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

A School Direct student’s experience training at Polegate

It obviously went very well… She is now employed at the school!

“I have always looked up to teachers and was inspired by the work that they do. My first experience of teaching was when I started teaching windsurfing. It felt completely natural to pursue teaching after enjoying 5 years teaching windsurfing.

To begin the process, I felt very overwhelmed and I remember being so confuse by all the options of getting into teaching. My top tip would be to sign up with ‘getintoteaching.com’ as they give you a checklist of everything that you need to apply for teacher training. All was left was to find the course and the route I wanted to go on.

I attended an opening evening at University of Brighton, they were helpful in explaining the options and had a real sense of what I wanted to apply for.
I decided I wanted to do a school direct route in partnership with a university. The school direct route gave me the opportunity to choose a school I wanted to train at and for the school to choose me as well. I felt as
if we were going into a partnership and that even before starting my PGCE I had a school that believe I could do it. The school also matched me with a mentor which they felt I would work well with. I even had a couple of days
working with my mentor before starting.

The interview process at Polegate school allowed me to perform my best and show them the kind of teacher I would want to become. I created a short reading activity to do with some children and a presentation about the ethos of the school which helped me decide if the school was right for me.

The partnership between the university and Polegate school meant I wasn’t missing out on the training at university. It actually made my time their feel more valuable as I was able to reflect on the practice at university in relation the ethos of the school. There wasn’t a difference in the university course between me and my fellow students, I just had a voice in where I would do my school placements.

Top Tips:
• Buy a diary (there will be lots of dates to remember)
• Read ‘How to make every Primary Lesson count’
• Take feedback on board, everyone is there to help you become the best teacher you can be
• Enjoy every minute because it will go quick