I want to become the best teacher I possibly can!

After I graduated, with a BSc in Mathematics, I decided to spend some time abroad teaching English as a foreign language. I did this for three years and had a fantastic time. My experiences helped me to make the decision to gain a formal teaching qualification so that I could teach in the UK.

I chose the PGCE Secondary course, leading to Qualified Teacher Status and 60 credits at Masters level, at the University of East Anglia because I knew the course was very well respected and I also liked the location.

The training bursary and maintenance grant were useful. I was also able to take out a loan to help supplement my income whilst I trained.

The PGCE course involved placement at two different schools, supported by lectures and seminars on pedagogy at the University. Work was quite intense and focused compared to my undergraduate study, and my favourite part of the course included the sharing of experiences, ideas and resources with other students on the course.

I'm really pleased that I decided to train to teach. Although it presented me with a financial burden for the short-term - in the long term it has provided me with a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and has been a really worthwhile investment of my time and effort to open doors in the future.