Entry requirements

Your personal statement is one of the most crucial parts of an application.  Applications are used to assess your commitment to teaching, desire for self-development and enthusiasm for education. Your personal statement provides a first impression of you as an applicant, make sure it is organised and literate. Here are some more tips below:

• Get the grammar, spelling and punctuation right. A statement filled with errors will give a negative impression of your skills and the effort you have put in.
• Your statement must be written in Standard English.
• Prepare your personal statement using a word-processing package and then copy and paste it into the application form once you have checked the spelling.
• Organise your information so that it is clear and easily accessible for the reader.
• Give examples of why you want to teach and how you feel you could undertake the role.
• Give an indication of your enjoyment of studying and gaining knowledge, which is important when applying for an academic course.
• Put your classroom experience to good use and show how it has led you to believe that you could cope as a teacher.  Show insight and recognise that there are different learning and teaching styles.
• Indicate your practical understanding of equal opportunities and give examples.  Relate your knowledge and work experience to teaching and show how that will advantage the pupils.
• Explain why you want to teach and provide evidence that you have the necessary skills and qualities to become a good teacher. If you mention your personal interests and hobbies, try to link them to the skills and experience required for working in schools.

There are many qualities that can be attributed to good teachers. A good teacher may demonstrate

• an ability to relate to young people, good interpersonal and listening skills
• the capacity to be alert, creative, imaginative, energetic and enthusiastic
• an ability to be adaptable and versatile
• a sense of responsibility and reliability
• good time management and organisational skills
• resilience, motivation and tenacity, and
• a desire for self-development.

You should focus on the attributes that match your own strengths and identify a specific time when you have demonstrated those qualities.

You should reflect on what subject knowledge you have, how you developed it and how it is relevant to the National Curriculum.

Reflect on your school experience. You should identify and comment on a particular aspect of your experience and demonstrate how it affected the teaching and learning process.

Focus on other skills you have that would be of benefit to a school. These could be:

• language skills, including community languages such as Urdu or Punjabi
• your interests, like photography, ICT, sport, drama or music, or
• a training experience or management skills you have gained in other employment.

“I have always wanted to teach because while I was a student I was inspired by good teachers and really want to do the same for pupils that I teach. During my work experience as a classroom assistant I have found that I am able to inspire young people with my enthusiasm and imagination and have had some really successful lessons. I have developed a real rapport with pupils with special needs, they respond well to my approach and I very much enjoyed assisting and motivating them to overcome difficulties and being part of their progress. This has made me very determined that teaching is the right choice of career for me”

You must ensure that you include all relevant qualifications.  You must include Qualification, Grade achieved and Date.  You must also include the content of your degree (particularly if the title of your degree is not entirely related to your chosen subject).  This will help Titan in understanding where you have gained your subject knowledge.

If you do not have GCSEs Titan will accept equivalent qualifications.  These qualifications must be at level 3 or be taken with www.equivalencytesting.com.

You must include details for two referees.  One referee should be academic (preferably from your degree awarding institution). If your study was a long time ago you may want to supply a work reference instead.  If you have worked or volunteered in a school/education setting you should also use this as one of your referees.

Please ensure that all contact information is completed correctly.  Titan may contact you by post, email or telephone so information needs to be accurate.

Dates not available for interview – if you have particular dates in which you are unable to attend interview (e.g. you are on holiday) please include these here.  Please note that interviews will take place during office hours from Mon-Fri and, in most circumstances, during term time only.

Please remember to complete all fields and give as much information as possible!