Preparing your personal statement

When you submit your application via the UCAS Teacher Training portal, you’ll need to write a personal statement. This is the time to make sure your application stands out. It’s crucial for you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills for teaching.

Showcasing your experience

A good personal statement should highlight your strengths and how you can bring these to teaching. Think about what distinct qualities you can bring to the table that will make you an amazing teacher. Your personal statement should convey energy, enthusiasm and a passion for teaching.

As a general guide, it’s a good idea to cover key points such as:

your reasons for wanting to teach – and, more specifically, why you’ll enjoy teaching your chosen subject and/or age group
the qualities you have that will work well in the classroom – communication, organisation and creativity are all important skills
how previous studies and any work experience relate to your chosen subject or age group – make sure you give examples of what you’ve learnt from your experience, and how it will have a positive effect on your teaching
what you’ve learnt during any school experience placements and how this has influenced your application
how you’ve benefited from any other experience that you may have of working with children or young people – for example as a classroom assistant, or running a youth group or sports club

Remember, your personal statement is the core of the application, so it is important to take the time and effort to research and prepare. The word count is tight: the space on the form is limited to 4,000 characters split across a maximum of 47 lines, including spaces and line breaks, so use it wisely.

Finally, you shouldn’t copy from someone else’s statement or from statements posted on the internet – UCAS screens all submissions and will know if the work you’ve presented is not your own.

Further support

Our team of Teacher Training Advisers, all experienced former teachers, will support you with your application to teacher training, including help with writing your personal statement and supporting your preparation for interviews. Register to receive this support or contact us on 0800 389 2500.

More information can be found on the Teacher Training Advisers page.

Video tips on the application process

The UCAS Teacher Training form also includes a separate section to provide details of your school and work experience. This section allows you to highlight the experience you’ve had in a school or work environment. You can include as many examples on the UCAS form as you like. This can include work placements and observations, as well as any paid and unpaid work.

Arrange your references

The final part of the application involves providing UCAS with two referees who can give an accurate picture of your qualities and suitability for a career in teaching. Find out more about referee requirements.

Apply via UCAS Teacher Training

UCAS Teacher Training is the service you’ll use to search and apply for courses. You should take some time to familiarise yourself with the different phases of applying to make sure you’re fully informed before preparing your application.

Prepare for your interview

Interviews for teacher training vary from provider to provider but can take place over the course of a full day, and feature a variety of questions and assessments – so make sure you’re prepared with our helpful guide.