Student experiences in Education, Children and Teaching

The lecturers were always on hand to email you and all of the support has been really good. 

I worked as well as uni so I did uni part-time and then I worked in a school as well alongside it. It worked really well because all of the assignments related to my workplace so it was based on the job that I had. I started off actually volunteering at a school because that’s what I had to have for the degree then about six months in, they offered me a job so the course actually helped me to get a job as well and I’m still there now.  

I have really enjoyed the course so far and feel well supported by the course tutors and University of  Staffordshire as a whole. The University holds student well-being, as well as academic success in high regard and there is a real sense of working in partnership to achieve.

Being placed at the same school for the academic year enables students to really become part of the school community and it is very rewarding to see the children grow and share their progress and achievements throughout the year. Over several weeks, the block placements provide a realistic school life experience and the weekly sessions in school bring the university pedagogical theory sessions to life.

The teaching on the QTS course takes a student-centred approach as the lectures ensure that all the content is relevant and supports our time in placement. The lectures ensure that if there are specific areas we are unsure about (whether that be a curriculum area or a reflective theorist), we are directed to further readings and information is provided on Teams to support our development. I feel that the teaching in this course is well prepared and strongly supports our learning. 

All of the lecturers are very approachable and supportive; they are always available to talk if you need further support or advice. 

My first placement was in a nursery and I loved every second of it. The age range is the not the age I want to work with, but the children were all so lovely and they were all such a lovely age. The staff at the nursery were all so helpful and kind, nothing was ever too much trouble for them.

My next two placements were in schools. The schools had diverse cultures and were in different areas of Stoke-on-Trent, which was interesting to see, as one school was more financially stable than the other. I was able to work alongside the teachers and TAs within these placements to help children’s development.

Teaching isn't easy, but it is rewarding more than you could ever believe, and you get to learn how to do it with support from people who understand your struggles and push you to do better.