Case studies : PGCE student: Sarah

Sarah graduated with a BA degree in English and education.  She is in her PGCE year, working in the English department of a secondary school as a teaching assistant.

Sarah graduated in 2007 with a BA degree in English and education and has gone on to start her Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) year at the University of Sussex. She is working in the English department as a teaching assistant in a secondary school and is now progressing towards becoming a teacher. She has been inspired by other teachers to follow this route and did not have a very positive time in education herself. Now she wants to put herself in a teaching role to improve others’ experience of school.

Her degree subject was useful on both counts as it helped to deepen her subject knowledge but has also introduced her to educational policies and practice. While she has been at university her confidence and organisation have improved greatly and now she is looking forward to developing practical teaching skills on her PGCE. She is gradually being introduced to her classes on teaching practice and will eventually be teaching them. She loves working with vibrant young people and says that no two days are the same.

Her advice for current students is to, ‘Get ahead of the game. Plan ahead and do not leave anything to the last minute. Do not stay up until the early hours of the morning working as nothing makes sense at that time, and enjoy your degree.’ She also admits that, in hindsight, she would have become much more organised earlier in the degree. In the long term, Sarah hopes to go on to pursue a career in secondary teaching.