What to include in your personal statement

Writing about ourselves can often feel a little awkward or uncomfortable. However, your personal statement could be the first glimpse that your future employer gets of who you are beyond your qualifications. That’s why it’s important to take your time and include key details that will help you make the right first impression. Take a look at the topics we’d like to read about you in your applications.

Your passion

Want to be an English teacher and have a first edition classic? Tell us about it! Showing a passion for your subject is a great way to stand out from the crowd. As a teacher you’re not only working to teach a pupil the curriculum, you’re working to instil a love for learning, and displaying a love and passion for a subject makes you the perfect candidate.

Subject knowledge – make it relevant

Let us know why the subject you want to teach is your subject. We don’t need you to be an expert on the subject, we just need to know what led you to deciding you want to teach it. Where has your passion for the subject come from? What inspired you to pass that passion on?

Your experience

Your experiences don’t need to be directly linked to experience in schools. This can be anything from a past role as teaching assistant to experience coaching the local Under 13s’ football team. Talk us through any time that you’ve played the part of educator, it all paints a picture of the inspiration behind your career choice.

Transferable skills

We all gain transferable skills through our personal life experiences. Even if you think you have none, trust us, you do! If you’ve ever worked in customer service, you have experience with written/verbal communication and active listening. Do you take part in a team sport in your spare time? You have experience of teamwork and collaboration. Have you ever worked in hospitality? You’ve been in fast-paced working environments, giving you experience of being adaptable and flexible.

Don’t forget! Before submitting your personal statement, make sure to read it over, get someone else to read it over, and then read it again! When reading over something you’ve written yourself, it’s easy to miss spelling and grammar mistakes. Having a fresh set of eyes on your work can ensure all mistakes are picked up and corrected before submitting.

If you have any questions about the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact our SCITT team at enquiries@northestscitt.co.uk. The team are here to help answer your questions and queries and can guide you through the process.