Becky shares with us how she found her time at Greenwich and provides an insight into what university was like for her and what future students can expect: "I chose to study at Greenwich because when I was choosing my courses during A Levels, I had a lot of good recommendations for Greenwich from other teachers and the careers support staff in my school. It has a brilliant reputation, and has done for years, as being an excellent university for teaching".
"I had a brilliant experience and each part of the course met my expectations. There were lots of opportunities to visit different schools for some CPD style sessions, which not only allowed us to learn from a wide range of experts, but also gave us the opportunity to look at different types of school settings to help us find a school which was suited to each person".
She goes on to say, "Doing the Maths Specialism PGCE was an exciting challenge for me as I always struggled with Maths at school but enjoyed it, nonetheless. I chose this route to boost my confidence teaching maths and hoped to become a Maths Lead in the future. I am now in my third year of teaching and my second year of being head of Maths! My current role is a Year 4 teacher and Maths Lead at Hook Lane Primary School. I will shortly become a Year 5 teacher".
Becky was surprised by just how much support the lecturers provide: "The lecturers at Greenwich were amazing. They were so supportive, inspiring and caring. They were very understanding when things were a bit rough during my course and saw something in me when I was struggling to find it myself! They supported me and encouraged me to stick with my training, placed me in a school that they thought would suit me and continued to boost my confidence. This was something that I am eternally grateful for as if it wasn't for them, I might not be where I am today!".
Placements can be challenging but provide experiences that can't be obtained from textbooks and provide an excellent opportunity to build and develop your network: "Although we learnt a lot during our time at university, placements were the time to grow and put these things into action. I was lucky enough to work with one of the most inspirational teachers in my final placement, who gave me the freedom to learn and develop at my own pace and always ran with any idea that I had, no matter how crazy! I am still very good friends with her and the other teachers from that school now and we often ring each other for book recommendations or to celebrate the success of an excellent idea. The lecturer who came to visit during my placement was always so supportive and approachable and gave honest yet productive feedback on any lesson observations, which meant that I was more confident to challenge myself. The university works so closely with the schools whilst you're on placement and are always in contact to make sure everything is going smoothly and to answer any questions.".
Becky had a very positive experience on the Early Years course and had this to say for those who are considering pursuing it: "I would definitely recommend the course! It does have times where things are difficult and it might feel a bit overwhelming trying to condense all of that learning and experiences into a year, but it is so worth it. Teaching is so rewarding".
Since graduating from the University of Greenwich, Becky has been teaching at a primary school where she is the Maths lead. In 2022, Becky decided that she wanted to return to the University in a different capacity. As well as teaching in school, she now teaches part-time on the Primary Education course at the University, working alongside those who had previously taught her.
"Working at the University has given me the chance to expand my understanding of the education system from a different perspective. By teaching both in a school and at the university, I am able to share my first-hand experiences with students and understand the real-life contexts they may face during their placements. I hope to provide support and inspiration to the students I work with, just like my lecturers had done for me.”
For more information about the Early Years BA Hons and Primary Mathematics (Subject Specialist) PGCE and to apply please visit https://www.gre.ac.uk/undergraduate-courses/eduhea/early-years-ba-hons and https://www.gre.ac.uk/postgraduate-courses/eduhea/pgcemaths
