PGCE Primary, 2016
“I had already heard that the Oxford Brookes PGCE was a really good course and I liked the idea of joining a university that had a lot of courses surrounding education, as I knew that there would be plenty of resources and many people to give a professional opinion”
Before enrolling in the PGCE Primary at Oxford Brookes, Sarah-Jane completed an acting degree at Bath Spa University. Sarah-Jane always had an interest in teaching and knew that it could become her future career.
I decided to really push myself and complete my PGCE straight after my undergraduate. Don’t be put off by your own age as the course is a complete mix and more to the point everyone gets on well and respects each other’s experiences and views.
I had already heard that the Oxford Brookes PGCE was a really good course and I liked the idea of joining a university that had a lot of courses surrounding education, as I knew that there would be plenty of resources and many people to give a professional opinion.
Lecturers at Brookes are professional and approachable, all showing a passion for their subject and have all had experience within a primary school setting, some of whom still teach and therefore you know that the help you are getting is both up to date and proven. Even though it is not always easy to ask for help, as you don’t want to seem like you don’t know what you are doing (which by the way will be most of the time), the lecturers are always willing to go the extra mile and help you and always willing for you to bounce lesson ideas off them. Being put into groups of around 20 means you really build a good rapport with your course mates, and when we come back from placement we are all so excited to see each other and find out how everyone has been getting on.
Being a commuter from Buckinghamshire, travelling in cannot always be easy, however often there are many social activities at the weekend and your local course mates can show you around. Second to this Oxford is home to many wonderful museums and points of interest which you can really enjoy in your cultural week. There are also so many resources available to us at Harcourt Hill Campus, you can even borrow equipment from the departments to use on placement!
Brookes has connected me with incredibly passionate professionals who I hope to stay in contact with, engaged me in learning in a whole new way and introduced me to people who I know will be friends for life. Oxford Brookes offer a wide ranged curricular course covering all subjects so that all trainees can have some knowledge in all these subjects before going into a school.
Really all the lecturers are supportive, informative and approachable. Depending on your own journey/group/personality you will probably all have different ones you go to for help. I would like to mention Jen Day – our course leader (Mother hen), who must have to deal with 100 emails a day from needy PGCE students and is always there as a shoulder to cry on (she also has a fantastic supply of biscuits and tea), Jane Scholey – for never judging anyone for their lack of subject knowledge and instead encouraging individuals and informing them of how to improve, Carolyn Murphy - for her infectious enthusiasm and loveable personality, again someone who will embrace every member of the group, regardless of their ability.