Alice Clayton

Trainee Teacher, Leeds SCITT and Cover Teacher

The opportunity to do a placement in each year of study was priceless, it expanded my network and made me feel more comfortable going into jobs in the education sector.

Why I chose to attend Leeds Trinity

Initially, I chose to attend Leeds Trinity University as it is very close to my house. However, when I attended the Open Day, I loved the community feel that it had. With the university being smaller, compared to others I had been to, I felt like an individual rather than just a number. 

What I enjoyed most about my student days 

Throughout my three years at university, the feeling of an individual remained, lecturers were very friendly, and you could talk to them like you would a friend. Importantly, if I ever had any concerns, I felt comfortable expressing them, and they were actioned. My best memories include the graduate identity event, Independent Project poster event, and participation in the badminton sessions.

Valuable placement opportunities

The opportunity to do a placement in each year of study was priceless, it expanded my network and made me feel more comfortable going into jobs in the education sector.

In my first year, I did a two-week placement and in my second year a six-week placement which both took place at different secondary schools in Food Technology/Design & Technology Departments.

In my third year, I was pushed even further as I had to do a project instead of a placement. The project meant that you had to go into an organisation to propose and negotiate a project with them, in addition to experiencing the day-to-day duties. This was a valuable experience for me as in teaching you have several day-to-day duties and then continue your work after this, it allowed me to juggle my work-life balance so I had an idea of what it would be like in teaching.

The best part of the project was that you could make it your own and choose what you wanted to do. I did mine in a school that specialised in pupils with autism spectrum disorder, this was a gap in my experience and personal interest of mine. I produced ten recipe resources that catered to the needs of the pupils to reduce barriers to education. I then got to showcase my work and reflect on my experiences via a presentation which is something that is done on a regular basis as a teacher and therefore this project was extremely valuable.

What I enjoyed most about the course

I really enjoyed the parts of my course that were related to health and nutrition. Although this was a heavily sports-based course, I was able to tailor the learning to my own interest and lecturers were flexible with this.

The Independent Project (Dissertation) module was extremely rewarding. Again, I had the opportunity to tailor my dissertation to my interest and use bits of research that I had unpicked throughout university. I think the Independent Project pushed me out of my comfort zone as I chose to do a Mixed Methods study – yes, two for the price of one! The time and effort that went into organising, understanding data analysis, and putting it all into 4,500 words showed me how good my work ethic and determination is. It was a very proud and rewarding feeling to showcase this on a huge poster at a poster event – I would definitely say the Independent Project is what taught me the most about myself, my interests, and future development areas.

Leaving Leeds Trinity with new skills

The biggest skill that I have learned from university is to be analytical – there is never a right and a wrong (well maybe in Maths). Anyway, do not take things at face value and explore, research, and make your own conclusion. Secondly, to speak positively of myself because there is nothing wrong with praising your achievements. This helped me get offered all my Teacher Training Interviews which I have lined up to start September 2024. The University Careers Fair also introduced me to my current employment agency – justteachers, where I am a Cover Teacher.

My advice to prospective students

The advice I would give to anyone wanting to study this course, or any course, is make yourself known to staff (for the right reasons), by asking questions, engaging in lectures, being on time, and being polite. The more you put in, the more you get out!