All the way back in 2017, I remember sitting amongst the unfortunate sofas of my sixth form common room, attempting to choose which university to attend. As a young man, I did very little research and saw the wonderful array of musicians that Manchester had born as reason enough to do my degree there. It turned out to be a great choice, and I spent four wonderful years studying Spanish and Portuguese.  

After completing my degree, the slow bombardment of questions regarding my future began. “So, what are you doing next?”, “Have you contacted the careers service?” and, of course, the question every humanities student dreads: “Are you going to become a teacher then?”. In response to these persistent inquiries, I decided to flee to Spain for two years to teach English. At the time, I saw teaching as nothing more than a vehicle to live abroad and travel; however, once I entered the classroom, I fell in love with the profession. After some hesitation, I decided to apply for a PGCE Primary Course. The question remained: where to do it? 

This time, I was determined not to base my decision on where The Smiths are from, but instead to do thorough research. After painstakingly combing through endless university websites and student blogs, I ended up back at square one: The University of Manchester. I’ve distilled my reasons for choosing Manchester into three main categories: the diversity of experience offered, their socially conscious approach, and the outstanding organisation and staff who run the course. 

Firstly, to be an effective teacher, you must be adept at connecting with, understanding, and relating to your students. An expert teacher is an expert in all people. The course is structured so that your placements take you to a wide variety of schools that are economically, religiously, and racially diverse. It’s not useful to only learn to teach in small, affluent schools. By exposing educators to a diverse range of teaching environments, they become much more well-rounded and capable individuals.  

Secondly, the university has a highly socially conscious approach to shaping the course. I had only previously worked in traditional schools that made little provision for inclusion and equity. The course at Manchester is highly aware of the importance of promoting equity within the classroom. The team, along with the expert speakers they bring in, ensures that all trainees are thoroughly educated on how to adapt their teaching to foster an inclusive and equitable environment. 

Lastly, I chose Manchester for a straightforward reason: it is one of the best PGCE Primary courses in the country. The programme is incredibly well-organised and goes beyond government requirements. The staff are supportive and make what is often a daunting journey feel manageable. Lastly, they are experts in their fields who model good teaching. We learn largely by observing experts, and there is no better team to learn from than the PGCE Primary team here in Manchester. 

Written by Amy, current PGCE Primary Student.

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