Primary Teaching leading to Qualified Teacher Status BA(Hons): After you graduate
What our graduates say
This course is a great start to your future career – check out what our graduates have gone on to do and how studying at Kingston helped them achieve their goals.
Former student: Justin Schiffmann
Year of graduation: 1992
Current job: Head teacher, St Andrew's CE First School
Location: Evesham
"Teaching was something I had always wanted to do. I know this sounds trite, but it's true. I chose Kingston because it had a great reputation for teacher training and was close to London - a winning combination.
"I really enjoyed most aspects of the course. I had some great lecturers. One highlight was a week-long residential trip to Plymouth. We stayed in a funny little B&B on the Hoe and carried out extensive geography fieldwork - who else knew there were so many bars in Plymouth?
"I also thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to do a teaching practice in inner London, which really opened my eyes to some of the difficulties faced by young people today. I will never forget the boy who lived with his mum on the streets and found sharing such a challenge.
"Since graduating I have had a successful career. I was promoted to senior manager a few years into my first job. About four years ago, I moved schools to become deputy head teacher. I was appointed head teacher at the same school just over 12 months ago.
"I work with 150 pupils aged between 4-10 years, and lead a hardworking team of about 25 staff. We do a lot of work on the essential skills needed for learning and how we can enhance these through our teaching methods.
''I feel my training has prepared me well for this. I see a lot of new teachers who have been ‘drilled' to deliver a literacy or numeracy hour. Kingston really focused on what was needed to be a learner, which is perfect in the current climate of ‘lifelong learning'.
''What I like about my job is that every day is different. There's always an event that has not occurred before. This is the pleasure (and sometimes frustration) of working with children. But I think it's the warm relationship with the pupils in my school that gives me most pleasure - and the chance to make a difference to a child's day.
"A teaching career is not easy, but it can be very rewarding when successful. Take every opportunity offered to you while training as the job market is competitive and employers look for something a little different. Remember - interesting people make interesting teachers!"
Former student: Simon Minter
Year of graduation: 1999
Current job: Head of sensory support and teacher of the blind at the Clare School
Location: Norwich
Graduate Simon Minter has specialised in teaching children with sensory impairment. He thrives on the fact that, as a teacher, he never stops learning.
"While the thought of having more than four-weeks' holiday appealed to me, the main reason I wanted to be a teacher was that I like working with people and it is a job where you are always learning something new.
"I chose to study at Kingston because it is near to London and a nice area in general. The course was interesting and varied, with a lot of interesting and varied people. I met some of my best friends there and really enjoyed the whole University experience.
"My specialised subjects were English and Drama because I had enjoyed both of these subjects at school. I hadn't really done much drama before and particularly liked performing a show, which we took around several primary schools.
"After graduating I started off teaching in an infant school in Southampton. A couple of years later I became the teacher of the deaf, as it had a Resourced Provision for deaf pupils attached to the school.
"This inspired me to do a MEd three-year distance course to get qualified teacher of the deaf status. Shortly after I finished the course, I got a job in Norwich as the Head of Sensory Support and Teacher of the Blind in a special school for 3-19 year olds.
"The school is for pupils who have physical and/or sensory impairments. I oversee the pupils and the adults who teach and support these pupils. I have now started a two-year B.Phil distance course to get my qualified teacher of the blind status.
"The thing I enjoy most about my work is the diversity of teaching and learning that takes place. This greatly improves you as both a teacher and a person - it's healthy to be learning all the time.
"Kingston gave me ideas, strategies and teaching practices that can be used with all children. The teaching placements were probably the most useful element of the course because they gave you the opportunity to put theory into practice. Learning how to deliver subjects by putting yourself in the pupil's shoes and actually doing the work, was also important and certainly beat sitting in a lecture theatre!
"Without sounding like an advert, I would say teaching is a really good career for a number of reasons. You never get bored, it can be rewarding (sometimes!), the pay is pretty good, you can take your career in a number of directions and, of course, you get 12-weeks' holiday!"
