PGCE Secondary Business and PGCE Business with Economics

Having worked with some of the world’s top brands, including Coca-Cola, Adidas and Powerade, Bonnie Siviter is ready to pass on her knowledge to the next generation.

She said: “I told the university it would be really great if I could do my placements locally, and they took on board what I said, and they offered me a placement near my hometown and that was absolutely perfect for me.”

Bonnie enters the teaching profession with a wealth of experience to pass on to her pupils, and she said they always enjoy hearing about her life in the world of business working with some of the most easily recognisable brands in the world.

Jack Ashington-Carter is embarking on a career in teaching after completing his PGCE Secondary, Business with Economics at the University of the Worcester.

“I found my time at the University incredibly rewarding. There was a lot of support on hand throughout the PGCE for both academic issues and personal. The Tutors at the University are wonderful and are always willing to listen. The exposure to the classroom prior to placement was very welcome and began to build confidence. The feedback from the first day in the classroom to the final day of PGCE was second to none and had a developmental focus to ensure that we kept pushing ourselves to be the best possible practitioners.”

“I feel as though my PGCE really prepared me for this year and I hope to be able to continue to improve as a teacher and go far in the profession,” said the 22-year-old. 

“I really enjoyed the visits we used to do at schools as it helped us look at a variety of institutes such as private boarding schools, SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) schools and colleges,” she said. “The visits also helped me understand what type of school I would like to work in. The highlight for me was when we visited a school and were able to run an enterprise day for their Year 7s. It was amazing to see our hard work become a reality.”

“Graduating after a challenging year as a teacher trainee feels uplifting,” said Evelin. “While the course was demanding and I recounted the numerous challenges during the year, I feel extremely proud to have finished and have become a trained teacher. Everyone has been extremely supportive, especially my university tutor, who helped me through everything involving personal matters. I am very thankful for her, and I believe I could not have done my training without the support I received.”

“The University of Worcester was one of the few universities that offered the chance to train to become a Business Teacher,” said Trish. “And it also came with a great reputation. So, in June 2020 I found myself having an interview to be accepted on the course.  Luckily, I got accepted, left my job and started studying like mad so I felt ready for my September start.”

“I was concerned that my hearing impairment would negatively impact my ability to become a teacher, but I was wrong. The University helped me apply for some extra funding that enabled me to get a microphone and loop system that I could use in my classroom to help me hear my pupils better.”

“Graduating felt amazing – this last year has just flown by – and I’m so proud that at 39 I have started on a new path in my life that I absolutely adore. I have no regrets about changing my career.”

“I have a range of emotions about graduating,” he said. “I’ve had such an amazing experience this year and I have had excellent opportunities to become the best teacher I can be, learning from my mentors at both placement schools and from other teachers in the department."

"I chose to study at Worcester, because they don’t just ensure that you become the best teacher you possibly can but offer a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities to allow you to become a more well-rounded teacher.”

Imogen was living in Barcelona playing in Catalonia’s Division 2 basketball league when she decided she wanted to train to become a teacher.

“I decided I wanted to teach Business as I was volunteering in a primary school in Spain and felt very passionate about ensuring every pupil had the same opportunities in education,” said Imogen. “I chose Worcester for my PGCE as I had a previous experience here which I loved and also the reputation for teaching education is top-notch.”

Imogen is now working at a school in Twickenham and is running the Business Curriculum, alongside playing basketball for Brent Bulls in Division 2 of the national league.

Alex McDonald completed his PGCE in Business with Economics and will shortly take on a role as Head of Department. His feat is all the more remarkable as he combined this with six months helping out as a medical secretary.

“The PGCE course at the University of Worcester is very highly respected by schools across the country. I thoroughly enjoyed the level of support and guidance given; I would certainly classify it as a personal learning experience.  Moreover, the University and I are very much still in contact and I know that if I ever have any concerns that I can ask for support and guidance.” 

Kai worked as a Business and Accounting teacher in an international school in China but wanted to expand his knowledge further and decided the UK was the place to do it.

“I chose to train as a teacher at the University of Worcester because it has a great reputation,” he said. “When I had my interview with my tutor, Yvonne, it was a great feeling and she was really experienced. After that, I was convinced that I should choose the University of Worcester because I knew I could learn loads from her. And that is indeed what happened.”

Kai is returning to China where he has secured a new job working in an international school.

Read Kai’s full case study here.