PGCE - Secondary Design and Technology: Food, Textiles and Product Design

I chose Birmingham City University, quite frankly because it is the best at what it does. Ofsted says so, alongside previous students and teachers. The course attracted me because it is challenging yet supportive, backed up by lots of experience and there is a great amount of prestige in being trained at Birmingham City University.

The most enjoyable part of the course is the fact that you are realising your ambitions. I was expecting it to be tough and it has been the toughest course I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding – I have gained new skills and developed professional links that will help me through my career.

Over the year I completed two placements. On the first, I remember thinking it was the hardest thing ever. Now I look back and realise how easy it was in comparison to the second! You can only learn so much in the lecture theatre and the experiences I had in school have definitely made me the teacher I am today.

The faculty is the best thing about Birmingham City University. The thing I like most about the people there is the support and understanding that they demonstrate, paired with the push they will give you if you even think about dropping the pace.

My tutor was amazing; she was always there no matter what time of day or night it was, and was always looking to give me the chance to do my best. She left me in no doubt of what was expected of me and the high standards I needed to strive for.

In terms of my plans for the future, I have a fantastic teaching job lined up and I have also been asked to write for the Design and Technology Association after the Head of the association observed me in her capacity as external examiner of the course at Birmingham City University.

My advice for future students would be firstly to forget your preconceptions of what you think it is like and prepare for the unexpected. Get everything done as early as possible – the tasks always take longer than you think and school demands will always swallow up any spare time you have.

The most important thing is to remember why you are doing the course, keep smiling and talk to your tutor. They have seen it all before and can give you the words to get through.

Birmingham City University is in the heart of a fantastic city, and from visiting the City North campus on an Open Day, I knew this was the place to be. There was a warm and friendly welcome, and the atmosphere was genuine. Staff took the time to answer all of my questions, and were interested in me as a student and not just another statistic.

I completed my degree at a very small art college, so I was anxious about getting lost within a bustling city campus, but nothing could be further from the truth. You don’t feel overwhelmed by hoards of other students, yet there is still everything you could possibly want – a students’ union and lounge, a library with more resources than you could ever need, a corner shop, a gym and, more importantly, two Costa coffee shops on campus!

The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and supportive, and the fact that they have been through the same process and have years of experience and wisdom to pass on is reassuring. Our personal tutor, who is also the route leader for the course, is exceptional – her subject knowledge, enthusiasm and passion is clear to see it has been invaluable to have such an inspiring tutor.

The subject workshops are days which everyone looks forward to. In textiles we’ve experimented with dye sublimation, embroidery, felting, electronic microscopes and CAD/CAM. In food, other students are always jealous about the gorgeous smells coming from our room!

The school placements have been an incredible experience. They really put everything into perspective, and the only way to learn is to get in there and do it. On our first placement, we make the huge leap from observing lessons to singlehandedly planning and teaching a maximum of six lessons per week, while at the second school we up that to four lessons per day! You have your bad days, but the good ones outweigh those by far!

My plans for the future are to secure employment as an NQT textiles specialist in the Midlands. I have previously studied in the North East and also worked in London but Birmingham is where I want to be. I hope to take everything I have learnt from this course and put it into action, to inspire and motivate the next generation of students through innovative and exciting opportunities.