Educational studies and English degree personal statement example (1a) with review

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

'A teacher can affect eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.' My main goal in applying for an education course is to instil my love of learning into the next generation, by inspiring and influencing children throughout their formal education. The areas of education that interest me the most are whether it is realistic to separate children who are supposedly more academically intuitive after primary school on the basis of a non-representative reasoning test, and whether ability-based segregation into sets for Maths and English at an early age is effective or counter-productive, and if this creates a stigma even when the child is at primary school. I am also fascinated by the politics of education, and whether the government have the right to say how children should be treated with no first hand experience of how their changes are going to affect children today. The National Curriculum has always been an intriguing subject for me, even when I was a student, in terms of what it offers to our children throughout their school age and whether it does prepare them for the world outside of school and academia, should they not wish to go to university.

My main interest is that of the education of children with Special Education Needs, including those who are gifted and talented, whether in a mainstream or a special school. I have taught and mentored several children and young adults with SEN on a casual basis, both in school and outside, ranging from those with dyslexia to a child who had to learn to read and write again after a brain haemorrhage. I am taking an unexpected gap year, and I am hoping to gain some professional work experience as a teaching assistant in different educational backgrounds, particularly a special school, which would give me the insight into how the schooling is different to that of a mainstream school, and how different methods of teaching can aid different children and adults, and which method is best of them to help further their education.

I want to study English as a joint honours subject with Education as I believe that children who struggle to read and write as an early age miss out on what can form a wonderfully vivid imagination, and if they never enjoy reading because they feel they cannot express themselves as they should wish, possibly leading to attention disorders.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

English is a subject that has fascinated me from a very early age. It is a subject I have constantly flourished in, it has the ability to completely immerse me, alienate me and to constantly challenge my way of thinking. I have an endless love of literature, which led to me choosing English Literature as a subject at A Level, along with Drama and Theatre Studies, a subject that helped me continue my love of drama and acting and to build upon my self confidence, a skill that carried through into my other subjects, and was demonstrated through my confident manner of speaking in front of a class, which I consider excellent experience for a teaching career. This ability has also been honed through my experience of debate, and also through my involvement with an amateur dramatics company, which has helped me think on my feet and be spontaneous, something that is crucial in my future career as a teacher.

I want to study English and Education at university because I am passionate about becoming a teacher after my degree, and I want to make a difference to children's lives. My decision to combine English with Education enables me to specialise in a subject I enjoy, but also to explore how other subjects that are studied throughout school are affected by the curriculum and methods of teaching. I believe studying these particular joint honours will enable me to study and enjoy education in depth, and enable me to specialise in English which would help me further my future career. I am sociable, hard-working, willing to learn and willing to take constructive criticism to develop myself into the teacher I aspire to be.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Universities applied to:

• Birmingham (Childhood, Culture and Education)
• Worcester (Education Studies and English Literary Studies)
• Newman University College (Education Studies with English Literature)
• Keele (Educational Studies and English)
• York St John (Education Studies and English Literature)

Grades achieved:

• English Literature - B
• Drama and Theatre Studies - B
• Religious Studies - C
• General Studies - B

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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