Charlie Riddell
Charlie Riddell is looking ahead to a well-earned summer break after completing his Primary PGCE with the University of Worcester. But the classroom Charlie now leads in a Worcestershire primary school is a long way from the boardroom career he once imagined when he first went to university.
“I went to university to go and be a businessman,” he said. “About halfway through my course, I started to think more and more about changing that plan and going into primary teaching.”
After making the decision to switch paths, things moved quickly and within months, Charlie found himself standing at the front of a classroom.
“What I really like is that you get a lot of responsibility very quickly, with all the training there to support you, so you really feel like you’re making a difference very early on,” he said.
“By the time you’re in your third placement, you’re teaching about 80% of the week, and you’re thinking, ‘This is incredible!’ I’ve gone from being Charlie to being Mr Riddell in a very short space of time.”
One of the biggest differences Charlie has noticed between his undergraduate degree and his PGCE is the level of guidance and support available throughout the course.
“With my degree, I was finding my own way a lot of the time, but this is so much more guided,” he explained. “There are so many people you can reach out to, through the training hub, at the University, the course leaders, and the mentors in school, you’re really well supported throughout.”
After returning from his first university, Charlie chose to complete his teacher training at Worcester through the Regional Training Hubs route. This allows aspiring teachers to complete their PGCE closer to home, with time split between school placements, campus learning at the University of Worcester, and local hub partner schools.
“Worcester has a massively good reputation as a teacher training hub,” Charlie said. “It was a happy coincidence that some of the best teacher training around is only 25 minutes from where I live. It’s a fantastic university for teaching so choosing Worcester was an easy decision.”
For those who may feel uncertain about committing to another year of study after an undergraduate degree, Charlie says the PGCE experience is very different from traditional university life.
“The PGCE balances it really well, in that you’re a professional on the course,” he said. “Even when I’m on campus, I’m there as a professional in training rather than feeling like a university student again. You feel like you’re a teacher very quickly.”
After completing his course, Charlie will hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), enabling him to apply for teaching roles and begin his career in the classroom.
To find out what your journey to the front of the classroom could look like, visit our PGCE pages.