Hayley Cooper
Hayley Cooper’s route into teaching began straight after sixth form, when she headed to university to study English and explore what a future in education might look like for her.
Alongside her studies, she gained experience in a range of school settings, gradually building a clearer picture of the kind of educator she wanted to become.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” said Hayley. “I did some agency work in primary schools and secondary schools, and in SEN schools as well, but that made me realise that I built better relationships with older students.”
Searching for the right route into teaching, she discovered the PGCE in Further Education at the University of Worcester; one of the few universities offering a specialist FE pathway. It immediately felt like the right fit.
“I remember my first day walking into the course and meeting all of the people on the course for the first time,” she recalled. “It was the first situation where I’d been in a room where everyone wanted the same goal as me. We were all like-minded and we were all working towards being teachers.”
The course was challenging and energising, and Hayley threw herself into it.
“I only missed one session the whole year,” she said. “I think I lived furthest away out of all of us, but I was always the first one there and the last one to leave. One day someone drove into the back of my car and I still made it there on time; nothing was making me miss anything.”
Every session mattered to Hayley.
She said: “We weren’t overloaded, but every day was jam-packed with really useful learning. It was modelled to us really well by the lecturers so every session was really valuable; I felt like if I missed a week I’d be missing something really important.”
Her placement at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College proved to be the perfect next step; so much so that they offered her a contract before she had even completed the programme.
Less than two years later, Hayley is already Head of Department for English.
“It’s quite astounding really,” she said. “It has happened in a really short amount of time, but I feel like I was fully prepared for it. I’m very ambitious and hardworking, and I knew I wanted to progress in my career, but I felt like I had the right skills to do it.”
Teaching, she says, is everything she hoped it would be, and more.
“It’s an extremely rewarding career. It’s hard work, and you have to be committed, passionate, and a real role model for your students, but I try to make sure my students are having fun.”
What began as a long-held ambition to become a teacher has grown into a career with extraordinary momentum, and a future full of possibilities.
“There are two routes I’d like to take. One would be to stay here and progress my career, there is scope for more career progression here at the college.”
“I was also so inspired by Mike Tyler at the University of Worcester,” she added. “I could also see myself moving into lecturing in a university, teaching people how to teach, looking at the foundations of teaching and pedagogy.”
In just two years, Hayley has gone from trainee teacher to English leader, and she’s only just getting started.
Mike Tyler is a lecturer in Initial Teacher Training for Further Education at the University of Worcester, and taught Hayley on her course.
“Hayley’s infectious enthusiasm for all things teaching and learning was apparent from the very first day of the course,” he said. “She wholeheartedly embraced her ‘teacher identity’ and thrived in her placement.”
He added: “It’s no surprise to me that she has gone on to do so well.”
Mike continued: “On the PGCE we get to know our trainees really well. All of them have a Personal Academic Tutor, a subject specialist and mentor to provide lots of support from day one to graduation, and often beyond.”
“The Further Education sector is always on the lookout for new teachers with a background in vocational, technical and academic areas,” he offered. “That’s why the PGCE is open to trainees to teach in any subject that is taught in the sector.”
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