Paul Hughes

What was it about the ITT course at Newman that made you decide to enrol?

I decided to do my ITT course at Newman because I liked the fact that I was able to have an entire placement in a post 16 setting. Newman had a great reputation for many years and was extremely easy to get to on public transport.

What was your experience of placements?

Both placements were enjoyable in different ways. At Newman, the entire staff were extremely friendly and made you feel like staff from day one. I never felt like a ‘trainee’.  My subject mentor was very supportive, she would reply promptly to any concerns I had and put me at ease when visiting me at my placement school.

Why did you want to become a teacher?

I have a strong love of literacy and realised the importance of it and how enriching reading can be to young people.  Also, I wanted to convey to young people the importance of being able to ‘read’ texts such as the news. Being able to tell the difference between fact and opinion is extremely important these days!

What have you gone on to do since gaining your PGCE?

I have gone on to teach English at Formby High School.

Did the ITT course at Newman meet your expectations?

I felt that all mentors and staff gave wholistic and thorough training and guidance about all aspects of teaching and the profession. I would highly recommend undertaking teacher training at Newman. The staff are extremely friendly, welcoming and encouraging and make you feel part of the team instantly. Everyone who is training you works full time– meaning they have first-hand experience in all of the issues that affect the life of a College. Similarly, my subject mentors were highly supportive and considerate and gave clear and meaningful advice on how to improve my practice. Newman also gave second to none advice with how to search for jobs, writing CVs and cover letters, and interview technique. With this help I was able to secure a full-time teaching job during the Spring term.