BA (Hons) Primary Education (5-11) with Recommendation for QTS, Maddy Hinchcliffe shares with us her experience studying at Leeds Beckett and the fantastic opportunities she has lined up.

Course: BA (Hons) Primary Education with Recommendation for QTS

Tell us a bit about yourself and what drew you to your course?

I have always liked helping people, it’s always been my thing. I have also never really taken myself too seriously, in school I enjoy making people laugh and smile. I love being around young children and have previous experience of babysitting. 

However, I didn’t always enjoy school and have previously struggled in education. I chose to study primary education because I knew I didn’t want children to have the same experience as I had in school, and I want to make a difference. I believe that children’s attitudes towards education start in primary school and that primary teachers lay the foundations for children’s education and shape them into the people they will become. 

Studying primary education has made me realise teachers’ positive impact on children and, as the cliché saying goes, ‘the children are the future’. I want what’s best for every child, and I want them to succeed and have the best opportunities. 

What made you choose Leeds Beckett? 

After I finished school took a two-year gap year to work out what I wanted to do with my life. Whilst in school I was set on NOT coming to university, but I also had my heart set on becoming a teacher. After looking at every becoming a teacher route possible, I quickly realised that university was the best option. I have dyslexia and ADHD and had a lot of worries about coming to university. I lacked confidence and heavily doubted my ability to complete assignments. I contacted several local universities, and Leeds Beckett got back to me within the day. The support that I received was phenomenal. They answered all my questions, reassured me of all my concerns and offered me any additional support I needed. Leeds Beckett has given me so much more confidence through the amazing support from the disability team, pastoral team, and lecturers. 

How have you found your placements and what did you enjoy the most? 

I like the length and the time of year we get to go on placements. It’s enough time to get to know the children and the school that you’re in. When you get to placement, you can put everything you’ve learnt in seminars into practice. Nothing compares to hands-on experience. Not only do you learn about being a teacher from your mentor whilst on placement, but the thing that surprised me the most was that I was also learning from the children too.  

You also get experience in a number of different schools. Every school does things differently, and it’s interesting to see how other techniques or methods are used to benefit the children and staff. This helps me prepare for a job when I graduate because and it puts into reality that every school is different. 

What has been your favourite thing about your time studying at Leeds Beckett? 

The available opportunities, I am fortunate enough to be able to go to Uganda and Australia through Leeds Beckett. I attended a Global Opportunity Fair where I learnt about many different international charities and opportunities that could take me worldwide. I immediately signed up to volunteer in Uganda to build playgrounds for schools that don’t have them. After spending two years learning how children develop and learn, and knowing how important play is for children, this experience will be amazing and I can’t wait to go in summer. 

I am also taking a semester abroad in Australia. The study abroad team told me about all the places I could go in the world to continue my studies. I picked my top three countries and got into all three and the hardest part was picking which country I wanted to study in. Taking my studies to Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I could not turn down. 

Leeds Beckett also has many other opportunities that suit everyone’s interests, whether that be travel, sport, politics, fashion, technology, you name it. 

What support have you been given for life after university?

Being at university has made me realise that I am great at thinking on the spot and problem-solving, which comes in really handy when teaching. It has also helped me to develop my independence and has allowed me to discover how to overcome obstacles. Whilst in seminars, we look at different viewpoints and have critical discussions, which has allowed me to consider perspectives that I wouldn’t have looked at otherwise and develop critical thinking skills. All these skills have been developed through seminars, lectures, assignments, placement, and general university life, which will be help me in my teaching career. 

What advice would you give someone thinking about studying this course? 

Have fun with it! Primary education is one of those fantastic courses where it’s fun and interactive. It’s a course where you can have a laugh and learn at the same time. Everyone has a subject that they are less confident in but what’s the best way to overcome that as a child or an adult? Make it fun! 

Take advantage of all the resources. The seminars are fun and helpful, and the lectures are jam-packed with valuable resources that you can use in a teaching career. Lecturers give great advice and have opened my mind to ways I would have never considered teaching. 

Also get to know your lecturers and communicate with them, they have previously worked in primary schools and with children and have also been students! They can relate to you in all sorts of ways and it’s important to communicate if you need help and celebrate your achievements with them. All the lecturers are super supportive and are there to help you. Without my lecturer's support, I couldn’t have got this far into my degree.