Lucy W
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
UCL Institute of Education, Secondary School Science PGCE
University of Nottingham, BSc Hons Biology in the First Class
Trinity School, Croydon
Croydon High School
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Love Learning Tutors: English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths
GCSE: Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths
A level: Biology
UCL Institute of Education: Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Common Entrance: Maths and English
SKILLS & INTERESTS
I love to play hockey and go for park runs on the weekend. I have also enjoyed being a motorsports and archery instructor at the children’s summer camp Barracudas for the past four years. I enjoy relaxing by the pool on holiday by reading a book and doing adventurous activities such as paragliding off a cliff in Turkey! Finally, I love seeing shows with my friends when I can such as Wicked and Come from away.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Trainee teacher, Chiswick School and Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls
As part of my PGCE at UCL I have been teaching Biology, Chemistry and Physics to years 7 to 12 at my two placement schools.
In my London placement schools, over 70% of the students spoke English as an additional language. This taught me many transferable teaching skills, from cultivating a positive classroom environment to differentiating work for pupils’ different needs.
Barracudas Activity Day Camps, Croydon
I was a Multi-Activity Instructor at a children’s activity day camp. This involved running motorsports and archery sessions with children whose ages ranged from 7-14.
This helped improve my communication and leadership skills because I was teaching children new and potentially dangerous activities.
Primary School Experience, Croydon
I observed and assisted in Year 5 lessons for a week at Greenvale School in Croydon.
This gave me experience in the phase of education which precedes the one I will work with in my PGCE.
Volunteering:
Think Pacific, Fiji
I planned and carried out one-on-one Maths and English tuition for lower ability pupils in a rural Fijian school. I led drama and arts and crafts sessions, and coached the classes in sports such as hockey, rugby, and rounders.
I lived with a Fijian’s family in their home and was entirely immersed in the culture. Living without electricity or phone signal for a month made me appreciate the resources we have in the UK.
Young Leader, Rainbows Girlguiding, Selsdon
I helped run weekly sessions which varied from scavenger hunts in the woods to baking and drama. This helped improved my confidence in leading a group.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Having been lucky enough to experience an incredible education through which I have learnt to love many of the subjects that I do, particularly science, I aspired greatly to being able to help or encourage others to enjoy their education as well. Particularly to encourage girls in STEM subjects which they may need more encouragement with to be able to reach their full potential. Because of this passion I trained to become a secondary school science teacher at the UCL Institute of Education, which has been rated as the world number one for Education for the ninth year in a row, according to the QS world university rankings. I loved my teacher training where I learnt how to adapt my teaching on the spot to adjust to different student needs and use effective real-life examples to show my students how what they are learning is relevant to their lives. My end of PGCE report noted that I “easily build a positive rapport and good relationships with the students” and have “well researched and excellent subject knowledge and understanding inside both specialist subject and outside of specialist subject”. My favourite part of the course was building these positive relationships with my students and being able to help them progress, however, this can be tricky to do in a class of 30 students with different learning needs. This is why I love to tutor because it is the most efficient way to get the most out of a student when I can focus all of my attention and planning on their individual needs. As well as being a newly qualified teacher with the curriculum and pedagogy techniques fresh in my mind to help me aid the tutee in their education, I am also young which I think helps me relate well to my students’ potential anxieties from the prospect of exams and tuition.
