Before beginning her apprenticeship, Megan joined the school as a Teaching Assistant, meaning she already knew the school, the pupils, and the wider team well.
She had also worked in schools in a variety of roles over several years. Reflecting on this, Megan jokes that her development meant she seemed to have “a new job every year”, but she describes this as a positive journey that helped her grow. She now feels very settled as a teacher and is enjoying working at her current phase.
Why the apprenticeship route appealed
For Megan, the apprenticeship route stood out for several reasons. Unlike a traditional university pathway, it offered paid employment while training, allowing her to earn while working towards her qualification. She valued gaining real classroom experience every day, rather than shorter placement blocks, and enjoyed being fully immersed in school life while studying.
Balancing teaching alongside the academic demands of the course was challenging at times, but Megan found the structure of the apprenticeship supportive. She had a combined day and a half of PPA and off-the-job training time each week, which included a day at home dedicated to study and prepare. This balance made managing the workload far more achievable.
Preparing for life as an ECT
Megan feels the apprenticeship prepared her well for her transition into her ECT year. She believes it helped her develop key skills that are not always prioritised in more traditional routes, such as workload management, organisation, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
A particularly valuable part of her experience was being a named teacher prior to starting her ECT year. While working as an unqualified teacher, she had her own class and was “thrown in at the deep end”. Megan reflects that she “learned how to float” and thrived in this environment, entering her ECT year with the confidence that comes from already having class responsibility.
She recognises that this places her in a unique position compared to some ECTs, as she had already experienced the realities of classroom teaching before formally qualifying. This, alongside the confidence gained through the apprenticeship, helped ease the transition into her current role.
Support, feedback, and development
Throughout her apprenticeship and into her ECT year, Megan has benefited from strong support. She highlights the impact of having a dedicated mentor, Emma Hales, alongside a supportive and collaborative year group team.
Megan is also very open to feedback and actively enjoys lesson observations, seeing them as an opportunity to reflect and improve her practice. She credits this mindset, developed during her apprenticeship, with helping her continue to grow as a teacher.
What keeps her motivated
When asked what she enjoys most about working in school, Megan points to seeing children progress over time. She speaks warmly about pupils she taught in Reception who are now in Year 3, and how rewarding it is to see their development. For Megan, it is the pupils who motivate her and her colleagues, even on the more challenging days.
She is realistic about the demands of the profession, acknowledging that teaching is not an easy career. However, she believes those who choose it do so because they genuinely care about making a difference and transforming the life chances of children.
Advice and looking ahead
When asked what advice she would give to someone considering a teaching apprenticeship, Megan’s response is simple: “Do it.” She believes it helps new teachers hit the ground running and provides a significant head start when entering the ECT years.
Looking to the future, Megan says she is enjoying having completed her studies and feels content being settled in her role. Her focus now is on continuing to develop her practice and growing in confidence as a teacher.
She also highlights the benefits of being part of a Trust. Being able to observe practice across different schools, work collaboratively during moderation, and connect with other trainee and ECT teachers has given her access to a wider professional network, which she finds extremely valuable.