Planning and preparing the content of your application is crucial to ensure that you show yourself in the best light, and there are a number of ways you can help yourself:

1. Choose a ‘critical friend’ or ‘buddy’
   

   Choose a ‘critical friend’, someone who you trust to give you honest and fair advice about the content of your application. This ‘critical friend’, or ‘buddy’ does not have to be a teaching professional, but they have to know you well so they can help you judge if you are selling yourself in the most effective way possible.

   Look through your application together and scrutinise the points you have made.

   Always ask the same questions:
   Would you offer yourself a trainee place?
   Why?
   Why not?

2. Use the Get Into Teaching website for help and advice on preparing your application, references and your personal statement
   Tips on applying for teacher training | Get Into Teaching (education.gov.uk)
3. Proof read your application before submitting it
   If successful at interview, you will be expected to write at a level 7 standard (Masters) for your assignments, and uphold the professional standards of teaching, which include a high standard of written English. Your application should demonstrate your ability. Don’t forget to proof read your answers, checking your grammar and spelling.
   If you want to know more about writing at this level, this video (which will play on YouTube in a new tab) will show how to write level 7 essays for a PGCE.