海角直播

Maria returns to Middlesbrough

Maria Hutchinson first started her teaching career at St. Richard鈥檚 RC Primary School in Woodlands Road, Middlesbrough. Over thirty years later, St. Richard鈥檚 school is no longer there, but Maria has returned to study part-time in the same area, at the University of 海角直播. She will graduate today with a Post-Graduate Certificate (PgCert) in Professional Studies in Education (Foundation Stage), delivered by the University鈥檚 INSET Unit.

INSET (In-Service Education of Teachers and Support Staff), offers the opportunity for continuous professional development through part-time study to both qualified and practising teachers and support staff in schools and other educational settings. Mother-of-two Maria, 52, from Darlington, works as a reception teacher (four to five year old children) at Holy Family Primary School in Cockerton, Darlington. She said: 鈥淢y first interview with the then Middlesbrough Education Authority in 1972 was in a building off Woodlands Road, which now actually belongs to the University. The whole area of the old Polytechnic is very different, and the campus really impressive.鈥�

Maria decided to enrol on the PgCert after hearing positive recommendations from the School鈥檚 local education adviser. She said: 鈥淓very foundation teacher (nursery and reception) should go on this course, it gives you everything you need and deals with every aspect of the foundation stage. I鈥檝e recommended it to my teaching practice student from last year, and she鈥檚 going to enrol. The course is very practically based, for example the importance of play and home-school links are explored, and its leader, Carole Goodchild, is enthusiastic and brilliant.

鈥淣ow I鈥檓 going to use what I鈥檝e learned from the course to change the way I set out my classroom. For the first time I鈥檝e also had the opportunity to share practice and ideas, as we visited other schools and saw some lovely ideas. As a group of students we got on really well, everyone was supportive.鈥�

The PgCert was Maria鈥檚 first lengthy course since qualifying as a teacher, and taught on Tuesday evenings. She added: 鈥淚鈥檇 done lots of short professional courses but hadn鈥檛 written an essay since I was 21. I consulted my youngest son, Andrew, who鈥檚 in the final year at Brighton University about writing a bibliography for my first essay, but he has an entirely different approach to essays! I also spent several Sunday mornings in the University鈥檚 Learning Resource Centre, the staff there are very helpful.

鈥淚t was nice for my class to know I was going off to study, that education doesn鈥檛 stop for adults and we鈥檙e still prepared to study. Combining the course with teaching wasn鈥檛 easy, and all of my assignments had to be completed in the school holidays. But I鈥檓 really pleased to have completed it and will definitely be going to my graduation at Middlesbrough Town Hall.鈥�

---