There won’t be many households that don’t escape flyers coming through the letterbox, often leaving the occupier non-plussed.
That was more or less the feeling that Catrin Williams had one day in December 2020.
“You normally just pick them up and say what a load of rubbish and chuck them,” said the 31-year-old mother of two.
But a glance at the contents this time provoked a different reaction. The leaflet proved life-changing as within a year she had embarked on her dream of becoming a primary school teacher.
The flyer was promoting The Open University in Wales and its Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), something Catrin, from Rhuddlan, had been keen to find out more about.
Its arrival by the front door prompted her to do just that and in October she embarked on a part-time two year PGCE, combining 10 hours or so home study a week and two or three days at a primary school in Denbigh, a 20-minute drive away.
Studies offer flexibility that is important for family life
"When I was in primary school, I wanted to be a teacher,” said Catrin. “It was always the plan.”
After studying history at Aberystwyth University, she embarked on a five-year career in an estate agency, got married and had two girls, now aged two and four.
“I was going to do a PGCE course, but I haven’t had the chance to go back to university and didn’t know how it was going to be possible because childcare costs are so extortionate," she said.
“It is just too expensive to take a year out and go to university. We moved house to Rhuddlan from Bala and pretty much as soon as we moved a pamphlet came through the door from The Open University in Wales.
“So I did a little bit of research into it and they had a part-time course available which would mean that you study in the evenings and go on placements into school two or three days a week. And you can study at your own pace. It fitted in perfectly with our family situation.
“It was all really straightforward signing up for the course. I was able to get a student loan for it as well, which was great. It covers the course and is helpful with childcare costs as well.”
'I thought I was getting too old to become a teacher'
Over the course of the first year, Catrin will do three set placements covering two schools.
“I do at least 10 hours a week studying at home and two days a week in school,” she said. “I do keep my weekends free. It does give that flexibility. It is a perfect course that fits our lifestyle.”
In school, she has been involved in planning parts of year three and four lessons and taking some.
“You do an introduction to a lesson or then close a lesson from someone else’s classes,” she said. “I have actually taught three lessons myself now.
“The first one was a bit daunting, having 30 odd children looking at you trying to impart some wisdom. I had never done any teaching before, so that was quite interesting, planning the lesson and thinking about how to engage the children. It went really well. The children were lovely.”
Catrin is hoping the two-year course will lead to her getting a teaching job locally.
“I would recommend it for sure,” she said. “I am 31 now and thought I was getting too old to do it now and we haven’t got the money for childcare, but it has fitted in perfectly for us. There is no other possible way that we would have been able to do it.
“The pamphlet just turned up at the right time. It was serendipity, I think. It is going to have such an impact on us.”
Why not attend The Open University in Wales’ online PGCE open evening on Thursday, February 3? Register to attend the free open evening here.
You can find all you need to know about The Open University in Wales’ PGCE courses by visiting the website.
