Carrie Leiper, PGDE Primary

Where are you from?

North Lanarkshire

What do you like best about your programme?

The underpinning ethos. The teaching and learning successfully and effectively encouraged me to understand the importance of learning as a process. The content of the course was challenging in an enjoyable way. I never felt as though I had impossible tasks and when I did struggle, I had the necessary support – sometimes more if I needed it. There are various methods of support available, and nothing is ever too much of an ask.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about applying to your programme?

I would recommend it entirely. The staff work tirelessly to keep up to date with relevant campaigns and policies. The teaching and learning align cohesively to prepare you, in a relatively short time, for an adventurous career.

What made you choose Moray House School of Education and Sport?

Visiting for my interview. I remember having a disappointing experience prior to my Edinburgh University interview and feeling quite disheartened. On the day of my Edinburgh University interview, I walked to the campus from the train station and as soon as I got there, I was greeted by many. The staff were so welcoming and from the very start were encouraging and supportive. Initially I was worried because of the University’s high status and expectations, but the staff and other students worked together to achieve outcomes and there was never a feeling of ‘not being good enough’. This transpired throughout the year and has come to be one of the most noteworthy points of my time studying at the University.

How do you feel your experience has better prepared you for your future career?

My entire course was online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, yet the staff who taught me and guided me through my initial teacher education reflected true professionalism under these difficult circumstances. I have been lucky enough to work with great role models who have shown me the difference it makes when you go the extra mile for your students - something I will be able to do with my own class’ now I have completed the course. The effort and energy that the staff at Moray House will give to their students is an invaluable credit to the programme (and University as a whole). The course content itself is laid out in a very user-friendly way so that at one point of the course, everything clicks, and you begin to see your own learning in a way you hadn’t before. This, alongside the supportive staff helps build your confidence as a practitioner.