QTS - YES :)
My framed QTS certificate is a reminder of everything I've achieved & conquered
In mid-June 2022, it was my final assessment meeting. As with my previous termly review meetings, I had to prepare a PowerPoint presentation in advance. My Development Lead (DL) provided me with a template for my presentation and a detailed guide to help me complete it. She also talked me through the required content and was on hand to answer any questions.
For the final presentation, my slides had to evidence how I'd met each of the Teachers' Standards - Part One & Part Two. Part One is comprised of eight standards that relate to teaching, such as behaviour management and assessment, and Part Two focuses on personal and professional conduct.
It was important to use high-quality evidence for each standard, and I had to demonstrate the impact of my actions. My evidence included photographs of pupils' work, screenshots from my observation feedback and pupil progress data. I also included evidence from my assignments, training and communication with parents.
As with the previous termly reviews, my slides had to be sent to my DL a couple of weeks before the meeting. She was then able to provide me with some specific feedback, so I could tweak or improve my evidence.
My final assessment meeting took place in my classroom at 5pm in the middle of a heatwave. My DL, mentor and I sat in my horribly humid classroom, and I don't know how we survived it. A Teach First moderator joined us online for part of the meeting, probably from a highly ventilated room. During the meeting, my DL asked me several questions about the standards and my evidence.
At the end of the meeting, my DL had the honour of officially awarding me QTS, and she happily congratulated me and applauded me. All my hard work, observations, placements and training had culminated in an amazing qualification that I was thrilled to receive. I finally had those three sought-after letters (QTS), but I had to wait a few more weeks for my certificate. I was told that it would arrive during the summer, and I couldn't wait to have it and to hold it. The delay did however give me plenty of time to buy a suitable frame and organise the perfect place for it :).
My family was thrilled when I was awarded QTS, and they couldn't wait to congratulate me in person. My parents and sister visited me later that month and showered me with cards and gifts.
Celebrating my QTS with rainbow cake :)
On August 16, 2022, I received an email from the Teacher Qualification Unit - Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA). The email congratulated me on the successful completion of my initial teacher training and stated that the TRA had awarded me QTS. The email indicated that my QTS certificate was available to download and that there was a link to access it.
The link was for the government's Teacher self-service portal, where I could access my teacher record. I needed my teacher reference number (TRN) to sign into my account, which the TRA had emailed me the previous December. The number is easily retrievable if it's lost or forgotten.
After receiving this long-awaited email, I hot-footed it to my local library and printed off my certificate in colour. I printed two copies: one for me and one for my parents. I couldn't take my eyes off my shiny new certificate, and it took pride of place on my window sill. It represents all my resilience, determination, perseverance and hard work, and I know that I will treasure it forever.
My certificate
The certificate contains my confidential teacher reference number, which is why the photo is cropped. At the bottom of the certificate, the Department for Education congratulated me and wished me all the best for the future :). Having only ever worked at my training school, I was looking forward to exploring different schools and settings.
