Case Study - Orkney College helped me become a Primary School Teacher

Hear from one of our former students, Darren Peace, who began his studies with us in the NC Early Education and Childcare. He is now a Primary School teacher at Papdale Primary School.

"I have always wanted to be a Primary Teacher and near the end of S5 I wasn’t sure if I would achieve this. I wasn’t doing well in the Highers I chose and I didn’t feel very confident when I was doing my exams. I decided to attend the Orkney College Open Day and saw that there were various Childcare and Education courses on offer. The tutors were supportive of my decision to leave school and start at the College after the Summer. It was the best decision I made, I did two Childcare courses in two years (NC and HNC) and managed to get a qualification in literacy too. During these courses I was on placement at St Andrews and Glaitness nurseries and was able to gain the experience of planning and preparing activities meeting the needs of the children in these settings.

After gaining these qualifications I felt more confident and ready to begin training as a Primary Teacher. UHI were offering a degree in Child and Youth Studies which meant I was able to study in Orkney through distance learning and go on the supply list and work in schools as a Support for Learning Assistant. It wasn’t easy working and studying full time but I enjoyed working at Papdale and gaining the necessary classroom experience that I probably wouldn’t have had, if I decided to go away and do 4 years training south.

I completed the BA in Child and Youth Studies and then I went away to Aberdeen for a year to do a Postgraduate in Primary Teaching. Even though I enjoyed my year away, I did see a difference in the quality of teaching you get when you are one of many students rather than the luxury of being part of a smaller group at Orkney College.

Throughout my studies, I felt well supported and valued as a student and the tutors especially Issy and Linda made me feel more confident in my abilities to become a Primary Teacher.

I have been teaching now for 10 years and continue to thoroughly enjoy my job especially seeing the progress children make over the course of the year. It is important to have more male teachers, support staff and early years workers working in our schools and care settings and I would highly recommend studying at Orkney College."

If you want to find out more about the courses that Darren has studied with us please get in touch: email orkney.college@uhi.ac.uk or telephone 01856 879 000.