This blog post was written by Mia Brown, a history teacher working at Churchdown School in Gloucestershire. She completed her PGCE at the University of Gloucestershire in 2026 and is now in her first ECT year. She reflects upon what it was like to learn on a PGCE course and how the start to her ECT year has gone. Her key takeaway is the research-informed practice that allowed her to critically evaluate how to deliver her lessons.
My decision to become a history teacher began in my own secondary school classroom, where one teacher transformed the subject from a list of dates into something that built curiosity, allowed me to investigate past events and better understand the world today. She saw potential in me long before I recognised it myself, and her encouragement, patience, and genuine belief in my abilities shaped not only my love for History but my confidence as a learner. That enthusiasm stayed with me throughout school and into university, where History continued to feel like the subject that best explains how the world works, how power operates, how societies change, and how young people can make sense of the complexities around them.
Starting a PGCE felt like the natural next step: a chance to turn that long standing passion into something purposeful. The year gave me the most hands‑on classroom experiences I’d ever had, supported by university staff who challenged and guided me, and mentors in school who modelled what thoughtful, research‑informed practice looks like. Their support helped me grow from someone who loved History into someone ready to teach it, and it confirmed that helping students understand the world through this subject is exactly where I’m meant to be.
My PGCE year was intense, challenging and transformative. The skills I developed were not just technical but deeply rooted in understanding how pupils learn history as a discipline. By attending lectures and completing many observations I learned how to break down complex historical second order concepts into manageable steps. Modelling became central to my practice, especially when supporting pupils with SEND or low prior attainment. I developed confidence in designing coherent sequences of lessons that built secure substantive and disciplinary knowledge. Understanding how pupils progress through KS3–KS5 helped me make better decisions about what to teach, when, and why. From low-stakes retrieval to extended writing, I learned how to use assessment to diagnose misconceptions and adapt planning. Marking GCSE‑style questions sharpened my understanding of what strong historical writing looks like. Perhaps the most important skill was learning how to manage workload, maintain boundaries, and stay reflective without becoming overwhelmed. The PGCE year taught me how to be both kind to myself and ambitious for my pupils.
Research‑led practice shaped my PGCE year in profound ways. My training emphasised the importance of grounding classroom decisions in evidence, not habit or assumption. My work on controversial and sensitive histories, such as the transatlantic slave trade and the Holocaust forced me to think carefully about ethical teaching/practice. Research and the help of university staff helped me navigate complexity, avoid oversimplification and create a safe, academically rigorous space for discussion. Closely linked to that, designing schemes of work using disciplinary frameworks strengthened my understanding of progression. I learned how to embed diversity meaningfully, not superficially, and how to ensure pupils encounter challenging, thought -provoking content. Research‑led practice made my PGCE feel intellectually rich and professionally grounded. It shaped me into a reflective and responsive teacher rather than a reactive one.
The transition from PGCE to ECT 1 has been both exciting and demanding. The biggest shift has been the sense of ownership, understanding that these are my classes, my routines and my curriculum decisions. What I have found so far is that being consistent with clear routines and expectations is the cornerstone of classroom management and building meaningful relationships with the students. Knowing pupils as individuals, what motivates them and what worries them has ensured my behaviour management is relational and less reactive. The most prominent change so far, would be that I’m no longer planning for a single lesson; I’m planning for long-term learning. That shift has made my teaching more coherent and more confident. Despite the challenges, I am thoroughly enjoying being back in the classroom and teaching the new cohort of future historians.
If I could give advice to new PGCE students, it would be to reflect and don’t spiral. Reflection should be purposeful and in no way self-punishing. Through my experiences so far, I have quickly come to understand there is no perfect teacher nor a perfect lesson, the aim should be centred around consistency, clarity and calmness. Behaviour within the classroom is easier to manage when expectations are clear from the start. Your mentors and colleagues at your placement school or university want you to succeed, ask for help and guidance but most importantly use the research to guide your decisions; Using research will give you confidence and help you to avoid the common pitfalls. Take all feedback and translate it into actionable steps towards the small wins.
One of my most successful lessons was answering an end of topic KS3 enquiry about ‘Should Britain apologise for the Transatlantic Slave trade?’ The aim was that students would use their knowledge from previous lessons, to reach an informed judgement as to whether they believed Britain should/should not apologise. Retrieval practice at the start of the lesson activated key knowledge and began to prompt students thinking. Through a series of carefully sequenced questions, and a supply of evidence students were able to understand the argument for and against the enquiry question. The scaffolds and hinge questions supported a whole class discussion that was both meaningful and inquisitive. Through tight pacing and smooth transitions students were able to not only debate the topic but write a final response that was both purposeful and well-structured. Overall, the outcome was impressive – pupils produced extended responses that demonstrated secure knowledge/reasoning and a precise use of evidence.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about developing my curriculum knowledge further especially in KS4 and KS5. Intertwined with the development of curriculum knowledge would be making contributions within the department both through responsive practice and the creation of resources. I will always continue to become more confident in teaching complex history and continue to embed diversity meaningfully. However, my classroom priority remains the same, I hope to watch my pupils grow, not just academically but in confidence and curiosity. This year feels full of possibility. I am still learning, still refining, still growing but I can write with confidence that I am exactly where I want to be.
