Childhood Practice [BA] personal statement example

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

For three weeks one boy in my nursery room spent every free-play session lining up wooden blocks in long rows across the carpet, then knocking them over. A colleague saw it as wasting time. Having just read about schemas during my HNC, I wondered whether he was exploring trajectory, so I offered guttering, balls and ramps outdoors. He stayed with them for forty minutes and started counting how far each ball rolled. That moment made me realise I could read children's play more carefully, and that I wanted a deeper understanding behind those observations rather than relying on one module. I want to study Childhood Practice because I already work with children every day and want to strengthen the thinking behind what I do: child development, attachment, inclusion and how policy shapes practice. Reading Realising the Ambition: Being Me showed me how Scottish guidance links nurturing interactions with environments and experiences, and I would like to examine the evidence behind that more critically. In the long term I hope to lead practice in a setting, which means supporting colleagues as well as children.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare?

My HNC in Childhood Practice gave me a grounding in development from birth to eight, planning for play and working within frameworks such as GIRFEC. The assignment I enjoyed most asked us to plan, carry out and evaluate an observation cycle. I followed the block-play interest above, recorded what I saw, and found it hard at first to separate description from my own assumptions. My tutor's feedback helped me rewrite notes so they described exactly what a child did and said, which has changed how I write learning journals at work. I also completed a unit on supporting additional support needs, which led me to read about visual timetables and how predictable routines can reduce anxiety for some children. Earlier, at school, I took Higher English and Higher Modern Studies. English helped me to write clear, structured arguments, while Modern Studies introduced me to how government decisions affect families, a link I see now when parents talk about funded hours. I know degree study will expect wider reading and more critical analysis than my HNC, and I am preparing by reading one practice article each week and noting where I agree or disagree. An observation records a moment, not a complete explanation of a child. I want to compare interpretations carefully before deciding how to respond.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I work full time as an early years practitioner in a council nursery for three- to five-year-olds. On my own initiative I made twelve story bags, each holding a picture book, simple props and a card with ideas for talking about the story at home. I tracked which bags went out and asked families for short comments. Over a term most bags were borrowed several times, and some parents said their children retold the stories using the props. With a colleague I also planned a change to snack time so that children pour their own water and spread their own toast. We trialled it with one group, adjusted the jug size after spills, and then shared it with the team; now children take more responsibility and staff spend less time serving. Before my current post I worked weekends at a garden centre for two years, handling the till, answering questions and helping in the plant area, which taught me to stay calm and polite when busy. Outside work I go bouldering twice a week. Working out a route slowly, falling off and trying again has made me patient with myself, and it is also simply where I relax with friends.