Mother-daughter duo become teachers after graduating together

A mum and daughter from Stoke-on-Trent are both set to become teachers after graduating together from Staffordshire University

Zoe Tett, 43, and Georgia Boote, 21, from Norton Green collected their degrees on the same day at their graduation ceremony at Kings Hall in Stoke.

Georgia said: “It feels amazing to graduate with my mum at the same time!”

“It's been such a journey, but an amazing journey. I feel so, so proud,” added Zoe. “It's taken me 20 years longer than her to get here, but I’m so proud of us both.”

Zoe’s childhood dream job was to be a teacher, and she worked as a teaching assistant for eight years before a knee injury forced her to leave the job. She took this opportunity to apply to Staffordshire University and completed a foundation degree before beginning to study Psychology.

Zoe explained: “I couldn’t sit and do nothing, so I started uni. During this time, I spent many hours, including hospital stays to rehabilitate my leg to get strength back in it to allow me to walk.

“Then during lockdown I found my love for teaching again as I had to teach my own children – with the encouragement of family and friends I decided to go for it and switched courses.”

Zoe enrolled onto the to the Primary Education with Qualified Teacher Status degree at the same time that Georgia began a degree in BA (Hons) Education Studies. Despite being on different degree courses, the pair supported each other throughout their studies.

Georgia said: “We would meet for a chat and hot chocolates between lectures on campus and bounce ideas off one another during assignments.

“Our dissertations were on totally different things but we’d sit at the table of an evening together, compare word counts and get our assignments written, often until the early hours!”

After completing her degree with first class honours, Zoe now has a teaching job lined up at a St George and St Martin’s primary school in Birches Head.

Georgia hopes to soon follow in her footsteps and is staying at Staffordshire University to complete her PGCE and become a primary teacher.

Zoe hopes her experience might inspire others to follow their passion and return to education later in life.

She said: “I absolutely loved my experience. Being a mature student meant I had life experiences behind me that helped me. I quickly realised that you’re never too old for uni.

“I’m a little jealous to be honest that Georgia is returning to Staffs – I am missing uni life already!”