Teaching is my passion

I am a designated Specialist Leader of Education (SLE) for:

  • Curriculum development
  • Behaviour and attendance

And lead:

  • Teaching and learning
  • Professional development and training

So these seem the natural choices for my blog categories.

Why iTeachPri?

  • To support teachers at all stages of their career, but particularly Early Career Teachers.
  • To share expertise and skills within the sector and beyond, creating a supporting and collegial industry.
  • To support school leaders in ensuring their children get a “good deal”.
  • To contribute to a self-improving system of professional development that all colleagues can access and benefit from.

Expertise

Teaching & Learning
Teaching & Learning
Teacher Development
Teacher Development
Leadership Development
Leadership Development
Curriculum Support
Curriculum Support
Coaching
Coaching
Behaviour Support
Behaviour Support

Previous Roles

Assistant Headteacher: Again, working in an inner city school, this time in Nottingham, with a 65% Pupil Premium eligibility, I was responsible for Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare, Pupil Premium, KS2 and a Year 6 class teacher.

Key Stage Leader: Same school. Different role.

Curriculum Leader: My passion has always been for teaching and learning development and giving children the best learning experiences possible. In my role as Curriculum Leader, I completed my SLE application and now support schools in developing their curriculum.

Teaching and Learning Leader: This role was the hardest of my career. Having been judged as consistently “outstanding” in the first three years of my career, I found it particularly challenging to be told my teaching “required improvement”. Teaching and learning in the primary phase was different; although I’d done a “converting to primary” Graduate Certificate, I didn’t tell me – a secondary drama teacher – how to teach equivalent fractions to a class of year 4 learners! I had a lot to learn, and quickly. My professional development was rapid.

Head of Drama and Performing Arts: Yes, that’s right, I started my teaching career in the secondary phase. I loved it! Performing Arts is a vehicle for so many different learning outcomes and provides children – of all ages – with some many opportunities. The first three years of my career were fantastic. Working in a small South Wales comprehensive school presented its own challenges: a falling roll and a potential deficit budget meant that cuts needed to be made and where first? Performing Arts. Having only taught for three years, I didn’t want to work part time – so the job hunting began.