Programme Coordinator, Tyneside

I am passionate about education and removing social barriers. I have been privileged in personally witnessing the impact it has had on the learners I have supported. This is because I have taught for thirty years, and I have always lived close to the schools in which I taught.

I have worked in four different educational establishments. At my penultimate school I was Lead Teacher coaching and mentoring all the staff to support them improve their pedagogy as well as Deputy head of Science. My last educational establishment was a National Pilot School set within a Further Education College. This was a very exciting opportunity as, having achieved the role of Curriculum Leader for Science I was able to develop, virtually from scratch, two new science departments. I was also Curriculum Lead for Stretch and Challenge ( Quality assurance and promoting progression). Our Direct Entry College supported students from the schools across the city in which I worked (not Newcastle) who were failing to progress within regular school settings, as well as home-schooled and school-phobic pupils. We offered a much-reduced academic curriculum with a wider selection of vocational courses. As a brand-new ‘school’ we were closely monitored by OFSTED as we trail-blazed the curriculum and structures required to support the education of our learners in our unique educational framework. During the course of the seven years that I worked there, I am very proud to be able to say, that we achieved “Outstanding” for all of our six inspections.

For the last three years I have worked on the National Tutoring Programme each time working for the DfE’s “preferred partner”. My roles were “Lead Tutor” (20/21), “Schools Engagement Executive” (21/22) and finally School Relations Officer (22/23).

In my spare time I like to be outside! It is important to me to keep fit, so I do resistance training and running, I particularly enjoy trail running. I love getting up into the mountains for hiking and climbing. Every year I canoe on the River Wye. When I holiday abroad I windsurf and sail.