I began my career much earlier than when I began working schools. In previous employment I worked within a young offender’s institution and later helped young soldiers achieve literacy and numeracy qualifications. From these two roles the impact of not having access to quality education became very clear to me.  Thinking about how these individuals had found themselves in situations where they felt they had limited choices was very closely linked to their educational experiences. Listening to their experiences, often involving very early exclusion from school posed the question ‘what if?’. What if they had been supported when experiencing difficulties at a young age, what if the trauma they had experienced had been identified and the impact on them recognised, what if someone had been their ‘good adult’ and offered guidance and support?

As a result of this contemplation, I decided to become part of the solution and to train to teach. I began as a teaching assistant and had the opportunity to learn from strong practitioners. I then progressed to achieve the Higher-Level Teaching Assistant status and finally completed my degree in Early Childhood Studies. My training was undertaken at Richmond Primary in Swale and later at Saxon Way Primary in Medway.  In 2012 I secured my first teaching position at Regis Manor Primary School in Swale and remained with the school until 2017 progressing to the post of Assistant Headteacher. It was not an easy decision to leave a school where I had been supported and developed however, I felt I needed to experience other schools to progress my professional knowledge and experience. This saw me beginning the new academic year in 2017 at Barnsole Primary School in Medway.  During the time at Barnsole I learnt many leadership lessons and felt ready to make the leap to Deputy Principal when the post at Oasis Academy Skinner Street was advertised.

I began my first Deputy post in 2018 and completed 1 year and 3 days before being asked to step up as Interim Principal in 2019. This was a period of rapid growth for me and with excellent support from the Trust I began to change the Academy to meet the needs of all pupils. In February 2020 I was made substantive in post, just in time for COVID to arrive in March.

As a new Principal leading an Academy through such an unprecedented time, I was able to learn how to lead in a time of crisis. The whole Academy community pulled together, and we were able to introduce iPad’s as part of the Horizons project and therefore provide high quality remote learning to our pupils. The reopening process, health and safety requirements and replanning of the Academy day provided challenges and opportunities and some of the adaptions remain as they supported the development of the Academy.

In 2022 in the first term of the new academic year Ofsted visited the academy and recognised the work that has been undertaken here and how the Academy has a clear vision and is firmly on a path of continued improvement. Securing a good judgement was a satisfying moment of my career and I am now moving towards the securing of an Outstanding judgement in the future.