Philippa Johnston Email & Phone Number

Passionate about helping young people feel successful, be aspirational and have a sense of purpose. As a structural engineer in London I first realised how much I enjoyed working with young people when The Institution of Civil Engineers invited me to be on a committee, based in Whitehall, to promote careers in engineering to schools, particularly to minority groups. I obviously took this too literally, as following a PGCE in teaching Design and Technology, I have had more impact in promoting engineering to my students by directly teaching them a STEM subject, supporting them with career choices and linking them with initiatives and opportunities; whilst making use of my previous experience in industry as a charted civil engineer with RIBA part 1 in Architecture. I have been particularly proud of the number of girls that I have worked with who have since gone on to study engineering and other STEM related subjects, with self confidence and lack of concern for gender bias and a true and valid belief that they can achieve anything they set their mind to. My passion for giving students a sense of purpose in understanding how the subjects they are studying can help them in the future; and by giving them meaningful experiences with industry; has lead me to become the school Careers Leader; achieving a certificate in level 6 Careers Leadership. Alongside this I am also the Assistant Head Design and Technology Lead for all schools in the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which is a dream job, as I now get to make an impact on raising the aspirations of more students, ensuring they all have access to a meaningful curriculum and can go on to succeed.