Building on nearly 30 years in various roles within the state education setting, I am now using the mentoring skills I acquired to support children and young people in finding their way through challenging situations.

I have worked in various management positions, whilst being a class based teacher, in rural, suburban and inner city settings. During this time I have had the pleasure of working with pupils from very diverse social, ethnic and economic backgrounds.My current role is managerial and non-class based, involving curriculum design and development. This includes staff training across a wide range of subjects at primary level and promoting community engagement through providing opportunities which will broaden the experience and outlook of pupils, raise their aspirations and promote community cohesion (recently praised in BEP report) This means I am constantly on the look out to make links with businesses, charities, other educational establishments, community members, artists, religious groups and sports groups who can help me deliver memorable and thought provoking experiences or resources for the children. (If I've missed anyone out, it's totally unintentional and I'm open to new contacts!)I am also involved in the recruitment and training of new staff and the continued development of a team of middle managers. Another important and enjoyable aspect of my role is leadership coaching, NQT mentoring, and acting as a SBT for PGCE and Undergraduate teaching students from local universities.