Q: What is your role?
A: My role is extremely varied and no two days are the same. I aim to be as supportive and forward facing as I can be, so it is a balance of attending meetings and working strategically behind the scenes as well as being on the floor supporting learning and ensuring that everyone feels happy and included.

Q: You were identified for Team Talks by your colleagues. Why is this work important to you?
A: Being able to support those who are most disadvantaged in life and bring back a love of learning that may have been lost for our young people is something I have always felt strongly about. As someone who returned to education later in life myself, I fully embrace the importance of second chances and strive to ensure that this is what is offered at Cranbury College. However, none of this is achievable by one person alone. It is imperative that staff have everything they need to be part of that journey too, whether that is guidance, practical resources or support.

“Second chances matter, and helping young people rediscover a love of learning is something I feel deeply about.”

Q: What motivates you to keep pushing this work forward?
A: Someone once told me that students who want to learn will do so regardless of you, but those who do not will do so because of you. That has always stayed with me. My motivation is to help students fall back in love with learning, because it is such a powerful thing.

Q: What has shaped your approach? What have you learned along the way?
A: Resilience, a different way of thinking and championing those who others may have given up on have shaped my approach. Strong relationships and a great team are vital, as well as recognising that every student is an individual and what works for one may not work for another.

“Every student is different, and finding the approach that works for them can make all the difference.”

Q: Which MET value connects most strongly to your work and why?
A: It is hard to choose one value because they are all interconnected. If you lose sight of one, the others begin to falter. If I had to choose, I would say Work Together, because that is the foundation that enables the other values to thrive.

Q: What advice would you give to colleagues interested in similar work?
A: Be prepared for setbacks and bumps along the way, but treat them as learning opportunities. You may need to adapt your journey, but you never need to abandon it.

Q: Any final reflections?
A: As a leader of learning, the journey never ends. There is always more to improve and develop, so watch this space.

Thank you, Claire, for sharing your work with us in this Team Talk.

#TeamMET #CranburyCollege #AlternativeProvision #EducationLeadership #SecondChances