Seven years ago, Chelsea began her teaching journey as a Newly Qualified Teacher with us at Deneholm Primary School, little knowing the incredible path ahead. Today, she's an Assistant Headteacher at Chadwell St Mary, a testament to the power of opportunity and support within SWECET.
She discusses her journey with us, exploring the importance of well-being for staff and pupils, and how a collaborative environment has shaped her career.
Tell us how your career led you to Assistant Headteacher…
I began my teaching career as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) at Deneholm Primary School. Shortly after this, we became part of what is now, SWECET and throughout my time with SWECET, I have been provided with great opportunities to develop both personally and professionally.
In my first year, Deneholm joined SWECET and gained its academy status. I have now been teaching 7 years and throughout this time, I have taken on various leadership roles. I served as Maths Lead and eventually progressed to Year 2 Lead, where I assumed the responsibility of overseeing Key Stage One SATs. One of my most recent milestones was my move to Chadwell St. Mary, where I secured an internal secondment as Acting Assistant Head. I am now currently Assistant Head with Key Stage One responsibilities.
Sounds like a lot of self-growth and career progression! Did being part of the Trust make a difference?
The opportunities that I have been given at SWECET have served as a stepping stone into senior leadership. Importantly, SWECET have always provided me with the support, confidence, and encouragement I needed to believe in myself. Because of this, I have been able to develop as a middle and now senior leader throughout my career so far.
Everyone seems extremely supportive at SWECET. Do you find that teamwork is one of the driving forces behind its schools’ successes?
Being part of SWECET means there is a lot of collaboration. I can seek advice from teachers at other schools such as Stifford Clays Primary School and Deneholm Primary School. We are always sharing advice and best practices with one another. Most recently, the Senior Leadership Team organised special days where we could showcase our passions, inviting children from different year groups to a range of activities from a music day with a pianist to trips to meet alpacas, aligning with the curriculum and the well-being of our pupils.
Watching these children grow as individuals and their little personalities develop… It’s a gratifying journey, for sure. You can’t not smile when you’re working with the children, and I am proud to be in the teaching profession.
Wellbeing is paramount at SWECET. What does the Trust do to support staff and students?
Prioritising well-being is important for all of us at SWECET. We work together to ensure workloads are as effectively managed as possible, which in turn supports the quality of our teaching. We all want to provide the best possible academic and well-being support to our pupils, and that’s what makes SWECET a great place to work.
There’s also SWECET Fest each year for staff, which involves lots of socialising and fun, as well as a well-being charter and allocated leadership time, which allows subject leaders to have a huge impact across the school.
What do you love about being a teacher?
One of my favourite things about being a teacher is that no day is ever the same. I also love reaching the end of each term and taking the time to reflect on it’s highlights. Especially, looking at your pupil’s progress in summer term and comparing it to the beginning of the year is fulfilling as you witness the sheer creativity, imagination and stamina it has taken them to make these steps of progress. It’s that light bulb moment where you realise how far they have progressed, not only because you’ve guided them, but also these young minds have soaked up that knowledge and those learning experiences we are able to provide. Watching these children grow as individuals and their little personalities develop… It’s a gratifying journey, for sure. You can’t not smile when you’re working with the children, and I am proud to be in the teaching profession.