My favourite part of working at PGS is the culture. Staff and student relationships are strong and it's a pleasure to work with the fantastic colleagues and students day to day!

I have always enjoyed working across all key stages with our amazing students. I also enjoy working closely with the excellent staff we have across all curriculum areas. In the role of an Achievement Leader there are no two days that are ever quite the same. The role is dynamic, working closely with the SSO, inclusion team, curriculum areas and external agencies to best support our students in developing and making progress, both personally and academically so that they ultimately leave PGS with the very best life chances.

I enjoy how hard working and supportive our students are, it is a pleasure to see young people thriving in a positive learning environment. I also enjoy the vast extra-curricular opportunities I see our students involved in. A standard day would be arriving to school and checking the weekly progress of our year group then meeting with Mrs Donoghue about our students before visiting Year 8 mentor time. As Head of Year I spend the majority of my day teaching Drama and fulfilling my teaching commitments such as marking Key Stage 4 and 5 work and creating schemes of learning for Key Stage 3. I also plan reward opportunities for our year group and organise meetings to support and celebrate the progress of our Year 8 students.

I really enjoy working with some fantastic staff, many of whom I'd call my friends not just colleagues. I also enjoy working as an Achievement Leader and interacting with students, many of which are receptive and try to develop themselves through our interactions and support. A standard day usually starts with students coming into our office seeking support for various concerns, either delivering assemblies or visiting mentor times to support students and mentors through the various mentor time activities and personal development curriculum. After mentor time and between teaching, sometimes 5 periods within the day, I have numerous conversation/interactions via phone or email with parents, conversations (both positive and negative) with students mainly regarding their effort, progress and behaviour in learning. Liaising with a range of staff including the SEN team, the attendance team, teachers and CALs to devise plans and actions for getting our students the best outcome to give them the best life chances and develop them as well rounded individuals. In addition to all these aspects I conduct lots of analysis on progress, behaviour and home learning data, again, all with a view to leading staff and students to improve and drive standards and ethos of the year group.

I love the trust that leaders have in me and other colleagues. I love the facilities and the grounds of Penistone Grammar School; the ethos and culture we have here. The vast majority of our students are lovely young people who are kind and polite. A typical day can be teaching five lessons back to back, delivering an assembly, emailing/phoning parents, liaising with other colleagues, visiting lessons, praising students, addressing students for not meeting expectations and I also have clubs after school some days within my role as PE teacher.