NQTS


To kick off our NQT special, Chris Parr speaks to three


new teachers to find out how their first year at the chalkface has been working out, and what their hopes are for year two


Luke Payton


French / German Stourport High School, Worcestershire


How is your first year going? It’s going really well! The staff and kids here at Stourport are amazing. All of the kids really appreciate the job we are doing and all members of staff have been so supportive and have really helped me in settling in and becoming part of the school. I think this has really made a big difference to my experience of being an NQT.


What’s been the most challenging aspect? I think adapting to the workload has been challenging. Although I felt very well prepared after my PGCE, I don’t think you realise what the workload is actually like until you are an NQT, when your timetable is heavier, you have more books to mark, and more lessons to plan. I really felt that the first half-term was the most challenging time, when I was finding my feet and getting to know the school, kids and staff. The realisation that I was a teacher and not a trainee anymore was also something that was quite tricky to deal with. Once I had overcome this hurdle – and after giving myself a few talkings to – I found it easier to make my own decisions and not have to double check with someone all the time!


What’s been the most enjoyable thing about the first two terms? Building and developing relationships with all of the pupils has been the best thing this year. A number of the pupils I teach have difficult backgrounds and this can express itself in school through negative behaviour. Being able to get on well with these pupils and to see them achieve and develop in my subject has been the most enjoyable thing for me. I think being a local lad has really helped me in achieving this as I know where these kids are from and am able to provide them with advice and guidance that is suitable to them.


What would you do differently if you were starting over? I don’t think there really is anything. My NQT experience at Stourport has been extremely positive. I think this is mainly due to the level of support I have received from all of the staff at school, including the senior leadership team, my professional mentor and subject mentor. I would maybe try and be a bit smarter about the way I manage my time to ensure that I don’t spend too long on one task.


How was the step-up from trainee to NQT? I was lucky during my PGCE in that I spent one of my placements at a high-achieving rural school and the other one at a challenging urban one. I think that this enabled me to quickly make the transition from trainee to PGCE as I had been able to gain some experience of all types of pupil, from high-ability to low-ability. The workload is different from trainee to NQT, but I was provided with such great support that it didn’t feel like a massive jump.


Any particularly amusing stories from your first term? My first lesson with my bottom set year 8 French group was entertaining. The lesson went really well but as the pupils were packing away and getting ready to go, one of the lads was sick all over his desk, chair, himself and nearly on me! As you can imagine, this didn’t go down well with the rest of the class. I dismissed the rest of the class and he was stood


in my room. Unfortunately, the smell was so bad that both myself and the teaching assistant who was working with us were retching too. Luckily, the caretakers arrived soon after and helped bring the situation to an end!


Rachel McCullough


Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education Belvoir High School, Leicestershire


How is your first year going? My first year of teaching has been fantastic so far. That’s not to say that everything has gone to plan all the time and there have been ups and downs, but generally speaking, there have been more ups.


What’s been the most challenging aspect? I think the most challenging aspect of my NQT year so


SecEd • June 24 2010


One year in


far has been learning how to deal with the behaviour issues. As a teacher of personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE), I teach a large number of classes just one lesson each week, and so getting to know the pupils and understanding their needs has added to this challenge. Trying not to feel bad about that one class on a


Friday afternoon that seems totally uninterested no matter what I do has been difficult, but the satisfaction of knowing that I have made a difference to a large number of pupils, changing their attitudes to learning has made everything worthwhile.


What’s been the most enjoyable thing about the first two terms? I think the best thing about the first two terms has been learning about myself as a teacher, realising my capabilities, understanding my strengths and weaknesses. I am lucky to work with a fabulous team of staff who are extremely supportive and have helped me to establish myself and feel a real part of the school community. During the first term, I suppose it was much


like starting any other job in that I was getting to know people, both pupils and staff, and finding my way around the school’s policies and procedures. The biggest task however was organising my classroom, as on arrival in September there was nothing in it but a teacher’s desk and an interactive whiteboard. No tables or chairs for the pupils, no storage cupboards or shelves, and very limited resources. I managed to scrounge some lecture chairs so that


pupils had something to sit and work on, and quickly put in a stock order, but it was half-term before my new furniture arrived. Having proper tables and chairs made a big


difference to the teaching environment and enabled me to establish my classroom routines which has impacted positively on the teaching and learning through to the second term.


What would you do differently if you were starting over? I would definitely be firmer with classes from the outset, particularly with my form group who took advantage


of my inexperience as a teacher and my familiarity with the school. However, continued perseverance is beginning to pay off.


How was the step-up from trainee to NQT? The step from trainee to NQT has gone really smoothly. I have had great support from all the staff at school and had the opportunity to go on numerous training courses to continue my professional development.


Any particularly amusing stories from your first term? My classroom is an internal classroom with windows along three sides which look out into the corridor. One morning, while I was teaching a year 7 class, a colleague walked (or should I say strutted) past the rear window where only I could see him – the pupils were sitting with their backs to this wall – pulling faces at me through the window. I just had to burst out laughing when I saw his face


bobbing up and down through the window. The pupils all wondered what was happening. I think they thought I had gone a bit mad. True to their good nature the pupils all carried on taking it in turn to read out loud from the text book until one girl plucked up the courage to ask: “Are you laughing at us Miss?”


What are your goals for next year? Next year I plan to continue to develop the PSHCE curriculum by updating old schemes of work and introducing new ones. I am also introducing the ASDAN Citizenship Award for key stage 4 – a way to give pupils some recognition for their achievements in the subject. As an NQT, I am already lead teacher, but I will be


taking on the additional responsibility of co-ordinator from September 2010. My aim is to raise the profile of PSHCE and make it a subject which pupils value as much as any other.


Helene Le Sergent


A French national who is in her NQT year teaching French and Spanish at Hanham High School near Bristol. She did her PGCE at Bristol University.


What are the differences between French and English schools? In France, pupils don’t wear a uniform and if they get a bad mark due to a lack of work, or if they struggle academically, they sit a class again, whereas in England, all the pupils go in the class above but they will be in different sets. Finally, there is no registration in the morning and no tutor group.


How is your first year going? I think it is going quite well. I really like the school I’m actually working in. Next, I find the job more interesting as an NQT than when I was a PGCE student. I teach my own class and get to know my pupils better. I think the most challenging part is dealing with


the amount of work (planning, marking, meeting and so on), and meeting deadlines. Working with my colleagues has been the most enjoyable thing, as they are really supportive. And, I like it when the pupils say “hello” to me in the morning even if I’m not teaching them during the day.


How did term one differ from term two? Personally, I did not see any differences between the two terms. Apparently, the first term is meant to be more difficult because we don’t know the school well. However, I think the second term might be even harder as you know the school better, you imagine yourself being able to deal with everything, and if you don’t you’re disappointed.


What would you do differently if you were starting over? I think I would call parents more often or send more letters home because when you know the parents, you can deal better with behaviour management issues. Sending letters of praise home motivates children when they know they are doing well.


How was the step-up from trainee to NQT? When you are PGCE student, you are not always aware of everything that is happening apart from teaching your class. As an NQT, you have a tutor group and more classes and parents’ evenings. There are definitely more responsibilities.


SecEd 17


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