New Directions Education invest in Teachers of the Future
New Directions Education has launched the academic year with a series of events to support Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) and individuals looking to pursue a career within the teaching sector. Working with former Headteachers and NQT mentors, as well as a series of other key speakers, teams in both the Cardiff and Swansea offices have hosted a number of seminars to help signpost individuals.
Speaking about the initiative, Howard Burge, Regional Manager for the business said ‘Every year we meet with hundreds of newly qualified teachers across the UK. As they emerge from university and embark upon their career within education we want to help support them to become the best they can be. Our discussions as teams across the business highlighted a need to add a little extra support beyond that of a traditional recruitment agency. By inviting in some key figures from the industry, we are able to give the attendees at our seminars a very ‘real’ first hand explanation of what is expected and what can be expected.
Guest speakers at the events have included Steve Rees, Headteacher at Evenlode Primary School and David Lewis, Headteacher at Aberbargoed Primary School. Both Steve and David spoke directly to NQTs in Cardiff about the importance of always being aware of your surroundings in school, of understanding a child’s journey each day within the classroom.
Speaking about the event in Cardiff, one newly qualified teacher commented:
It was very reassuring to have head teachers identify the main things that they are looking for from a supply teacher, it put me at ease. In addition, the talk about the statutory requirements for the NQT year was very informative. I do not know about everyone else, but my university did not clearly discuss the need to fill out an induction profile document. I was also unaware that day to day supply teaching could count towards my induction year.
The seminar held in Swansea saw Mr Ed Berry, NQT mentor address the audience about creating their 55 pieces of evidence for their portfolio and how they can evidence this. In Cardiff Heather Jones, Deputy Headteacher and also NQT mentor echoed this sentiment stressing the importance of evidencing work as an NQT. Both speakers were exceptionally popular with the audience:
Last night was fantastic and incredibly helpful. I found the whole session enjoyable and came away with a better insight into my NQT year. Heather’s talk was great and the chance to chat and ask questions at the end worked very well.
The NQT sessions from New Directions Education have also included talks from Bob Meier, Safeguarding Officer for the business who addresses the importance of understanding and following safeguarding processes and procedures, Ruth Dalton, Group Head of Communications for New Directions who discusses the importance of protecting yourself online with a responsible attitude towards social media.
These seminars are free to attend and run throughout the year. If you would like more information about how you can get involved in sessions in the future, please email [email protected]
