ABOUT

So what do you actually do?

It’s a non-stop ever-changing role in which I’m able to support young adults with the direction they want to go in life.

As part of my role, I’m responsible for all of Key Stage 4 (years 10 & 11) as well as the school’s PE curriculum.

What has your career path been?

I come from years and years of sports coaching, after getting my first job coaching tennis at 13. From there I followed my interest in sports, later realising that it was working with children that I was passionate about.

I did my PGCE after my degree in Sport & Exercise Science, and initially went into teaching at a mainstream primary school. From there, I relocated to Manchester and taught Maths at a secondary school in a very disadvantaged area - mainly working with the pupils that were disengaged and underachieving. From there I moved into this role, relocating back to London.

What is the best part of your job?

Without a doubt, the best part of my role is developing strong relationships with the students and being able to support them with their development as young adults.

Often they have been largely misunderstood in their schooling, so being able to work with the pupils as young adults, needs and all, is very important.

Why do you do your job?

I had a very mixed schooling in terms of quality and engagement.

I found very specific teaching approaches worked for me as a student, and other methods disengaged me completely and I would underachieve. So doing anything I can to avoid young black males in particular from underachieving or being misunderstood is my motivation.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Be very clear on why you are doing it!

There are days where you’re exhausted, but remembering the purpose of what you’re doing is a major key! Either this or be as adaptable as possible because it’s rare that anything goes exactly as planned in schools. 

Check out Toby’s Instagram below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

I’m usually up very early despite not being a morning person. I find it’s easier to get things done first thing in the morning as opposed to after the school day, so I get to work at approx 7:15am when everything’s quiet. 

I’ll generally get all the resources ready for the day and deal with any emails from before. I also use this time to wake myself up properly (caffeine) and prepare myself for the day (caffeine). 

We will have a meeting before the pupils come in, and I’ll go through what the pupils are doing today and any notices/changes of plan (these are very frequent).

When the pupils come in, the rest of the day is made up of teaching engaging lessons that are all tailored to each pupil’s needs whilst managing and supporting them emotionally.

We spend most of our day engaging with the pupils, working with them on their emotional and behavioural needs and that can be tiring, but it’s definitely the most important part of the role. 

When the pupils leave for home, we will have a meeting or some training and then we can either prepare for the next day or assess the day that’s just gone. I generally will use that time to address things that have come up over the day. I’ll also have a chat and a laugh with the staff in the team because we’ll need it!

Another large part of my role is the planning of my role is the planning of the curriculum for the Key Stage. Often these are practical activities that develop them as young adults or support them in the pursuit of the career pathway that they have selected. 

Then it’s home time! Looking after myself is a big part of the role, so getting in things like gym and socialising is important.