 Give a little background about your teaching career so far – how many years teaching, schools, age groups, subject specialisms, leadership roles…
Before starting my teacher training journey, I was a speech and language therapy assistant, working with both primary and secondary aged children. I have now secured my first teaching job at a small village primary school where I will be teaching year 5. Why did you want to be a teacher? I wanted to become a teacher because I’m passionate about making a positive impact on children’s lives. As a values-driven person, I want to make a difference in the world, and what better way than by supporting children during their early years of education and life in general! I love the relationships you can build with young children and how rewarding it is to watch them grow, learn, and thrive in a supportive classroom environment. Why did you choose Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance as your training provider? I chose Exeter Consortium because of how you learn on the job and are put in placement from the beginning. I wanted to get into school straight away, so I knew the SCITT route was for me. Also, everyone at the Consortium was so supportive through the application and interview process which helped in deciding to train with them. It is important to me to be around people who are supportive and genuinely have your best interests at heart, and put the time and effort in to get to know you personally. This sums up the team at Exeter Consortium. What were your favourite aspects of the course? I’ve really enjoyed the training days we’ve spent visiting different schools in the area, where the focus has been on something that school does particularly well. I always come away from those days feeling inspired and full of ideas to bring into my own teaching. Did you find Exeter Consortium to be supportive and welcoming? I can’t speak highly enough of how supportive and welcoming the Exeter Consortium team has been. They make you feel truly valued and listened to, and no question is ever too small or overlooked. Describe your time training to teach in three words: Rewarding, inspiring, dynamic. What advice would you give to prospective trainee teachers? There’s no job quite like teaching, and that’s what makes it so special. Every day is different and brings new challenges, but that’s exactly why it’s so rewarding. If you’re thinking about taking the leap, I’d say go for it! I have no regrets and I’m so excited to begin my first teaching job this September.
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 Give a little background about your teaching career so far – how many years teaching, schools, age groups, subject specialisms, leadership roles…
My teaching career began as an apprentice TA working in an SEN school, this led to me successfully gaining employment within the school and I stayed there for 9 years whilst completing my degree part time. I worked with children across years 3 to 7. I am now going to be working as a KS1 teacher in Exeter. Why did you want to be a teacher? Ever since I was a child, teaching is something I have always wanted to do. I loved school and enjoyed learning and would line all my toys up and pretend they were my class. Then working as a TA, I experienced first-hand the rewards of working with children. Seeing the joy on children’s faces each day. Seeing the progress and small successes and how this all contributed to the bigger picture of the child’s learning journey. Why did you choose Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance as your training provider? I chose Exeter Consortium as I wanted to continue working with children witnessing and being a part of their learning journeys. Training with Exeter Consortium allowed me to get stuck in straight away, being in the classroom from day one. I am so pleased I chose this route into teaching as it has allowed me to feel prepared for the next stage in my career. What were your favourite aspects of the course? My favourite aspects of the course were the GPS sessions, gaining new knowledge to put into practice and learning in a hands-on way often engaging with the learning and experiencing it how a child would. Attending these sessions with other ExCo alumni created a warm and safe environment where we would all share ideas and successes, making those training sessions invaluable. The ITAP weeks were also a favourite - visiting other schools and seeing how training is implemented there and taking these forward into my own practice. This has really shaped who I am as a teacher. Did you find Exeter Consortium to be supportive and welcoming? Exeter Consortium were beyond supportive, they always have the time to listen and offer ways of support tailored to each trainee. Exeter Consortium feels like a family with mentors and trainees all supporting each other to become amazing teachers! Describe your time training to teach in three words: Exciting, happy and interesting! What advice would you give to prospective trainee teachers? This year is like nothing else, embrace every opportunity and take everything you can from your placements and training sessions, these experiences are invaluable. The rewards you get from this experience compares to no other. Be proud of yourself for embracing the challenge and think of your end goal of why you want to be a teacher!  Give a little background about your teaching career so far – how many years teaching, schools, age groups, subject specialisms, leadership roles…
Before starting my teacher training, I worked as a classroom assistant in a SEND and SEMH school, supporting children with high needs. Before that, I was at home raising my young family and helping my husband run our family business. My time as a teaching assistant really confirmed how much I enjoyed being in a school setting and working closely with children. Why did you want to be a teacher? I've always loved spending time with children and being part of their learning and development. Teaching has always felt like such a meaningful and important role to me - some of my own teachers made a lasting impact, and I’ve looked up to them ever since. Working in an SEMH setting showed me how powerful a caring, consistent adult can be in a child’s life, and it made me want to be that person for others. Why did you choose Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance as your training provider? Exeter Consortium stood out because of its connections with local primary schools in my area. Living in a rural location with a young family, the fact that their partner schools are nearby made a big difference for me. I was also really pleased to see that they work with the University of Exeter, where I did my degree - it felt like a great fit. What were your favourite aspects of the course? I really appreciated the school-based approach. Being in the classroom from the very beginning helped me learn so much, especially since I didn’t have a huge amount of experience in mainstream schools before starting the course. It gave me confidence and helped me feel like part of the team early on. Did you find Exeter Consortium to be supportive and welcoming? Yes, absolutely. They’ve been kind, approachable, and always ready to help if I needed anything. From the start, they’ve made it clear that we’re supported, and that’s meant a lot during what can be a challenging year. Exeter Consortium strive to be inclusive and committed to Equal opportunities. Are you able to comment on any way in which you found this to be the case? I’ve really felt that everyone on the course is treated with respect and care, regardless of background or experience. There’s a real focus on inclusion, and the trainers make sure everyone feels heard and valued. Describe your time training to teach in three words: Inspiring – Resilient – Growing What advice would you give to prospective trainee teachers? Try to get as much experience in mainstream schools as you can before starting - it really helps once the course begins. And don’t be afraid to build relationships early. The teaching community in Devon is small and supportive, and making connections can lead to some lovely opportunities. If there is anything else you want to add, or tell us about your experiences so far or aspirations for the future, please do! Be kind to yourself - it’s a learning process and it’s okay to make mistakes. What matters most is that you reflect, stay open to learning, and keep showing up. It’s a tough journey at times, but it’s also so rewarding.
Rewards of up to £100 are given every term to school staff in recognition of the contribution made to school life and supporting pupils and families. Schools can nominate one member of staff per year. The following incredible people received awards of £100 each during the Spring term 2025: Charlotte Frazer - Southmead Primary School, Braunton
Charlotte Frazer, Teaching Assistant and PE Meal Time Assistant at Southmead Primary School, Braunton, North Devon. Charlotte was nominated by her Headteacher and explains how rewarding she finds her role as a Teaching Assistant: “Being a teaching assistant is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding roles, where the children always come first. Every day, I have the privilege of guiding and supporting them, not only in their academic learning but also in their emotional and social development. My role is built on kindness, patience, and understanding, ensuring that each child feels valued and supported in their journey. A vital part of my role is working with children who have special educational needs (SEN), including those with dyslexia, ADHD, and autism. I provide tailored support to help them overcome challenges and build confidence in their abilities. I also support Afghan children in learning English, understanding British culture, and embracing their new environment while respecting and celebrating their own traditions. Beyond the classroom, I offer emotional support to children on the playground, ensuring they feel safe, included, and happy. I also extend this support to families, working closely with parents to help children thrive both at school and at home. Whether a child is struggling academically, emotionally, or socially, I am always there to provide encouragement and reassurance. Working in a busy school environment means being part of a strong, supportive team. I understand the importance of teamwork and reliability, ensuring I never let my team down. The ability to adapt quickly is essential, as each day brings new challenges—whether stepping into a different classroom, assisting with different year groups, or responding to unexpected situations. Above all, I remain positive and motivated, always striving to be the best I can be for the children. I aim to instill strong morals, resilience, and a love for learning in every child I support, helping to shape them into kind, confident individuals ready for the future.” Charlotte’s Headteacher said the following: “Charlotte always goes above and beyond for staff, trainees and most of all our children and their families. Nothing is ever too much. She has undertaken training off her own back (as well as directed) which has made significant impact to the progress of our children - especially in Phonics. The children always come first and she will scoop them up to support their pastoral and social and emotional needs as well as their academics. She has worked with Trainee Teachers and Teaching Assistants and always offers them support. As I said before, nothing is ever too much. Like everyone, she has a lot going on but that does not affect her at work and she gives 100% to everything she does. Thank you Charlotte - you are a star!” Tina Elder, St Peter's CE Primary School, Budleigh Salterton
Tina Elder, Meal Time Assistant at St Peter’s CE Primary School, Budleigh Salterton. Tina was nominated by her Headteacher, who said: “Tina goes above and beyond in her role as a mealtime assistant, making a huge difference to our school. At Christmas, she sews costumes for pupils who don’t have one. When the kitchen is short-staffed, she steps in without hesitation. She bakes for every school fundraiser and always contributes to PTA events. She never seeks recognition—she just gives her time, skills, and kindness to help others. Tina is truly an unsung hero, and we are so grateful for everything she does. She absolutely deserves this award!” Tina explained: “I love my little job at St Peter’s School. I moved to Exmouth in 2021 from Bristol to wind down and be with family. I applied for the meal time assistant role at my granddaughter’s school. I love seeing the children and talking to them, finding out about their lives (they love to talk!). Having worked in catering all my life, I often help out and cover in the school kitchen too. I love baking and make cakes for as many bake sales as I can. I like to help out in any way and being able to sew, I make costumes and dressing up items for classes too. When our class are looking for items, I try to source them and get what they need. I haven’t got a lot of money but I have skills and time to offer, which I try to do. It’s a lovely school, staff are amazing but many resources are lacking so helping in any way is always good. I retire soon but hope to continue at the school while my health allows. Thank you once again.” Rebecca Haswell, Exwick Heights Primary School, Exeter
Rebecca Haswell, Teacher, Exwick Heights Primary School, Exeter. Rebecca was nominated by her Headteacher, who explained: “She is a true ray of sunshine at Exwick Heights. She rallies her team with enthusiasm and warmth, ensuring that everyone feels valued and supported. Her dedication to the children in her class is unwavering - she works tirelessly to provide them with the very best opportunities, always putting their needs first.” Megan Nahavandi-Pour, St George’s CE Primary School, Plymouth
Megan Nahavandi-Pour, Higher Level Teaching Assistant, Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, Inclusion Lead and Family Support Worker at St George’s CE Primary School, Plymouth. Megan explains her role at St George's CE Primary School in Plymouth: “I am the Family Support Worker, DDSL, HLTA, Inclusion Lead and PE Ambassador at St George's CE Primary School. We're a small inclusive school with a village feel, located in the heart of Plymouth city. I support families with accessing services across Plymouth and hold community events with a range of organisations to help build on our local connections. I am passionate about being active for the benefit of our children’s health and well-being. We hold a field gun, running club, young carer and military club, this helps children build on life skills such as resilience, perseverance and team work to name a few.” Megan was nominated by her Headteacher, who said: “Meg is simply fabulous! No task is too much for her and she goes above and beyond for the children and families at our school. Meg is approachable, non-judgmental and engenders trust from those she supports. Meg is solution focused and has really creative ideas to reach the best conclusions. She is fully involved in the life of the school from taking children to sports events, running our military and young carers clubs and arranging fund raising events to arranging discos and other events (very often in her own time). She is upbeat and positive and has a great sense of humour. She is a colleague in a million and is genuinely a major part of what makes our school great. Thank you for everything you do Meg!” Congratulations to all those nominated this term and thank you for all the work you do to support staff, pupils and families across your school communities.
Applications are now open for our Summer term awards. More information can be found in our monthly newsletter.
Jo also mentors children after school each day, providing them a space to experience joy and to nurture a special bond with a key adult in school. In her own time, Jo studies to improve her own knowledge, particularly around SEND and has also created some amazing art work on items being used to enhance our playground provision." About Jo and her role as Teaching Assistant Losing my job as a designer during the pandemic led me to discover a whole new passion in working with children. When I started at St. Martin's, I learned that working with children with complex needs can be incredibly rewarding and I have since focused on improving my knowledge and skills to support the children even more. I am extremely proud of this award for my work with a child with complex needs and for using my skills as an artist to benefitthe school too. When I first began working with a 5-year-old boy, I realised that I needed to find creative ways to engage him in learning. He would regularly refuse to complete tasks, so I knew I needed to think outside the box to foster a connection and encourage participation. I discovered his love for Rick Astley. Recognising this opportunity, I created "Maths by Rick Astley," combining his favourite music with the learning objectives. This approach was an instant success because it appealed to his interests and helped build rapport and make learning fun. It was a success for a while but those that work with children with Special Educational Needs know that you have to continuously be creative and come up with new ways to engage them. Despite facing many ups and downs, including periods of challenging behaviour, I worked closely with both his parents and the school to maintain open communication and ensure consistency. Through this collaborative effort, we were able to keep him in a mainstream setting where he could thrive. Our partnership lasted three years and it’s especially heart-warming that, before moving to a specialised provision, he took part in the whole school’s Sports Day. Witnessing him overcoming his fear and taking part in an event that he had never participated in before was an incredibly emotional moment for him, me and his family. That milestone is something that will stay with me for a long time. These moments are what make the job so rewarding. It’s not just about the lessons they learn academically, but the ones they learn about themselves. It’s important to approach every child with patience, creativity, and belief in their potential. St Martin’s is an environment where every child feels safe and supported and it is evident that what we do has a meaningful impact on their ability to succeed. The ‘School Staff ‘Thank You’ scheme’ is open to all Exeter Consortium partner schools as listed on our website HERE and a school can nominate one member of staff per year. To nominate a member of staff from your school please use the Google form HERE. The deadline for nominations is the last Friday before each half term break.
For information about the Exeter Consortium ‘School Staff Thank You Scheme’ please contact [email protected] |
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