Reading is of my biggest passions, not just in teaching children the skills to read but also encouraging them to find the books, poems and stories that inspire and excite them. At St Thomas, we’ve developed a reading ladder that exposes children to a variety of genres and characters, allowing them to learn about others and build empathy but also to see themselves inside stories and feel that sense of being seen and belonging. I am so grateful to work alongside an amazing team who all prioritise a school culture based on a love of books. We enjoy celebrating big things like parent reading events, author visits and World Book Day, but more importantly, we all love talking about books and supporting children to build the will and skills to read for knowledge and pleasure.

In addition to leading English across the school, I also lead our Oracy programme with Voice21. I have enjoyed this challenge immensely, learning so much about the importance of speaking and listening and developing this as a priority at St Thomas. In a short time, we have seen an amazing increase in listening skills and justifying reasons through speaking in our children. I absolutely love leading our oracy assemblies and seeing children grow in confidence to share their ideas.

Most importantly, I love being in my Year 2 classroom. Aside from English, I especially love teaching maths, history and DT. We love class trips, listening to music, celebrating each others’ achievements and making sure everyone in our classroom is included and cared for. Getting to know the children and their interests, seeing the progress they make and helping make learning fun for them is the most rewarding feeling. I feel so grateful to be a part of their school journeys!”

Kathryn’s head teacher said “Going the extra mile, a ray of sunshine, a champion for children are just a few of the qualities which Mrs Morgan possesses. She not only teachers her Year 2 class but leads whole school initiatives: Early Reading, English, Voice 21 and ITT coordinator. Whilst the school’s Deputy has been on maternity leave she has also taken on extra responsibility supporting the Headteacher – one of those teachers who lights up the school with her presence (and her playlists before school are always welcome!) Mrs Morgan is passionate about every pupil in the school developing a love of reading for pleasure and leads parent workshops and regular CPD for the whole school staff. Her boundless energy and enthusiasm are best seen at playtimes as she charges around the playground playing ‘Pacman’ surrounded by beaming children. Every school needs a Mrs Morgan!”

Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Administrator Vacancy

Exeter Consortium are now seeking to appoint an Administrator to join a small team of dedicated staff to support our work with schools. The post holder will play a key role in the provision of Primary Initial Teacher Training Programmes assisting key ITT staff at Exeter Consortium.

Reporting to: The Primary ITT lead and the Exeter Consortium Business Manager.

Closing date: 16th June 2025
Interview date: 25th June 2025
 
Location: Office base at Countess Wear Community School, Exeter. Some working from home also an option.
Salary: Scale 4 SCP 7 - FTE £25,584
Hours: Part-Time 20 hours per week, 39 weeks per year (term time only). Working pattern to be agreed upon appointment; flexibility around school hours may be possible. Occasional additional hours may be required to support key events (e.g. recruitment days), with prior notice.

For more information, please see the Job Advert and Job Description at the links below. For an informal discussion please call Mark Drew on 01392 927171 (option 2 option 1).

To apply, please return a completed application form (see link below) to [email protected].
 
To be returned by the closing date: 16th June 2025
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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." 
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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]

ESP
What a term! So much has happened this autumn term we thought we would do a quick update before we head into the new year.

ESP have been very lucky to welcome new schools over the last few months, taking the total number of registered schools to 89. Their NQT support sessions have been a success and they are looking forward to developing these for next year. This month Keri and Sacha attended the Exeter University Teacher Recruitment event. It was great to talk to the next generation of teachers and receive such lovely positive feedback. ESP hope to have the opportunity to work with them next academic year.

ESP also have exciting plans to expand the office team and are currently recruiting a part-time administrator to join Keri and Sacha with arranging cover for the 89 schools. If you are interested or know someone who might be, more information about the role can be found on our website.

The autumn term has been a busy one for supply and ESP have reached a record number of bookings, covering almost 700 in November, their busiest month ever since starting ESP. We expect and hope this trend will continue in the new year as well.
We wish all our teachers, teaching assistants and colleagues in registered schools a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Enjoy the Christmas break everyone and we will see you in 2020!

CPD
It’s been a jam-packed autumn term for our CPD offering with over 500 delegates taking part across 23 courses. Notable events comprised our Inclusion Forum, Teaching & Learning Symposium and the first ever TSSW Literacy Conference which saw 124 delegates fill Exeter Racecourse to enjoy 3 keynote speeches and a variety of workshops by national and regional experts.

Our popular subject networks also continued to thrive with excellent attendances for Science, Maths, English, School Business Managers, Art, PE and Computing.
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Focus has already shifted to the Spring term with plenty of courses arranged for colleagues of all disciplines. The Technology Conference will take place on Friday 7th February at Tiverton Hotel and feature a keynote speech and workshop from Mr P (Lee Parkinson). New courses will also launch including TA Training, Trauma Informed Training and a Primary PSHE Network. Here’s to another successful term!

Stress can impact our mental health and can mean we struggle at work and don't feel able to cope with everyday life. There are things we can do to improve our mental wellbeing, and Able Futures can help mental health at work by providing advice, information and support. 

If you live with mental health difficulties, you know there are good days and bad days. You also know the bad days can affect you at work. You probably find it hard to focus or perform at your best. The aim of Able Futures is to help you enjoy more good days.
With support, signposting and information from a qualified mental health professional, you could learn more about your mental health, understand how you can access treatment for any mental health problems and connect with other people and support organisations who know what it's like to live with a mental health problem. The service is fast, flexible and, best of all, there is no charge to use this service.

Enjoy more good days

Able Futures can help you manage your mental health at work so you can enjoy more good days. Call Able Futures free on 0800 321 3137 from 8am to 10.30pm, Monday to Friday or apply online.
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Able Futures delivers the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. It could be available to you if you are you aged 16 or over, are in work or about to start work, live in Great Britain and have mental health difficulties that impact upon your work.

Click on the Able Futures logo below for more information.
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