Trainee Spotlight | Liam Melton - Primary 5-11

Give a little background about your teaching career so far – how many years teaching, schools, age groups, subject specialisms, leadership roles…
I will be entering my first year of teaching after training but have been involved with education since 2016. I have trained with year 5, year 6 and year 2 during training, but have worked with every age group within primary school across 5 different primary schools.

Why did you want to be a teacher?
As a former Pupil Premium child and a child who did not appreciate or enjoy school myself, I was inspired by teachers who made a real effort to support me and were able to show me what education should be like and I feel as though I can make a real difference in supporting other children in doing the same, but particularly children experiencing the same difficulties I once did. 

Why did you choose Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance as your training provider?
As a kinaesthetic learner, I required a more hands-on approach to training and Exeter Consortium offered that. I was able to learn quickly through the school centred approach and being in placement across the whole year was essential in developing me as a teacher. I believe that it is only useful to learn pedagogical principles if you are actively using them consistently which Exeter Consortium’s approach allowed me to do. 

What were your favourite aspects of the course?
The high exposure to realistic, day to day teaching throughout the entire year, the high-quality teaching provided by current and experienced teachers during training days and the support given by the leadership team and other trainees.

Did you find Exeter Consortium to be supportive and welcoming?
Exeter Consortium were fantastic in their warm and welcoming approach. As a potential trainee prior to my interview, they made me feel at ease and comfortable. As a student, I always felt supported, concerns were addressed promptly, and my achievements were always celebrated regardless of how small they were. 

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?
As a male student teacher, it can feel daunting stepping into a career that has a very low percentage of male presence. But with Exeter Consortium, I was never treated differently as a male but equally never received any preferential treatment above any of my female colleagues. As student teachers, we all received equal treatment and opportunity. 

Describe your time training to teach in three words:
Engaging, emotional, valuable 

What advice would you give to prospective trainee teachers?
Approach everything with an open mind, immerse yourself in the year, never be afraid to ask questions, take risks, be reflective and most importantly, celebrate every win. There will be difficult times, but instead of dwelling on them, use them as a method of development. Do not let your work become your life, you need time to be you so make free time non-negotiable.

If there is anything else you want to add, or tell us about your experiences so far or aspirations for the future, please do!
I hope to one day work into a leadership position, possibly even into a headteacher role. I feel like Exeter Consortium have given me the starting skills needed to one day make that a reality. 

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