Trainee Spotlight | Stacy Sussex - 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 worked in a primary school for 8 consecutive years as an Administrator before deciding to teach and have loved every second of it! I decided it was time for me to take the next step in my career as my two children grew older. In my 2 placements whilst I have been training, I have been in year 1 and year 3 and I have loved both separately.

Why did you want to be a teacher?
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but when I did my law degree, I didn't know how to translate that into teaching at the time.  I found accessing information when I left university very difficult, but working in a primary school for as long as I have has opened my eyes to how impactful teaching can be in the lives of young people.

Why did you choose Exeter Consortium Schools’ Alliance as your training provider? 
I spent a lot of time considering who would be the best provider for me as a trainee teacher. Ultimately, the school that I was working in at the time were using Exeter Consortium and when I looked into their ethos and what they could offer as a training provider, I decided it would be the best fit for me. It was important that a provider could meet my needs as a parent, so locality was really important and I also wanted to train somewhere that gave me the opportunity to be in the classroom as much as possible, getting hands-on experience.

Describe your time training to teach in three words:
Challenging, Invigorating and Enlightening

What advice would you give to prospective trainee teachers?
If I had any advice for upcoming training teachers, it would be to try and plan in advance as much as possible. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask them and rely on the expertise of your mentor and others around you. It's very easy to take feedback personally, but ultimately, they are trying to help you become the best you can be. Embrace every day, put your best foot forward and seize every opportunity to improve and learn.
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