Could you please share some insights about yourself?

I have always been driven by sports, and have achieved many things in the past surrounding it. I have played netball since I was 8 and have loved every second of it. I have been through a coaching experience as a part of my Duke of Edinburgh, competed in many athletic events when I was at school and have also taken part in all sports across the board.

What motivated your decision to become an Inspire+ apprentice?

My experience of PE in primary school wasn’t the best and I wanted to give children the opportunities that I didn’t have growing up. I wanted to give children the support and tools that they would need to enjoy sports and encourage those who don’t particularly like it to have a go and step out of their comfort zone. My mum has always been my biggest supporter and she has been there for me throughout my whole level 2 apprenticeship journey and has continued to do so with my level 4 alongside all of the staff and students at St. Augustine’s. Personally, I have never wanted to go to university and I wasn’t 100% sure about what I wanted to do in life. After leaving my first year of college after only 5 months, I researched what I could do to take my next steps and start building my career.

What valuable insights and skills have you gained thus far during your apprenticeship?

I have learnt that determination and teamwork are 2 of the most important things when working in a school. Some days are really challenging but you need to have the motivation, self-control and drive to get you through the day in a positive way. Working within a school environment is like having a second family, everyone is able to work together and make the surrounding area feel like a home, working with others also allows you to be able to ask for help, and help others when needed. Being supported and part of a team has really helped me through my journey as I now know that nothing is a silly question and no worry is too small to be discarded.

What skills have you learned from attending training one day per week?

I have learnt about inclusivity, that you can’t rush things, you need to take time to get things to where you would like them to be and about different needs of different people. Every single person is different and I have learnt that everyone has a different learning style, knowing and understanding how to cater for all of these different learning styles and different needs has been one of the most challenging and valuable lessons I have been taught about.

What do you enjoy about your apprenticeship?

I enjoy that I am able to see progress, in all aspects, of the children that I teach. Not only am I teaching and supporting them in PE but I am also occasionally in the classroom helping individuals to thrive and building positive relationships with children that I can then reinforce in their PE lessons with them so that there is more trust there, enabling them to enjoy the lessons and take more away from them. I enjoy delivering sessions and seeing that the children are enjoying themselves and that they’ve met objectives of the session and can take away the skills that they have been taught.

What do you hope to achieve in the future?

After the completion of my Level 4, I am hoping to complete a University course online to get my degree whilst still gaining more experience within a school to hopefully become a PE teacher.

Would you like to share a good memory from your apprenticeship?

Some kids didn’t like the PE sessions, but after you started working with them, they were happier and enjoyed participating; how did you adapt a session to different levels of learning, and how your mentor helped you with an issue you had, etc. In June of 2023, I hosted a sports festival for SEND children not only from my own school setting but from local schools too. Seeing all of the children participate within this event and enjoying themselves whilst also building relationships with others was a truly heartwarming experience. This year, when our EYFS children started they were the youngest children that I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. They were quiet and shy, I have worked extremely hard to have a trusting relationship with them. I feel like they have all come out of their shell, beginning to trust me a lot more and enhancing skills that they may not have had beforehand. At the moment I am teaching them dance, being in our school hall can be quite daunting for small children as it is a large space. Within one of our sessions, they were all asked to listen to a piece of music with their eyes closed and move their body in a way that they felt represented the piece of music. Knowing how small and nervous they were, it was a huge ask of them, but they all met the objective with a smile on their face and blew me away with their amazing dancing, it really was beautiful to see.

Do you recommend other people to become an inspire+ apprentice?

100%, it has opened a lot of opportunities that I didn’t know about and I have met some amazing people along the way. It allows me to learn new skills through CPD courses, some of my favorites have been Forest school, which we are now mirroring in my school setting, swimming courses and the Royal Opera House course. I am so glad that I went for the apprenticeship experience when I did and I honestly wish that I had started after leaving school