One of our longest serving teachers has left after nearly 25 years at Brooke Weston. Lisa West has performed a huge number of roles since coming to work in the sports department in 1991.
As well gaining her degree, she has taught in the PE, Science and Design Technology departments as well as delivering the BTEC Health and Social Care qualification. For the past three years she has been Brooke Weston’s SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator).
Miss West said: ‘I came here to do some fitness training as a favour and never left! The first Principal, Gareth Newman, employed me full time while I studied for a biological science degree through Leicester University. I did it in four years, studying in the evenings and during free periods. I have mainly taught PE but have also taught science and DT. I have been here just short of 25 years. I have had some fabulous opportunities and there are lots of different roles and things that I have done.
‘I enjoyed training NQTs although that was a bit scary. Teaching in DT was good fun. In terms of professional development I have had a really broad background and have done most things. I did my degree, QTS and Masters qualification but for the SENCO role you have to have a national qualification which is pitched at Master's level. That was pretty intense involving a study day per month and two 5,000 word assignments while working full time. I also had to do a special educational needs assessment course for exam access.
‘I have had massive career progression over the years and will end up with a second Master's in Special Educational Needs. The lovely thing about my job here has been enabling readers to get up to their chronological reading age and some of the highlights have been the residential trips. I am still in contact with quite a few of our first students who are now in their 30s and have fabulous jobs all over the world.’