I have been an English Teacher for ten years, with eight of those years spent as the literacy co-ordinator at St Martins 3-16 school. In this time, I have worked with various members of staff and students to promote a love of reading. Students at St Martins understand the value of reading. Our library is based in the ‘hub’, and feels like the centre of the school. We celebrate reading and take every opportunity possible to create a buzz around books and reading. My philosophy is that all reading is good reading; it develops good habits, provides children with a source of knowledge and can be used to push their boundaries when they are more confident.

I am currently enrolled on an Educational Doctorate programme at Chester University; I wish to base my research around the barriers to literacy development. I believe there is a plethora of research into what the barriers may be, but there is further work to be done to understand why these barriers develop and what can be done to remove these barriers.

I qualified as a teacher in 2013 and since then I have worked in various settings. Since being at St Martins school, I have worked as the literacy co-ordinator, later being promoted to Second in English and then Head of Year. Most recently, I have secured a position as Head of House from September 2023. I achieved a MA in Educational Leadership and Management in 2020 which has helped me to develop my skills further and provided me with the theoretical background to enable me to drive change.

I am passionate about helping both staff and students to achieve their potential. Thinking creatively and positively, I want to help schools to overcome their unique barriers in their settings, and develop strategies to improve attitudes to reading and literacy as appropriate to their own situation.