Spotlight on Stephen, our Maths Extraordinaire

Stephen with some of our GCSE Maths Students

“I came into teaching quite late in my career.  I spent sometime as a lecturer on analogue, digital telecommunications and electrical engineering.  There was a lot of maths in these topics and I really enjoyed the classroom experience so I thought why not teach!?

For one reason or another I never enjoyed school and especially disliked maths.  So, you can imagine the shock on my families face when I announced that I had decided to give up lecturing and become a secondary school maths teacher.

As soon as I entered the classroom teaching maths, being a form tutor and supporting students in their every day school lives, I knew I had found what I was actually meant to do for the rest of my life.

I had been teaching 18 months when I became Assistant Head of Maths.  6 months after that I was Head of Maths.  Even though I had only been a school teacher for a short time I felt ready to lead a department.  As a lecturer I was head of UK operations and led a team of associate lecturers all over the UK and leadership and coaching was something I had been used to and felt comfortable at.  My teacher career has taken me across many areas of school.  Leading Maths, Head of Year, Senior Leadership roles with responsibility for teaching, learning and standards, Professional Mentor and induction tutor responsible for guiding new, training teachers, teacher training and subject line management of Science and ICT.  I have enjoyed them all!  I was accredited Advanced Skills Teacher status and also Specialist Leader of Education, recognition of my expertise in the classroom and beyond.  This really allowed me to do what I love the most which is to coach, support and develop teachers, leaders and departments in delivering the very best lesson experience for students.

In 2017 myself and my work colleague Maria Moyles set up Learn North West Education.  We opened up our first education suit in 2019 in Altrincham, and we now have approximately 22 outstanding associate teachers that work with us delivering excellent teaching to all ages.

I look back and do still pinch myself.  From teaching a handful of students in the Tesco community room in Altrincham after a full day’s work in school as a Senior Leader, to the 400 plus students we now have flowing through our doors each week is mind blowing.  Teaching and setting up LNW is the best decision I have ever made.  Our LNW family is growing and it is a brilliant place to be.

I currently teach 14 hours a week with a number of admin hours tagged on to that.  My days are so varied.  Monday through to Friday I take the grandchildren to school and pick them up when I am not teaching.  I play a lot of tennis and swim.  I have a home woodwork ‘man cave’ and I am very keen and successful DIY and craft person.  If you look at LNW social media you will see a myriad of projects that I have taken on when not in the classroom! Life with LNW is varied and rewarding and it is one of the best professional decisions I have ever made.”