Name Holly Sutton

In what year did you train? 2007/2008

Which subject did you train in? English

Which school/s did you train in? Notley High School and The Billericay School

Can you tell us a bit about what you are doing now? I am currently a Course Tutor at Mid Essex ITT, helping to train new and aspiring teachers as they enter the profession. I have been working in this role since 2020. Previous to this, I have had a variety of roles including English Teacher, Literacy Co-ordinator, Year Leader, Assistant Headteacher and Head of SixthForm.

Thinking back to your teacher training with Mid Essex ITT, can you share with us about a highlight, fond memory or funny story? A key highlight for me was the weekly lunches at the Rose and Crown pub with the trainees! Another key highlight was the awards evening, where we all were able to celebrate our successes as we embarked upon this new and exciting career!

What was teacher training like when you trained? What were the buzzwords, latest theories or popular pedagogy? When I trained, the central training (known as GPS) was based at Shenfield High School. When I trained, catering for visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners was quite the craze!

Thinking back to your teacher training, what was your key takeaway from Mid Essex ITT? My key takeaway was the family community that came along with training with Mid Essex ITT. I still keep in touch with many of those that I trained with. In my current role, I get to visit lots of local secondary schools and come across many teachers, in a whole range of positions, that I trained with. Mid Essex ITT provided us with the key fundamentals to become successful and aspirational teachers that have gone on to become hugely successful and inspirational in the profession.

Thinking back to your teacher training, is there anyone who supported you whom you would like to recognise or thank? I would like to thank Jackie Newell, my mentor at Notley High School, as well as Rachel Kelly, my Professional Tutor, at the time. Both offered huge support whilst I completed the Graduate Teacher Programme that was running at that time.