I reflect upon my journey from being a teaching assistant to a trainee teacher and early career teacher within The Exchange Partnership.

To begin rather controversially, becoming a teacher had never been a childhood dream of mine. During the initial lockdown of 2020, I realised my career in mental health services was not as rewarding as I had hoped it would be. So, I took the plunge and decided to become a teaching assistant at Garforth Academy in Leeds. Within a matter of days, I realised that I had found my calling. At the end of my first year as a teaching assistant, I went one step further and decided to apply for teacher training.  The choice to complete my training through Delta Academies Trust was never in doubt; I had truly come to see that Delta was “changing lives” and I wanted to be a part of that vision and reality.

After a successful interview, I accepted a place as a Secondary Biology trainee - subject to successful completion of an Exchange Subject Knowledge Enhancement 28-week course (SKE). The SKE really shifted my mindset over the next few months to smoothly transition from teaching assistant to trainee teacher. Over the coming months, I developed my knowledge and understanding of Biology with the continual support of my subject expert 121 tutor.

My training was one of the most enjoyable and enriching years of my life so far. We were all reassured by the unwavering support at Delta.  

The contrasting placements – at De Lacy Academy and at Garforth Academy – enabled me to apply learning in two very different settings, with excellent mentors and host teachers.  On successful completion of my ITT year, I began a full-time, permanent teaching post at my first placement school. The past six months as an early career teacher of science have been challenging and rewarding in equal measure!

The Early Career Framework (ECF), offered by Exchange Teaching Hub in partnership with UCL, is deepening my understanding of the evidence around great teaching, enabling me to apply theory to practice. I feel excited about the rest of my induction, the professional development afforded to me by The Exchange Partnership, and my future career opportunities.