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ASPIRATIONS ACADEMIES TRUST
No two days are the same for teachers working for the Aspirations Academies Trust, who all shape the lives of their students for the better.
Teachers who work for us love their jobs for a number of other reasons too: teaching is fun, inspiring and you have the opportunity to share your knowledge about a subject that you care about.
Teaching is rewarding
At Aspirations Academies Trust we provide vibrant, positive work environments and well-behaved students who are willing to learn.
As a Multi-Academy Trust, we provide plenty of leadership training opportunities, mentoring and the chance to move to any of our 15 schools across the country.
We also factor in generous lesson planning and marking time during the working week and collaborative planning with other teachers so that there’s plenty of support.
And then there’s the generous annual leave of 70 days including Bank Holidays, excellent teacher pension schemes and the best news of all? We’re recruiting for our schools on the South Coast!
Magna Academy, Jewell Academy, Ocean Academy, Bovington Academy, Budmouth Academy and Atlantic Academy, which is an all-through school, are all looking for teachers.
Come along to our South Coast recruitment evening at Magna Academy, Ashdown Close, Poole, on Wednesday February 26th from 5pm to 7pm, to find out more, or email Wendy Wells at WWells@magna-aspirations.org.
Jennifer Warr, 35, is currently Vice-Principal at Budmouth Academy in Weymouth.
She joined Aspirations Academies Trust in 2013 as an Assistant Principal at Rivers Academy in West London before moving to Magna Academy in Poole and then to her current role.
She reveals how her career has been nurtured thanks to Aspirations and allowed her to do what she does best – helping children to realise their full potential.
Mrs Warr said: ‘’Before I joined Aspirations, I was working at an all-girls public school in Ascot.
“Working in the state school sector you see how much more of a difference you can make to a child’s social mobility.
‘’Teaching is not just about grades; it’s about enriching a child’s present and future, and I believe that you have more of an influence shaping that in a state school.
’’There is that rigour and drive to high standards and wanting a student to achieve their potential.
‘’Grades don’t set you apart in the real world, it’s access to networking opportunities and experiences. At Aspirations we have flexibility over the curriculum and the opportunities we provide. Students study our unique No Limits curriculum, so offer No Limits, Applied Trans-disciplinary Learning and also the chance to travel abroad on our annual NASA visit.
‘‘This all provides opportunities to develop skills that are of value to employers.
‘’In terms of my career development, Aspirations see your potential and provide you with plenty of opportunities to be promoted.
‘’Aspirations is an excellent trust to work for. You feel that you’re part of one big team.’’
Miss Ellie Healey, 25, is a teacher in charge of science for secondary at Atlantic Academy in Portland
Miss Healey studied for a chemical engineering degree at Nottingham University and arrived at Atlantic Academy via Teach First in 2017. Teaching is a profession that was always of interest because she enjoys helping people.
Miss Healey said the mentoring and support she was given during her two-year placement at Atlantic convinced her to stay permanently – and the fantastic sea views from her classroom window also helped!
She said: ‘’I noticed straightaway how welcoming the students are, they are proud to be from Portland and love where they live.
‘’The sense of community that a school like this brings, I can see that I can make a really huge impact on the lives of the students we teach.
‘’My placement here came to end in 2019 and half-way through, I thought I would like to stay.
‘’I was given a mentor at Aspirations as part of my training and she really developed me and gave me the freedom and support I needed.
‘’The leadership at Atlantic is really supportive, if you’re keen to develop something you’re given the chance.
‘’For my final Teach First project I had to give a presentation. Melissa Heppell, Principal of Atlantic Primary, and Lesley Bishop, the Principal of Atlantic Secondary, took the time to listen to my presentation and provide positive feedback. It has made me feel really valued and that I am a part of a team.
‘’I feel nurtured and because you’re part of a Multi-Academy Trust there are lots of opportunities to develop and be promoted.
‘’And one of the best perks has to be the views from my classroom window and my commute in the morning.
‘’I live in Weymouth and the drive along the Causeway has to be one of the prettiest.
‘’Being in Portland is like being on a beach holiday. Some people travel for this for two weeks every year but we’re lucky to work and live on the Jurassic Coast and experience this all-year round because it’s on our doorstep!’’
For more information, go to: www.aspirationsacademies.org
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