Lee Perry- Literacy and Numeracy Co-Ordinator

What influenced your decision to train at Hillview?

I have taught Modern History for many years but because of the opportunity to teach Ancient History, which is not a common subject in schools and quite a specialised role, I was happy to turn down the offer of a job at Cranbrook and explore a new avenue here, at Hillview, that was more to my interest.

What was your experience of training to teach at Hillview?

It was very positive; there was much support from the Humanities department and many resources to dive into. The feedback process was very positive and the students were very responsive to new staff and new ways of getting material across to them. One of the best aspects of my training was the willingness of the school to allow me to try new things and experiment with different practices.  This was great as some schools can be a little wary of innovative practices; Hillview allowed trainees to find and explore their own unique teaching methods and styles.

What were the benefits of in-school training?

There was access to support at all times and rather than splitting theory and practice they were interwoven which allowed me to put techniques into practice more regularly. With access to classes more frequently you have more time to make mistakes and experiment. You can call upon a wide array of experienced staff from various departments and integrate into the team more naturally. You also get a truer sense of school life, rather than being immersed every so often.

How has your career progressed since you qualified?

I have thoroughly enjoyed focusing more on the Ancient History subject here and become experienced in developing a course from scratch, something I would not have been able to do so soon in another school. I have become the school’s Co-ordinator for Reading, Writing and Communication and enjoy the challenge of a new role to explore.