I started my career in 2007 teaching Religious Studies, before becoming Head of RE at the Ursuline Academy Ilford in 2009. In 2014 I moved to Cardinal Pole as an assistant headteacher, before becoming deputy headteacher two years later. I was appointed headteacher in September 2022.
As well as Religious Studies, I have also taught Philosophy at A-level. I still teach a small GCSE group in the final run up to public exams. Students are never sure if it’s a good thing or not to be taught by the Head, however it really is the best part of the job!
I’ve always wanted to work and lead in an inner-city Catholic school. I felt if I could make a difference here then I could do so almost anywhere. I was also drawn to how inclusive the school is, for example how welcoming it is to people of all faiths and none.
The school has been celebrated publicly in many ways in recent years. This has included being graded “Outstanding” in our recent CSI inspection, as well as being shortlisted for the TES Secondary School of the Year award. However, what I am most proud of is the young people the school produces who consistently leave us with a firm commitment not only to excellence in their own lives, but a deep desire to serve those around them. It’s exactly why a Catholic education is so valuable.
The school’s mission is most accurately described by the acronym SOAR: Service, Opportunity, Aspiration and Reward. The idea is that service is rooted into the daily routine of school life. Not just by staff but also over time we expect students to give back and serve both the school and the local community. In service, all are then offered opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom, such as our comprehensive extra-curricular programme. If students meet those opportunities with aspiration, then at the end of the journey they will get their reward. The word reward for us is not simply about money or a career but is rooted in scripture and asks students to consider reward in the context of what the Church teaches.
The Catholic life of the school is central to everything we do. The Catholic experience of the school is not simply an academic pursuit (all students study RE up to GCSE) but critically it must be a lived one also. Students will of course get an experience of prayer and the celebration of the sacraments as you would expect, but critically they will also develop a deep understand of Catholic Social Teaching.
What makes Cardinal Pole Catholic School different and sets it apart from others in the area? The push for excellence is understood by all which is a powerful thing that not every school has. Alongside that, teaching is excellent, and all of this is underpinned by outstanding pastoral care. We have full time on-site provision for mental health counselling which is accessed by students in every year group. Additionally, alongside the traditional Head of Year model, we also have an extra non-teaching Pastoral Support Manager. This comes at significant cost to the school’s budget, but is an incred-ibly valuable investment and contributes in a positive way to our mission.
“Opportunity” is one of our key values, meaning we must have a comprehensive range of enrichment activities on offer at all times. We have over 60 different clubs; all students must complete a set number of hours each year. Sport plays a big role in the life of the school, and we also have large numbers of students taking part in everything from learning how to code, philosophy debating club, advanced chess and even gardening! We also deliver local, nation- al and international visits, such as theatre visits, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and even a visit to the Christmas Markets in Lille!
We have several schools that serve as our feeder schools within the local community. How-ever, students from a wide range of schools inside and outside of the borough continue to attend our school. Interested families are about to attend our open evening and open mornings and families can apply online via Hackney Admissions. We warmly welcome receiving applications from Catholics and those of another or no particular faith at all. Visits are always most welcome, please just get in touch.
