I had a tough time in my personal life at the ‘business end’ of secondary school. That led to me truanting a lot, not studying and generally being a bit of a nightmare. But I had some really amazing teachers who just about kept me on the straight and narrow and, somehow, I achieved some really strong academic results. I was genuinely shocked - everyone was! I was 17 years old with no idea what I wanted to do. I felt some pressure to go to university so I went to the local library and looked through the courses available. I set my heart on a History & Politics joint honours degree at Aberdeen University - I love history and had strong (if slightly confused) political ideas. My (very wise) Papa - my paternal grandfather - sensed my doubts. ‘There’s plenty happy milkmen’ he told me, ‘be more concerned with how you treat people than what you do for a living’. I went nonetheless. My dad drove me up to Aberdeen. I had £80.00 and no accommodation.
Be resilient: there are plenty of chances in life
I lasted less than a term. I wasn’t ready, I wasn’t happy. I moved back to Edinburgh and tried a few different jobs: labourer, waiter, call centre adviser. I enjoyed the construction site the most - met some characters and got real satisfaction from physical work. That said, I was bored and unfulfilled. My older sister lived in London. I called her and asked if I could come and stay for a while. I bought a one way ticket, bunked on her floor and got a job at NatWest Bank. I needed to meet people my age so I also took a part-time job in the Crouch End restaurant my sister worked in - one of the best things I ever did. I made friends for life and met my future wife! My sister went travelling and I was made Manager - I was 18.
Embrace the crossroads: sometimes you need to be brave to find your lane
I was now happy but still unfulfilled. A good friend was volunteering at an adventure playground that offered respite for families with children with complex needs and she suggested I go along. I absolutely loved it and took a part time role as a playworker. I used to run to work - I knew I wanted a career that involved working with children.
Eyes on the prize: Once you find your ‘thing’, motivation is intrinsic
I moved back up to Edinburgh with my future wife and applied to do a B.Ed in Primary Education. I was told I didn’t have enough experience in schools, so I got a job as a teaching assistant at The Royal Blind School - a job I absolutely loved. That led me to getting a place at The University of Edinburgh on a 4 year course. We had our first child in my second year and I worked at a restaurant again to keep afloat. I graduated with a First and a prize from the Dean. My motivation was through the roof and I worked hard to achieve that. One day I bumped into my old physics teacher in the park with my son, he was now the headteacher of my former school. He laughed when I told him I was going to be a teacher and reminded me of some of my more questionable choices…
Continuous Evolution: the learning never ends
My first job was in a new school in Dunfermline, led by an inspirational Head Teacher. I learned so much and was encouraged to innovate from the start. I helped to develop a local authority Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and drew on my learning from the Royal Blind School to support two boys with autism in my class.
After 3 years, I moved back to London where I moved to a school in Waltham Forest. They had been put into special measures a few months previously but I was inspired by the new Headteacher and couldn’t say no. I was soon appointed as Assistant Head Teacher. The school was judged Outstanding 18 months later. What a journey! I began a hybrid role, working at school for 3 days and working for the trust in a school improvement role for the rest of the week. I then spent 3 years in the Middle East, becoming a Headteacher for the first time at an International School. I am now headteacher at School 21, a 4-18 school in Stratford, East London. After a ‘Requires Improvement’ OFSTED just before I was appointed Head, we have just secured a judgement of ‘Good’ in all areas. I love my job!
Key Takeaways
All the jobs and the people I met along the way taught me a lot about myself and helped me gain a wide set of skills - most importantly in working with others - the most valuable skills I have. I learned what I didn’t want to do and I learned that I enjoyed working hard. My journey to where I am today has not been typical. On leaving school, I had no plan, no clear idea of what I wanted to do. It took me time to find my lane. That’s okay. I would have been a rubbish teacher without that space to find myself and grow.
Written by
Moray Dickson, Headteacher, School 21