Sarah Simpson

I began my journey with University of Sunderland as a student on the PGCE Primary French enhanced course in 2009. Before this, I worked in the chemical sales industry, using my German degree to liaise with customers. One of the main aspects I loved about the role was the opportunity to train and mentor staff, which was the driving force behind my change in career.

I am privileged to have worked in several outstanding schools across the north-east and during my 12 years of teaching in primary education, I have worked at a senior management level to drive teaching and learning forward. A great deal of the role involved supporting ECTs and trainee teachers to ensure that they received guidance and encouragement to become reflective educators.

I was also English and KS2 lead for seven years, which enabled me to gain extensive knowledge and experience relating to the curriculum, assessment, and transition to KS3. As English lead, I promoted my passion for reading and introduced many initiatives to improve engagement.

I also completed a distance learning MA in Education at Sunderland where my thesis focused on the impact of Covid-19 and remote learning on disadvantaged children’s attainment. This helped me to understand the challenges of independent distance learning and I hope this insight will support my students.

After gaining experience as an academic tutor with the international DL team, I am now a Lecturer in the International Initial Teacher Training programme. I hope that my experience as a student will enable me to nurture and support trainees as they embark on a truly remarkable and rewarding career.