Twenty Twenty Vision

So how good is your memory? Can you visualise people you have spent only half an hour with- some weeks later? Be honest. Can you remember names, interests, characteristics? I ask because I’m feeling vulnerable.

You see we have an influx of new staff every year. It’s normal for us to make about twenty new teaching appointments in addition to support staff. South Dartmoor is unusual in having an extraordinarily young teaching staff whose energy levels are legendary. The average age of the teachers is around 32! (That makes me above average, but do I want to be on this count?).

We appoint early in the cycle and usually claim the best qualified and highest performing graduates around. They replace the staff who go on to promotions, retirements, maternity leave or even delayed ‘gap’ years. It’s a really healthy and virtuous cycle of development.

So far this year we have made twenty new appointments. And I’m feeling especially pleased because we have another bumper crop of really talented new teachers joining us. There are three in English and Maths, two in: History, Languages, Religious Studies and Science; one in Music, Health and Social Care, Psychology, Drama, Art and Technology. Yes, that makes twenty. And it’s probably not over yet.

So we will begin the new academic year in September with our new Sixth Formers and Year 7s but also a large number of teachers that I won’t recognise. How scary is that!

Each interview for a new post involves about six candidates, especially where we are interviewing for two jobs. If you do the sums, that’s about 120 candidates interviewed over the past few weeks for the twenty or so posts. I don’t even want to think about how many hours of interviews that has involved. My nightmare is always a dream that I have a staff that consists of all those applicants who were so weak we didn’t even interview. It’s the school from hell.

My job now is to go back to those applications and match them up against the photographs of new staff, alongside their profiles. When we ask them to send us a picture and brief comments for the on-line Connection, it’s really my way of reminding myself who everyone is. It’s no wonder I’m feeling hesitant about names and faces. But I do know that we have the best- that’s for sure.

Perhaps the most important role I have is to recruit, motivate and promote good staff. It’s the bedrock of a high achieving school. Fortunately, we are close to good universities training some of the best of the next generation of teachers. They are inspiring to interview. I am genuinely in awe of their skills, talent and university successes. No matter that I have forgotten names and faces. The good news is that for South Dartmoor students, the best is yet to come!