“I joined the Academy as a trainee Music teacher in September 2023. The staff are incredibly welcoming and are recognised for their efforts. I truly feel valued. I have been offered many opportunities to develop my practice and received excellent support since the start of my career here. I am proud to come to work every day and teach our fantastic students, giving them opportunities to reach their full potential. One of my favourite parts of my job is being involved in the extra-curricular activities that the Performing Arts Department offer, including Music School and the annual Academy production. As staff, these activities give us the privilege to see our students really shine inside and outside of the classroom.”

Katie Goring - Teacher

“I joined the Academy for a training placement at the start of 2024 before being appointed as a full-time teacher for September 2024. I am incredibly grateful for my time at Sandwell Academy and my journey so far. The Social Sciences team have been incredibly supportive, providing invaluable guidance that has made this experience enriching. Starting in a new school can be quite daunting, especially as a trainee, however the staff and team have been nothing but kind and welcoming. I’m thrilled to embark on my journey as a Social Sciences teacher and continue my ECT years at Sandwell. I look forward to continuing to inspire students and progress in such a dynamic and encouraging environment!”

Shamema Islam - Teacher

“My journey at Sandwell Academy has been amazing. I started as an LSA in lessons working with some incredible teachers and students. Since then, I have been given many opportunities, starting with leading literacy and numeracy interventions. From there, I progressed through to the position of Learning Intervention Specialist, supporting and training the team to deliver high quality intervention work; I was so proud of the remarkable progress the team made in a short amount of time. This has led me to where I am now, in my role as Assistant SENCo. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for all of the opportunities given to me and the support I received along the way – it has transformed my career and I work within a team that I love.”

Bernard Hamil - Learning Intervention Specialist

“I joined the Academy as a trainee English teacher in 2017, and quickly felt a part of a wider professional family. Throughout my time, I have been supported to develop as a practitioner and contribute to the wider development of the school’s inclusive ethos, eventually becoming the school’s SENCo, and now Director of Inclusion. Each day, I feel proud to contribute to the progress of our wonderful students and drive forward our vision as an Academy, giving students every opportunity to thrive.”

Tom Byrne, Assistant Head for Welfare Support

“I am a new member of staff at Sandwell Academy, having joined in September 2022. My experience so far in the PE department has been nothing other than positive; the extra-curricular activities and wide range of topics taught make the role that much more enjoyable. All pupils, regardless of ability, are given a platform to reach their maximum potential. As for professional development, we have regular staff training days that are full of activities to develop our pedagogy; this is often done as a whole school approach but we also get a chance for departmental CPD. Overall I have found Sandwell Academy an excellent place to work and the support amongst staff, the facilities and the pupils have cemented this in my mind.

Nathan Langdon, ECT Physical Education

“I have been in teaching for four years now, including my training year. My induction to the teaching profession has included the many ripple-effects that Covid has brought in its wake; I have seen from my time in Sandwell Academy so far that the Academy has many excellent mechanisms in place to close the gaps that the pandemic created. One of them – and the real selling-point of the school for me – was the ‘Session 3’ programme, whereby pupils attend targeted intervention sessions with their subject teachers in smaller groups. For me, this is a real positive as it means that students are provided with opportunities for one-to-one support on a deeper level, providing students with a foundation of both knowledge and confidence to hit the ground running in lessons.

I have worked in a range of schools during my time as a teacher. During my first two weeks at Sandwell Academy, I noticed that staff were recognised for their efforts, and the impact they have with pupils. Some positive conversations with a range of staff within the school when I began made me feel welcomed, and as though I was in a school where I was really seen.

Sandwell invest in their staff – this is something staff themselves communicated to me during that all-important first half-term, where I was still finding my feet. I am happy to say I echo this sentiment myself; after one term, I have taken on an additional role within the wider school as part of the racial advocacy team, ensuring pupils have their voices heard, and Sandwell’s No Tolerance policy is upheld. As well as this, there are many professional development opportunities in the form of courses that are funded by the school and actively encouraged.

Juweriyah Shafiq, English Teacher