Tilly’s journey into primary – shaping confidence and opportunity from day one

Here, Tilly tells us how she has become the kind of leader who makes a lasting difference from day one – building strong foundations that stay with pupils for life.

I decided to go into Primary education as I felt passionately that it combined my interest in child development with a deep-rooted sense that getting schooling right from Day 1 would really support the closing of the education gap.

I also wanted the chance to work closely with families. In Primary school, you really have a chance to work in partnership with parents and carers to better support their children and to work as a team between home and school.

There is something very special about having your own class, who you teach everything to.

I wanted to ensure that every child was known as an individual with their own strengths and by seeing children across the day and across the curriculum, you are, in Primary, uniquely positioned to do this. You can work with children to improve their confidence or number bonds in a truly intensive way, starting by building a strong relationship.

Driving change

Since starting out, I’ve taken on a number of different roles, each one teaching me something new about what it means to lead a school and serve a community well. I am now Co-Headteacher of Reach Academy Feltham and Reach Academy Hanworth Park.

Running two schools at once is a big job, but both are driven by the same core belief: that every child, no matter their background, deserves a brilliant education that gives them the skills, attributes and academic qualifications to go on and enjoy a life of choice and opportunity. Reach Academy Feltham serves a community that faces real challenges, and the work there — and now at Hanworth Park too — is built on the idea that no child's future should be decided by their postcode.

The right support

Teach First has been a real support throughout my career. What I value most is the network it has given me — a group of primary leaders who think the same way I do, who have high hopes for the children they serve, and who push each other to keep going even when it is hard.

I really appreciate that Teach First takes Primary seriously. It is not seen as a lesser choice or a stepping stone to something else.

It is recognised as one of the most important things we can get right, and that matters to me.

Closing the gap from the earliest years

I believe we have a responsibility to get education right from the very beginning. If we are serious about fighting disadvantage and closing the gap between children from different backgrounds, then primary school is where that work has to start. The gaps that open up in the early years — in managing self, in communication, in reading  — do not just close on their own. If we do not  intervene and offer real support early, then these gaps just continue to grow. That is why I care so deeply about primary, and why I think it deserves the very best teachers and leaders.

Making a difference

At both Reach schools, we hold high expectations for every single child.

We believe in the importance of excellent relationships as the foundation for everything that we do and that our children deserve a broad, rigorous curriculum and excellent enrichment. We want our schools to be places of joy, where children learn a lot but also build lasting memories.

When I look back at why I chose primary, everything still holds true. The relationships, the families, the chance to make a real difference in a child's life right from the beginning still drives me today.

Teach First has been part of that journey in an important way, and our work, to ensure every child can go on to enjoy a life of choice and opportunity, goes on.

Want to change lives from day one?

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