If you had asked me this time last year where I thought I would be, I would have said I’d be a Deputy Headteacher, working within one school and continuing to play an integral role in providing pupils with the platform to fulfil their life aspirations. Instead, I now find myself reflecting on a very different but deeply purposeful journey that has led me to becoming the Founder of PGS-Educators.
Since embarking on this path, I’ve had the time and space to truly reflect. I understand the gravity of the decision I took, and I feel vindicated in it. At a time when teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers, with Department for Education figures from 2024 indicating that over 40,000 teachers left the profession in England last year, I have had the privilege of meeting exceptional educators and professionals while achieving meaningful milestones along the way.
I still consider myself an educator, but the daily focus of my work has pivoted. Like many across the profession, I reached a point where education began to feel unsustainable. Increasing workload, escalating role-based challenges, isolation, and a growing sense of a lack of meritocracy all contributed to that decision. Since then, I’ve met many teachers who have taken similar paths: some starting their own organisations, others stepping away entirely, and some moving into supply work, all still driven by a love for teaching, but unwilling to carry the weight of full-time responsibilities within the current system.
Through PGS-Educators, I’ve been given the opportunity to work with young people on a more granular level, particularly pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds who face the greatest barriers. At a time when schools are grappling with high suspension rates, persistent absenteeism, pupil disengagement, increasing misogynistic incidents, and behaviour linked to trauma or unmet needs, it is clear that many pupils require more tailored support than stretched systems can currently provide.
PGS-Educators has allowed me to reconnect with the why of education. Rather than being confined to a single setting, we now work in partnership with schools nationwide to bridge the gap between pupil behaviour and academic success. Drawing on lived experience and senior leadership expertise, my team and I have developed evidence-informed initiatives centred on pupil wellbeing, behaviour, and academic outcomes.
Through our work with Charter Educational Trust schools, including Charter East Dulwich, Streatham Wells Primary School, and Loughborough Primary School we have delivered Attendance and Success and Social and Emotional Literacy programmes to support pupils at critical points of transition.
At Loughborough Primary School, working closely with Headteacher Graziella Williams and Deputy Headteacher Marcella Madden, we recently completed our Social and Emotional Literacy programme, supporting pupils to develop emotional awareness, positive relationships, and readiness for secondary school. Reflecting on the impact, Graziella shared:
“The PGS-Educators Social & Emotional Literacy programme has been absolutely incredible. It has provided our pupils with the perfect platform for a successful transition to secondary school. Seeing parents and carers celebrate their children’s achievements created a real sense of belonging.”
At Streatham Wells Primary School, in partnership with Headteacher Sarah Wardlaw, we delivered the Attendance and Success module of our Primary Intervention Programme, supporting pupils facing persistent attendance challenges and low-level disruptive behaviour linked to unmet social and emotional needs. Sarah described the work as genuinely transformative, highlighting its positive impact on attendance, behaviour, and the wider school community.
Alongside this, I have been inspired by leaders such as Richard Lansiquot, Headteacher at Sacred Heart Catholic School, with whom we have worked closely to deliver our Re-Education Programme. This partnership has enabled us to support schools through structured re-education projects addressing persistent disruption and attendance concerns, complemented by bespoke intervention work exploring empathy, emotional awareness, challenging misogynistic views, and the importance of positive role models.
Beyond delivery, this year has also provided opportunities to broaden my networks beyond the classroom. I’ve engaged in spaces such as Aspiring Heads, The Black Business Show, The Anti-Racism Conference, and the REND Dinner events in Bristol and London, each offering new perspectives on leadership, representation, and values-driven organisations.
On a personal level, completing my NPQH whilst navigating the responsibility of leading my own organisation has deepened my strategic understanding of leadership, systems, and school improvement. While my path does not currently sit within a single school, the learning gained continues to shape how I lead PGS-Educators and design sustainable, impactful interventions that drive us towards achieving our long-term vision.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the schools we’ll be working with, including Dele Rotimi’s The Urswick School, and the continued development of our programmes. Our vision for 2026 is clear: to collaborate with more schools nationwide and continue improving life opportunities for pupils.
As this year ends, I feel grateful, grounded, and motivated, and I look forward to moving ahead with intentionality and working towards achieving my personal and career goals.