Matthew Heartfield
My name is Matthew Heartfield and I am Scholastic Excellence Leader for Year 10 and Teacher of PE for The Evolve Trust at The Brunts Academy.
I was working at the academy as a cover supervisor in 2015 before I decided to apply for a school direct placement at The Evolve Trust because I loved teaching in the classroom and felt that I was ready to make the next step.
The Evolve Trust allowed me the opportunity to pursue the beginning of my teaching career and from working at Brunts for a number of years I felt like it was the right choice.
During my training year I was at university one day a week which allowed me the opportunity to reflect on each week of my training. I built a portfolio of evidence which I was then able to use to evidence against different teaching standards in order to gain my QTS.
When I began my teacher training at The Brunts Academy my timetable commitment was high, however I was supported by my mentor within each lesson and it allowed me to teach small aspects of each lesson gradually before building it up.
I was able to meet with my mentor each week to discuss specific groups, what went well in the previous week and anything I needed support with. There were numerous CPD sessions provided by The Evolve Trust allowing me to reflect on my teaching practice, implement new strategies and speak with other trainees to gain different experiences.
During my training year I also had the opportunity to have my own Year 10 tutor group where I had to deliver attendance, behaviour and PSHE sessions as well as offering support to individual students. I was also able to get heavily involved in extra-curricular activities, supporting the delivery of sports clubs, further enhancing the relationships built with students.
The Evolve Trust is a great place to start your teacher training as throughout my training I received lots of feedback on my teaching allowing me to develop my knowledge and understanding. They also provided a range of CPD sessions and the opportunity to observe different departments to take away strategies to support my own teaching.
I am now in my fifth year at The Brunts Academy and have been awarded multiple opportunities to develop my professional practice. I have been involved in NPQML and Leadership Syndicate within the trust. This has allowed me to develop my skill assets, managing different situations, having difficult conversations with members of staff and being able to implement a whole school project.