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EDUCATION - JOHN JOLIFFE OM'99
What is your profession and current position?
Primary Teacher, currently Executive Headteacher of six schools in Devon.
How did Monkton get you ready for the world of work?
Monkton gave me confidence to develop leadership skills and learn the importance of being resilient when things go wrong.
What is your biggest professional achievement?
Leading a school community in the aftermath of a child at the school dying at the hand of his father. Managing all the emotions of children, staff, parents and the community was extremely challenging but bringing everyone through this time was a huge achievement both for me as a professional and as a school leader.
What has been your most challenging professional moment?
Ofsted inspections are always challenging, whatever the grade that the school is working towards at the time. In one inspection at a school I was seconded to work with, achieving a grade of ‘satisfactory’ was very challenging but so too have been achieving ‘outstanding’ inspection outcomes at two other schools.
What inspires and motivates you at work?
Much of the work I do is unseen by parents and children so my motivation comes from wanting to empower staff to give children the best start in life, both academically and emotionally and making sure they are ready to embark on the next stage of their learning journey.
What is one piece of advice you would like to share with pupils or OMs about getting into your profession?
Don’t listen to anyone who says teaching is easy, the reality is very tough, a bit like being on a stage for 6 hours a day without enough time to prepare each performance! Be prepared for high levels of accountability but also be confident that you are doing the best you can. If you can make it work, it is an incredibly rewarding job and making a long-term difference to children’s lives is a real privilege.