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MORE ABOUT ME

Hello, I'm Dr Rachel Briggs

I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a teacher - perhaps no surprise given that I was born into a family of teachers (Mum - nursery and infants, Dad - secondary).  I studied for my BEd in Derby and whilst there, I was invited to volunteer on a Mencap outdoor pursuits holiday. Then, for the last two summers of my student days, I worked for BUNAC as a cabin counsellor on a camp in Pennsylvania for children with moderate learning difficulties, most of whom had ADD/ADHD.  So began my passion for the more pastoral side of education and the USA was where I picked up many skills that have been hugely influential and helpful throughout my career.

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My career in education has been quite varied.  It started off in the traditional way, teaching in a primary school in London (next to the then Tottenham Hotspurs training ground - great for me as a Spurs fan!). I went on to become the PE co-ordinator, where one of my greatest achievements involved qualifying as a football referee and starting up a girls' football team - much to the disgust of the Head. 

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After 4 and a bit years, I fulfilled an ambition of going to work with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO).  I went to the Gambia as a regional in-service teacher trainer.  This involved putting on workshops and then travelling around the country on a motorbike (and ferries of various shapes, sizes and levels of safety) to support teachers in their schools.  This was life-changing in many ways, not least because it was there that I met my husband, a fellow teacher and volunteer.  When our postings finished, we returned to the UK and I taught in Co. Durham for a short time before moving back to teaching in London. A return to overseas work followed, this time in an international school in Cairo for a year, before returning to the same London school to take up a senior leadership position.

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As for many teachers, buying a house in London wasn't a real option, so we moved to teach in Norfolk for a couple of years and then to Portishead when I secured a deputy headship at a school in Bristol.  After a short time in post, I was asked to take on the SENCo role and also safeguarding responsibilities.  I loved this as it gave me plenty of opportunities to engage in pastoral activities, to work with families and to learn from professionals in other sectors.  I completed my NPQH during this time which involved undertaking a project to revamp the KS2 curriculum.  I also had two periods of acting headship.

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In 2012, I had surgery on my hip and was unable to return to my teaching role as I'd hoped.  Whilst I was off, I completed a CPD course in counselling children and young people and secured a return to international education development work with VSO.  Sadly, prior to departure, my husband was diagnosed with cancer (now fully recovered-phew), so we had to remain in the UK.  I returned to university study, completing a PGCert and Master's.  I also began working as a behaviour/SEMH needs consultant providing 1:1 therapeutic support for pupils, support and coaching for teachers/LSAs and behaviour/SEMH needs-related training and workshops.  Much of this work was arranged in a 'freelance' capacity through Delegated Services (my current services can also be arranged through them).  When I went into schools, the heads would often ask me to just take the staff out and let them cry.  Wanting to be more use than just a shoulder to cry on, when I went on to study for my doctorate, I chose to research the psychological impact of teaching pupils living with vulnerability and/or trauma and how teacher wellbeing could be supported.  I came across compassion satisfaction and compassion stress injury and supervision as a means of supporting staff in other helping sectors and decided to investigate their relevance to educators.  From my findings, I developed a 'mobile-balance' framework for understanding educators' work-related psychological wellbeing and I undertook additional training in supervision.  I combine these with what I've learnt from my other studies, teaching experience and professional conversations to inform the services (reflective supervision, coaching and training/speaking) that I now provide to those working in education settings.    

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Qualifications

Diploma in Reflective Supervision in Education

EdD (learning, leadership and policy pathway)

MA in Education - action research in coaching for school leader wellbeing

PGCert in Leadership and Management with Coaching and Mentoring

NPQH

BEd (Hons)

Additional Training

Supervision Integration (3 day course)

Group Supervision (3 day course)

Effective Safeguarding Supervision (1 day course)

Reflective Supervision in Education (4 day course)

Fundamentals of Supervision (3 day course)

Certificate in TESOL 

CPD Certificate - Counselling Children and Young People (12 modules)

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