Having been named Secondary School Teacher of the Year at the Redbridge Education Awards, Wanstead High School music teacher Ian Sweet reflects on his pathway into the profession he almost gave up
After three years as a self-confessed jack-of-all-trades through my music degree and a very uncertain future in hospitality (having interrogated Steve Redgrave on who he was when he asked to put a poached egg on his tab during summer work at a rowing club), I very much fell into teaching in September 2003.
At 21 years of age, I had the enthusiasm, subject knowledge and musical skills required, but was severely lacking the patience and empathy that would, of course, prove far more important. As is probably the case with most student teachers, there were moments during training placements when I considered ending my teaching career before it had begun.
As soon as I started in a permanent role at Wanstead High School, whilst I still had huge amounts to learn, I felt much more of a sense of belonging. The school had recently been through some difficult times, and I was one of around 30 new teachers starting that September, including around 20 newly qualified ones. I learned more about teaching classroom music from Jane Lee (head of music at the time) in my first half-term than I had in a year of teacher training and she, as well as elder statesmen and women of the school (notably Bryan Arkell and Phil Tootell, who gave a combined total of nearly 80 years of service to Wanstead), provided the best role models I could have hoped for. The combination of new, enthusiastic staff with older, experienced ones, and with a new headteacher at the helm, made those early years such an exciting time.
The thing that’s kept me here, as with many long-serving members of staff, though, is our students; their sense of humour, kindness, creativity and warmth of spirit. We’re also incredibly lucky as a school to have hugely supportive parents who really value the extracurricular programme the school puts on in the arts and beyond.
I believe that all children are, and must be, creative, and this has never been more relevant than today when they have so many more windows on the world than my generation had. I’ve been fortunate enough to see current and former students performing at major venues across the capital, but equally memorable to me are the ones who struggled with aspects of school but found a sense of self-worth and achievement in their own musical self-expression.
Those working in schools have the opportunity to make a positive difference to the next generation, in our everyday interactions as much as over the months of rehearsals for a musical production or the years of delivery of a GCSE course. I feel blessed to be able to make my own small contribution to this work, along with everyone else who gives their time and energy to education.
For more information on Wanstead High School, visit wansteadhigh.co.uk
