Mum of three, mature BA graduate and qualified teacher, Dawn Kiefer, is a remarkable individual.
Author: Victoria Hirst, Director of Communities at The Reach Foundation
Twelve or so years ago, believing passionately in the value of an excellent education, Dawn jumped at the opportunity to send her eldest child to a new all-through school opening up in her local community. The school promised strong relationships between the home and the school, consistently excellent teaching and a strong extra-curricular offer to support pupils’ broader development.
Today, with one child having completed their university degree, another about to start Sixth Form, and the third beginning their GCSE journey, Dawn could be forgiven for wanting to take a breather.
Not quite. In fact, completely the opposite. Because from September, she will be starting out as an Early Career Teacher at Reach Academy Feltham having pioneered the way for the Early Years workforce development in Feltham.
Looking back on her experiences, Dawn puts the decision to enrol into an Early Years Foundation degree, while working full-time in a nursery, down to “a mid-life crisis” (her words, not ours!).
Only this one hasn’t involved a new set of golf clubs, a Ferrari or an increasing addiction to PlayStation. Rather, it has meant hours of studying after work once the children were in bed, weekend sessions in the library reading about child development, scrupulous referencing checks, midnight essay writing and weekly evening, 5-hour degree sessions alongside ten other equally motivated and incredibly impressive peers.
Four years on, this hard work and resilience has more than paid off. Speaking on a parent and pupil voice panel last week to a room of ninety cradle-to-career leaders, Dawn exuded confidence, passion and a real commitment to her career in education which will no doubt continue to go from strength to strength.
Dawn’s success is by no means unique, though. Dawn is part of a pioneering group of Early Years degree students in Feltham—writing new stories about what it means to be an Early Years Education professional.
At the time of writing, there are now four new teachers working locally with an Early Years specialism with (at least) four more about to begin their teacher training this September. Each individual is local to the area. Each one has built strong, trusting relationships within their own Early Years setting and across others in the local area. This peer support network has been a vital element throughout their journey from Level 3, to BA top up, to Qualified Teacher Status; the aim is that this network continues to act as a professional peer support network, strengthening the Early Years workforce in Feltham.
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