Educating Northamptonshire: Mr Stephen Drew opens University of Northampton education event

Mr Stephen Drew, head teacher from Channel 4’s hit show Educating Essex, inspired education professionals from across the county at the University of Northampton’s ‘Educating Northamptonshire’ event on Wednesday 18 June.

The event, held at the Northamptonshire County Cricket Ground, saw more than 200 teachers, students and alumni gather in appreciation of Mr Drew’s calm approach to tackling challenging behaviour within schools. His speech reflected the need for education professionals to continue to develop their skills in order to reflect the changing needs of pupils and the education sector.

Mr Drew delivered a speech entitled ‘The Endless Learning Journey’ which demonstrated his passion for making positive changes for his pupils, stating: “Children have one go at learning, you have to get it right the first time”. In his speech, Mr Drew highlighted his unique positive approach to teaching through his preference of having a success policy over a behaviour policy. Mr Drew also showcased his belief in inclusion within education, regardless of behaviour and ability: “Why should we expect children to act like adults, we have to let them get it wrong and learn from it.” Mr Drew also gave a brief insight into what it was like being involved with the successful Channel 4 shows Educating Essex and Mr Drew’s School for Boys.

At the core of Drew’s speech was the message that all teachers should be proud of the work that they do every day with children, and that this passion should not be lost but built upon.

Ann Shelton Mayes, Executive Dean of the School of Education, commented: “We were delighted to welcome Stephen and so many education professionals to share in this celebration of working in the education sector. The University of Northampton’s School of Education is passionate about leading change which transforms the lives of children and young people, both in the UK and internationally. With over 40 years of experience delivering education training and development, we hope today’s event will inspire teachers to think about their own career and future development.”

The Educating Northamptonshire event aimed to showcase the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities on offer at the University of Northampton, ranging from full Master’s degrees to short courses with specialisms in Special Educational Needs and Early Years. The conference gave teachers from schools across Northamptonshire to share their experiences within the profession and take inspiration from Drew’s ideas and approach to teaching.

Mr Stephen Drew is head of Brentwood County High School (BCHS) in Essex. Stephen has been a teacher of history in secondary schools since 1997, working at schools in Tower Hamlets, Suffolk and Essex. In September 2012, Mr Drew started his first headship at BCHS, achieving his aspiration of being a head teacher before his 40th birthday – which came in November 2012.

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Written by Emily Shears.