Jane Driver joined us in September, as Principal at North Cambridge Academy, part of Meridian Trust. We spoke with her recently, to get an insight into her career history and her interests.
Jane, tell us about your career background.
My career began in the military, where I dedicated eight years of service to the Army. It was during this time that I discovered my passion for languages. While I acquired some proficiency in German through military training, it remained the sole language I could learn within that setting, so I decided to leave the Army.
I then went to live in Spain after completing a TEFL course (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), which is how I first got into teaching. My first job in a secondary school was at Comberton Village College, and that’s how I ended up in Cambridge. I started doing language projects at this time, creating the Foreign Languages Spelling Bee and Translation Bee, which have become national competitions.
After this, I went on to become a Head of Department at another school, before joining my last school (prior to NCA), where I worked for eight years, starting as Assistant Principal and working up to a Head of School role. During this time, I played a leading part in a team that turned around the school’s performance from (Ofsted-rated) ‘Inadequate’ to ‘Good’.
Along the way, amongst other things, I’ve done work for Oak Academy and the National College as well as founding the Peterborough EAL Hub and running masterclasses for exam boards.
I am also a Trustee of the Association for Language Learning.
What attracted you to this role?
I’m passionate about leadership and developing people. In North Cambridge, there are high levels of disadvantage and social issues, so for me, when working at a school, it is important that I am tangibly able to make a difference to the young people in the local community. Also, the opportunity to come back to Cambridge, which is where I started my secondary school teaching, feels like a full circle moment. This role brings lots of opportunities as well as challenges; I like a challenge as well as being able to play a part in transforming students’ lives.
What’s great about the Trust?
What attracted me to Meridian is that I really like their ‘village college’ ethos and their values. I feel it’s a very supportive trust with lots of opportunities for cross-school collaboration and my values very much align with Meridian’s. Working with the trust definitely makes you feel part of something and I’m really enjoying it!
How would you describe NCA?
The students are just beautiful, but also very complex! NCA has a high number of disadvantaged students, which can present challenges, but there is so much amazing work going on at the Academy. We offer a variety of enrichment and extra-curricular activities after school. For example, we run a Saturday Club, and the site is used every day for community lettings. So there is a lot on offer for the students and the families, but also for the wider community. We are also looking to connect with a range of partner organisations in Cambridge, including Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin. There are lots of exciting opportunities for us.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in teaching?
Just do it! There are so many routes into teaching now, compared to when I first started. If you are interested in teaching, in particular, if you have industry experience or relevant skills, just get in touch with Meridian Trust. There are also work-based routes and apprenticeship routes.
What are your hobbies?
I love hiking, walking the dog, and occasionally long-distance running. We have a little holiday home in Spain, so we try and get out there as much as we can!