Extended Schools Co-ordinator
George Salter Collegiate School
John N
0.00.00 My name’s John N and I work at George Salter Collegiate Academy and my official title is I’m an extended schools coordinator. The main element of my job at the moment is, is ensuring that George Salter is what is known as a full service extended school. And a full service extended school is made up of five or six key areas,
0.00.30 including things like after school clubs, Saturday schools, holiday programmes, ensuring there are programmes on that meet the needs of the students as well as the local area. I was very privileged insomuch that I went to a grammar school. I did A Levels and failed them. I got a D and an E grade in Latin and Greek, which is highly useful. 99% of the students in my year went off to university.
0.01.00 I was one of about three or four I think that went straight into employment. And at the time was probably deemed as wasting my education I would say. Father’s a police officer, a retired police officer now. My mother worked as a secretary for an insurance company. They were both always supportive of what, whatever, either my elder brother
0.01.30 or I wanted to do, but were always realistic. I was working as a superstore manager for a company called Scottish Power, electrical superstore. I won an award for best superstore manager in the company and we went up to Glasgow and I can, I received an award and it was a really nice evening and the day after I was talking to my regional manager with another couple of colleagues.
0.02.00 And he specifically started talking about what I consider to be unrealistic further targets on what we were expected to achieve. And I sat there opposite the guy who is my line manager and pretty much lost all respect for him and I made mind up on the flight back from Glasgow that I’d hand my notice in the next day and I did. I’d had some conversation with a class friend of mine about university and he’d done a sports science degree at Wolverhampton University.
0.02.30 And thought yeah I could, if I want to give myself the best opportunities after my retail career, I will need a degree. So I decided to do a degree in something I enjoyed. To go up to university and sit in a lecture for three hours rather than be doing your day job so to speak was a pleasure. From 16 to 18 working in a supermarket stacking shelves, I developed what probably would be considered an unhealthy work ethic and then doing the work that I do now, now that I don’t
0.03.00 have a healthy work / life balance and I know I spend too much time at work and ultimately I don’t think I’ll ever change that. The thing I’m most proud of is actually nothing to with me. It’s something my father did and he retired at 49. It’s a motivating factor for me. It far exceeds any achievement I’ll ever do in my life and I just, I think that is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. In five years time
0.03.30 I have no idea where I’ll be. That isn’t meant to sound negative but I recognise that I’m in a learning curve part of my career and having gone in my previous career been very successful very quickly and it not working out, I am conscious that I’m still only 33 and I don’t want to be burnt out by the time I’m 38.
0.03.57
John N works at George Salter Collegiate School as an Extended Schools Coordinator organising things like “after school clubs, Saturday schools, holiday programmes” for students and the community. After school he didn’t go to university – he got a D and an E in Latin and Greek. He had a very successful retail career, however he eventually decided to go back and study.
More information about Education advisers and school inspectors
The UK average salary is £29,813
There are 37.5 hours in the average working week
The UK workforce is 47% female and 53% male
Future employment
- Advises on all aspects of education and ensures that all statutory educational requirements are being met;
- Plans and advises on the provision of special schools for children with physical or learning disabilities;
- Appoints and controls teaching staff;
- Verifies that school buildings are adequately maintained;
- Arranges for the provision of school medical and meals services;
- Observes teaching, assesses learning level and discusses any apparent faults with teachers, heads of department and head teachers;
- Prepares reports on schools concerning teaching standards, educational standards being achieved, the spiritual, moral and social development of pupils, resource management etc.
