Tina

My Name is Tina Bailey and I work at City Academy Bristol.  My Current position is Head of Year 7 offering Pastoral Support to Students.  I have worked in Education for the past 5 Years.  I started my journey in Education two days a week as a Receptionist.  I kind of fell into the education profession by accident to be honest. I was not even trying to pursue a career in this area, let alone in the school I had once attended. I could not wait to get out there as a young person.  

Student Services was at the time based in the Reception area, students would always come and talk to me,  I had built up a good rapport with quite a few of the students, as they would come and rant about whatever was on their minds and I would just listen and give my advice on how they should deal with it.  By chance, a position came up as an Assistant Head of Year and I was encouraged by some colleagues (one being the legend Aisha Thomas!) that I was wasted in Reception and would be great in this role. 

After several conversations I finally thought why not I could actually do this.  So, I went for it, got it and have loved it ever since. I feel like this is what I was always supposed to do.  My previous roles included working in Social Services, Adult Mental Health, Home Care, and other Community based settings as a Receptionist/Administrator/Advisor/Clerk whilst raising a young family. I feel working in these settings defiantly shaped me as a person in general as well as an Educator.  But I feel my upbringing in the Community has been my greatest influence in me becoming the Educator I am today.  

I was raised in Easton and went to the local primary school (Bannerman Rd) and the local Secondary School (St George, now CAB) I grew up with and went to school with a lot of my students Parents or family members.  I played in the same parks as a lot of my students play in now.  I was one of these children living and growing up in the community that I now work. 

I had a challenging time in secondary school. There was no Pastoral Support in my days, it was us and the teachers.  There was no one to off load to, it was more of a just get on with attitude.  I feel my school life experiences have also shaped me as an Educator, as I went through a lot and I can relate to my students on many levels as I have faced similar challenges that they have. In turn this  has given me the drive to want to support young people as I feel there was no one to support me and there was definitely no one that related to me looked like me and most importantly, Understood me.  

This is why Representation in Education Matters! It is important that all young children can identify. I do not mean just by the staff they see.   I feel it also matters in the curriculum we teach.  Our young people should be feeling empowered every day, no matter their background or culture.

When I think back to my childhood, even though I lived in a multicultural area and saw people like myself every day, none of my teachers looked like me, lived in the same area as me, had hair like me, understood my culture.   All but one of my teachers at primary school were of colour and she happened to be a family relative who later became the first Black head teacher at the time in Bristol.  

I remember another lady that used to come in and cook with us once a week, she was a Black lady who reminded me of my Grandmother. She was someone whom I had identified with and I remember absolutely loving her cooking class. Mrs Roll, never will I forget her name.  Senior school not one teacher of colour in sight. Who was I aspiring to be? Where was the representation? Who was telling me I could make it or would not make it? Who were my role models?  It is not until I have gotten older that I have realised how important having Representation in education really is.  I came out of school vowing I would never go back! Why? Because I was not understood I was different. No one got me. I was labelled not by students but by teachers. I clearly remember a supply teacher telling me that I was never going to make it “A kid like you” I knew what he meant when he said that. He meant a Black kid like me. Even though I am mixed race, that teacher saw I was not white, and every student knew what he meant too.  I remember being profiled as a young age that I would not achieve anything due to my heritage. 

Had I had the support from my education setting or even someone that I identified with offering me support I know things would have been a lot different for me.  I am here now and that’s what counts, and times have changed, and all my experiences have made me the Educator I am today.

As an Educator I aspire to uplift, empower, and support young people to reach their goals and dreams despite challenges that arise. Something I felt I never had growing up as a child and it is especially important having educators that represent, I feel that every child or young person can achieve anything with the right support/guidance/stability in place.  I always say to my students is “It is not where you start, it is where you finish” “and if I can make it you can make it”.